Funeral home markups and upselling: Hidden camera investigation (CBC Marketplace)

this is marketplace undercover inside Canada's Funeral Homes the top level in the bottom level they start at three thousand dollars can you trust the people meant to help you the most 98 percent is enjoy we're still grieving it's only been a couple days high-pressure sales he doesn't die in the next 90 days we set up to paying for more high cost so altogether we be looking at $12,500 marketplace and the Toronto Star investigate death incorporated but frightening here today well I love honest ed we're gathering to say goodbye to honest debt it is in a way about morning but I think it's also about celebration a celebration of life but not for a person it's for a much-loved bargain store if we can for me it's a farewell where decades have cheap deals and free Christmas turkeys are coming to an end nostalgic all the changes that be coming to this neighborhood it seems like a good place to Ted how much people think about losing something or someone but I want to throw a question at you at a left field here come a question you might find awkward what if you died today I would look after everything that needs to be done with a funeral we died yeah okay that's kind more interesting okay anything I guess it's pretty scary yes what do you want not too much I want a celebration my goodness that's a weird one I know it's a weird one I can't even give you an answer if you were to die today who would look after your funeral that's a bizarre question yeah have you ever thought of it yeah what is your frame of mind when you're walking into a to a bureau Hall are you susceptible to being taken advantage of [Music] you're probably at the most susceptible point of your life you're about to find out what happens when sales Trump sympathy let's do that do this our team is getting ready to head inside funeral homes just how upfront or staff when we need help the most we'll need a cover story well how about we have an honesty on the coolerado Aunt Alice isn't a wealthy woman she wants a simple service there I am that's great okay beautiful yeah like many Canadians Alice wants to be cremated come join us for the journey Arbor memorial is our funeral home of choice it's the largest Canadian funeral company and it's expanding but it's also one we've heard many complaints event from pressure to prepay for a funeral to a lack of empathy and preying on emotions by overcharging how bad can it be we head into six locations hi and tell the same story at each one is a non - L in our time of need will Arbor help us or add to the heartbreak honey talk about what we wanted and we needed to do this before so I need to be on kind of something very simple and information but simple isn't what they have in mind in the business of death costs can add up quickly in 1895 that's your starting point what should you spend on a casket what about this one in the middle of eleven months five two thousand eight hundred ninety five twenty five thirty three four thousand seven Oh what about embalming it costs 500 but is it required involving is a ship reserved so many decisions to make okay baby and a portrait a car so altogether we've been looking at three or twelve thousand five hundred dollars from the very and pre-planning directors like these make a base salary the rest is Commission so when it comes to planning a simple funeral it's not easy to know what you really need lucky for us aunt Alice isn't real but I'm about to meet someone whose loss is very real so was the nightmare she faced at the Arbor location in Windsor hi Judy hi I'm David hi David nice meet you Judy would wrote to marketplace wanted to share her story as a warning to others did you feel going in there that a fewer home and its staff were a place that you could trust very much we just felt they understand and we'll try to assist you getting through this difficult time and not take advantage this is a business unlike any other you're so vulnerable they have you this was a fantastic one we surprised her with a birthday Judy's sister Diana was only 56 when cancer killed her Diana had paid over $4,000 for her own funeral believing that would cover it and lessen the burden on her family it didn't Judy's left to plan the rest when you're in a funeral home how upfront were they about all of those charges they weren't they weren't at all they the gentleman had a laptop and there was a large screen and as he asked us the different questions that item went up on the list it wasn't until the very end that we saw what the cost would be for all of the things we selected and what was that number $10,000 what did you think oh we were shocked this is how much you were told it would cost our bure recommends a package arranging an administration is 1755 what that includes I'm not quite sure making sense of that package seems next to impossible that doesn't include the cost of the vehicle the transfer to the funeral home that's for the doesn't include the cost of actually getting to the funeral home I don't sandesh to reduce the price Judy gets rid of some services but it wasn't easy I didn't want to seem like I was asking a lot of questions about money it's like while you pay what you have to pay right we're at the same location judy turn to for help we have an on too much very well okay cremation we just want something nice and simple at first there's sympathy but she quickly gets down to business like Judy were offered a package and told