Denton County Living Well Magazine March/April 2019 | Page 37
SIMPLE
CREMATION…
ARE YOU SURE?
By Rick Allen
I
n today’s economy it pays to shop around. When we
went to purchase our youngest daughter a car, we were
working on a very limited budget. We found a great
deal in the most unlikely place. A luxury import dealer in
an upscale area of Dallas had a late model domestic car
they had taken in on a trade. They did not have much in the
car in the way of investment and were looking to move it off
their lot. As a result, we found an unbelievably good price
on a quality automobile. We had looked at cheaper cars,
but when weighing our daughter’s safety and well-being
against a little more cost for the better car, the decision was
easy. If we would have simply searched out the cheapest
price, I am confident we would have had regrets later for
one reason or another.
Believe it or not, many people will choose a cremation pro-
vider based solely upon who will offer the lowest price.
While the theory exists, “Who cares, you are gone and
won’t know anything about it.” Something can be said for
respecting the dignity of an individual after they have died.
I am not going to cast accusations against low cost provid-
ers. I will simply base my opinion on what I know to be fact
and tell you that the phrase “buyer beware” applies totally
when doing business with these type of firms. There are two
major things to be cautious of. First, the bait and switch op-
erator; this is the one who attracts you with a low price ad-
vertisement in the newspaper or on a billboard. Once you
have committed to doing business with them, then the low
cost “hook” has add-on’s that increase the cost. This can
be confusing and extremely frustrating. Secondly, and this
one is even worse in my opinion, is the get-what-you-pay-for
guys. This is where dignity goes out the window. Because
low cost has to be offset with high volume in order for an
operator to be profitable, these types of operations remind
me of a processing plant more than they do of a funeral
establishment. Human remains are stored in cramped areas
while the firm completes the necessary paperwork and then
the remains are shipped off, several at a time in a cargo
van, to be cremated several miles away from the funeral
establishment the family originally contracted with. The end
result is a far cry from anything resembling dignified and
on top of that, the family is left waiting, often times as long
as ten days to get their loved one’s ashes back.
The media has trained funeral consumers to use the word
“simple” when describing to their funeral director what their
wishes are. Unfortunately, funeral directors have trained
themselves to hear the word “cheap” when a consumer
says “simple”. I believe when consumers say “simple” they
are really saying, “I want something dignified and appro-
priate, but I don’t want you to overcharge me for what you
do”. A woman recently came to me after her husband had
died. She told me she wanted “simple” cremation. After
we visited for a while she started describing to me the type
service she wanted at their church, and then asked about
the possibility of family and friends coming together for a
time of reflection and remembrance the evening before the
funeral service. We then composed a beautiful obituary for
our website, created a video tribute and selected an urn.
When we finished she was relieved that the cost for all the
things she wanted were so reasonable and that she felt to-
tally comfortable with our firm and knew that her husband’s
wishes would be carried out exactly as he described to her
prior to his passing. Afterwards, I learned that when she
originally told me of her desire for a “simple” cremation,
she meant that she did not want to bury her husband in
the cemetery and have an elaborate memorial marking his
grave. She did save a tidy sum of money by not having to
purchase those items, but in my opinion, the service we pro-
vided to her was anything but “simple”. This just proves that
one person’s definition of “simple” may not always match
up to that of another.
Cremation is growing in popularity in our particular geo-
graphic area. Some may see this as a positive and some
may view it as a negative. I see it as nothing more than
one way, out of several, to accomplish final disposition of
one’s body. No matter what you choose, please do not
make your decision solely on who will give you the lowest
price. Cost should be one of your considerations, but not
your only concern.
Rick Allen is the owner of Allen Family Funeral Options. Visit their informative website at
www.affoplano.com to learn more about your options or give them a call at 972-596-8200.
DENTON COUNTY Living Well Magazine | MARCH/APRIL 2019
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