Top Funeral Services in Cleveland, OH 44134
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The Casket Store
By JohnRomano December 07, 2014
Casket was ok but stay away from the headstone engraving. 5 months now and they still haven't put the date on my fathers headstone. Alway an excuse. Now I don't even get calls back after leaving a message. Sad. I just want closure already. ...read more
The Casket Store
By JohnRomano December 07, 2014
Casket was ok but stay away from the headstone engraving. 5 months now and they still haven't put the date on my fathers headstone. Alway an excuse. Now I don't even get calls back after leaving a message. Sad. I just want closure already. ...read more
The Casket Store
By jedeke June 02, 2014
We have been waiting almost 2 years for a loved ones headstone. This place is full of excuses as to why it isn't ready. They blamed the engraver. They offered to throw in a free vase. SERIOUSLY?? I have seen reviews about BBB and Lawyers being contacted. This place doesn't care. It is truly amazing that they are in business. If you want to lie and cheat to your customers then maybe sell cars...NOT headstones and caskets to grieving families!!!! ...read more
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Save Thousands on Burial Costs
Preplanning for a funeral is not the first thing on someone’s mind. We try to push this thought back into the deepest part of our brain and hope we never have to deal with it. Unfortunately we are all going to be faced with death at some part in our lives. Don’t get caught unprepared. I am here to help you know what to do so you are not taken advantage of in your time of mourning. #1 Know the Funeral Rule and what your rights are. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) established this law in 1994 to protect consumers from funeral homes who were not transparent in their sales strategies. I can send you a link to the funeral rule so you can be an informed consumer. #2 Call a few local funeral homes and compare their fees. They must provide you with an itemized list of fees and they can provide them to you over the phone, by email or fax them to you. You do not need to drive to each funeral home to obtain these. You will see that they can vary greatly especially their basic service fee. They also have packaged plans which may end up costing you more than buying each service separately. ( I can also send you a link that compares local funeral home rates in your area.) #3 Once you have decided on a particular funeral home, it’s time to check out their reputation. Best way to do this is an online search of their company or even Angie’s List. Look at all their reviews, see if they have any complaints and what they are. #4 Did you know that you may be able to save on the viewing charge by having this done at your own church? Many churches will allow you to schedule this through them without charging you anything or a minimal fee. The funeral home will still charge you to transport the body to the church but this is usually still less expensive than having the viewing there. #5 Embalming – You are not required to purchase this service (unless there was a contagious disease) in most cases embalming is not required. Disposition of the body must occur within a 24 hour period. #6 Funeral homes notoriously charge more for their caskets. This is their bread and butter. They can overcharge you by as much as 500%!!!! You do not have to purchase a casket from a funeral home!!! The Federal Trade Commission passed a regulation in 1994 which stopped the monopoly that funeral homes had on this business. There are now retail stores where you can see what you are purchasing just as you would in the funeral home and they will deliver the casket for you to the funeral home, some with free delivery. #7 Vaults- They are not required by law but your local cemetery may require them. If you are not familiar with a vault they are usually made of cement and can be coated to protect the casket that is placed inside. Some vaults are very expensive as they can be sealed and help to control deterioration of the casket over a period of time. They are also needed to keep the ground in place to prevent it from caving in. The funeral home on average will double if not triple this charge. Many of the retail casket stores are now able to sell you the same vault at a discount from 30% - 40% or more. #8 If you have decided on cremation you can purchase an urn at the same retail store or even online. You can also rent a casket for the viewing instead of purchasing one or purchase a must less expensive cloth casket which can be used for the viewing and also the cremation. Also ask that the crematory not stamp the plastic container filled with remains as this is a way that they get you to buy a more expensive urn. #9 Death certificate - You can get the copy yourself from your local health department or Bureau of Vital Statistics. There are even some online sites that you can order a death certificate from. #10 Flowers – There are many florists competing for your business especially online. Also remember to search for any promo codes that may be available before you check out. You can also call several local florists and do comparison shopping, ask if they have any specials going or let them know if you came upon another florist with a sale going on, see if they could take an extra 10% or so off the price of their flowers. A funeral home may offer this service to you as a convenience but doing it on your own can save hundreds of dollars. #11 Obituary – A funeral home may offer to organize an obituary notice on your behalf. Not only would they charge you a fee for this service but it is free advertising for them. You can arrange this yourself with the local paper, or there are even free online sites to post your notice. #12 Dinner – The family get together after the burial can be very expensive. Check with your church to see if you can rent their hall, some may let you have it for free. Compare catering companies instead of choosing the first that you talk to. Also remember your family is there for you. They want to be able to help you during this time. See if a few family members would be able to contribute a dish and bring it with them to the hall. #13 Once you have decided on the funeral home, casket, vault and you decide to go to the funeral home and make the arrangements. Let them go over all the fees with you and tell them what you have decided. Wait until you have firmed up all the fees before you let them know you have purchased a casket and vault from someone else otherwise they may try and push you into a prepackaged plan claiming to save you money. They are not able to charge you a handling fee for accepting a casket from someone else either. #14 Insurance Assignment – Review all of the funeral home charges and make sure that this amount is what is being put on your insurance assignment form. Do not sign the form without the total price stated. Affordable Caskets, LLC, 6619 Pearl Road Ste B, Parma Heights, Ohio 44130 440-842-1450 www.affordablecasketsohio.com ...read more
By affordable caskets ohio December 28, 2012
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