identifying Aunt Alice is company policy Sally would have to identify her for sure to make sure that we have the right person that's our this planner should just embalming I mean it has been bombing for that but there is no law requiring embalming and in a lot of cases no need to avoid passing on any diseases and although we don't want a viewing for our fictional aunt so why all this well it's part of the package she's recommended she did better clerk closure whether the cast is open or not by doing it this way better closure Arbor makes judy identify her sister which means extra costs for things she never wanted he's very kind saying you know take your time go in there's like no we're not going to take our time we're only here to identify her and yet she was laid out and presented as if she was going to be viewed and you were paying for that and we were paying for that even though that's not something you wanted that's not what we wanted and that's not what she wanted did you want him bombing not that worked if it wasn't needed and what happened she was involved more well because she was going to be dressed and displayed for you to identify her we're shaking our heads like why are we doing this let's just go with it like is to do that let's do that but he's the guy I mean how many times have you been finished before that never so what happened it was terrible somebody had dressed her and put makeup on her and put her in her clothes again and it didn't look like her it was in my heart it wasn't her but it was something we were forced to do so that we felt I felt bitter it wasn't just that there was expense that no you feel is unnecessary no it's that your closure was reopened yes we had said our goodbyes in the hospital we weren't given any option and that's wrong more than 250,000 canadians died last year including Judy's sister in the business of death that amounts to a 1.6 billion dollar industry big players like Arbor make the majority of the profits and with our aging population stand to make even more [Music] I'm in Manitoba to meet a guy who's in no wall and now a towel all right Shane David good to meet you nice to meet you thank you very much Shane Neufeld worked in the business for 25 years at times for the big guys including Arbor he knows the secrets of the south I mean economical and doesn't like what he hears about our Alice's service right there what she's doing is increasing the value of that sale with that family it was all about identification it wasn't about of viewing well they're using identification as a means to an end the end is to get the money for the embalming because in Bombay is expensive that doesn't cost much but most of us aren't professionals at burying our loved ones the consumer is at an extreme disadvantage you can't possibly come out on the right side of that if you're in front of people who are motivated to sell you things that you don't need we dig up our bure job postings some traits they value most include a sales mentality people who are skillful at negotiating and closing who meet and exceed sales quota goals and here's what that looks like in action remember we only want a simple service information a small celebration but they're pushing packages that same day service costs almost sixty four hundred dollars do we need everything on that so our United is present 98% mandatory and there's no mention of an a la carte option I'd like to see that package 98% it seems like a very high number it's only when we press that Arbor agrees to get rid of a few items about $600 worth flowers vehicle yes they're out of the car business this is your time a not yet serious all of us will be okay the flower vehicle for a simple service we haven't even talked price for the actual formation imagine if we were racked with guilt and grief so what's really necessary for Aunt Alice Shane takes a look and says many items can go worse he says it seems arbors double charging for staff he figures the package could be cut by almost two thousand dollars well in that case our hidden camera team is being live with how to pay so how much should the casket cost you eight hundred and ninety five dollars so we managed to get the wholesale cost for that any idea what it is one hundred and seventy-five dollars closing the deal on your marketplace the big business of dying we're undercover Six Feet Under shopping for a simple funeral the top level in the bottom level they started three thousand dollars to normalize is on thousand three hundred and ninety five dollars simple answers are proving hard to find and I am come on to that that really has I will find from outfit as sad as funerals are they're also a business cackling this piece we have for 3842 our doors and the staff who help you plan are working on Commission money means a lot when beginning all the activist ask who's going to be a table times this planner encourages walking in before losing out just pay the price goes up in a year and it's a longer journey and with hefty prices you might easily be convinced our industry insider used to do it that way too but guilt got the better of them now Shane Neufeld calls himself a death care consultant thanks so much got a piece tree he believes you should be charged a flat fee about giving people the truth and products and costs and the rest of the industry the big guys their role is to make as much money as they can which is fine it's just not something I want to do and something he says he wouldn't do push a package like this with Transfer Vehicle drivers a funeral coach Alexis Union coach to the funeral coach brings her to the in the casket to the crematorium that's on the same site that she doesn't matter how far they still have to use the vehicle but do they need to charge almost 350 dollars for that vehicle so Brett the funeral home let's go and see how far away try3 friends are in the drive takes one minute this is the criminal a.m. right now right behind the Muslim so we have driven 400 meters of the dollar amita for auntie alice mostly machine room here will be three to four thousand dollars another questionable cost rental caskets to view and alice who remember will be cremated I wish more suggesting from an economical standpoint a rental plastic sounds hopeful five the residence is over 250 for one day yes your brain casket inside the counter your rental Michele and you're pretty thing another casket is like we get our hands on a wholesale price lamp not casting it costs Arbor 1695 500 less and they can use it time and again seems like a sweet deal for them it's not a cost savings for us this is what they use for just cremation and they don't want anything and it has no lines on it we try saving money at another location all of this would go with her that's all part of all that yeah once we'll give her I hope we can see what's below that casket it's tilted toward you that makes it much more desirable to purchase and then you have this down below underneath the other casket that is strategically placed but they don't want us to have it that's not a visitation tech this humane district summation what's the big deal just sometimes though I like this one why can I leave let me ask the manager husband said with more than a thousand dollars on the line they dig in their heels she just want something very simple an identification container so yeah you wouldn't really see that during visitation was almost taken aback at the suggestion that yeah that she wants something simple and that's a way of making people feel minimized and feel badly for wanting something simple I mean they're being careful but they're not being forthright so much to watch out for and even with time on our side it's not easy when the cell kicks in when you for me right well this planner starts out wanting a deposit of four grand you want to get the people are in place small class sizes but really he'll take anything to close the deal and get the Commission on your knowledge from the cemetery not $100 over game yourself independence he continues to push here taken we allow people upper need a cancellation clause it just takes that pressure off in that time she's already answered the question no we don't think we want to do that right now the ideas walk the business down now while they're inside lock it in Judy would sister thought she'd locked it in but Judy still had to pick up the pieces what would you say to harbor you need to be more upfront you know people need to understand that people are hurting they're coming in here relying on you depending on you to not take advantage and I think we were taken advantage of so who's watching out for us is there enough for you to follow up with our that's what this is your market life this is your market life our journey inside the business of death reveals a world of high pressure and high cost that's good work looks interesting where the upsell can add to your grief mission prepare know who's meant to protect us the bereavement Authority of Ontario is one of the few provincial regulators it investigates complaints keeps tabs on the industry but regulations don't cover the kind of hard sell we're seeing good to meet you at me GT the Registrar is Carrie Smith oh this is 98% percent or he doesn't like some of what he sees well you're the consumer you were having the ability to pick and choose but he he's saying to us that 98% of what's on there we got to take there's things on here that the legislation certainly doesn't make mandatory should you be told but you can buy things individually and not in the package yes you should be but with only three inspectors for more than 600 funeral homes tactics like this go unchecked we zero in on that home that doesn't want us buying a cheaper casket so they're following the law but they're trying to dissuade us from using the less expensive options certainly trying to dissuade you from using it I just don't understand it after we've seen all this video any concerns around pre-planning salespeople well you've showed me a bunch of examples that certainly our minimum disappointing and would cause me to you know have concerns and that we'll have to look into we went to six locations all six are from Arbor Funeral Homes big player in the industry I would be surprised if that's their corporate values and philosophy they're their professional provider is there enough for you to follow up with over absolutely we do follow up with every salesperson we met they all say call head office let's despite weeks of discussions with Arbor Memorial they say no to an on-camera interview we're questioning their right to make money but we do have questions about their sales practices and their response comes in the form of a statement we are confident that our business practices are fair and they don't condone behavior that may cause customers to feel pressure but to avoid heartache shop around ask what's not included and talk about it have you told your kids exactly what you want no you know and as it almost seems my cause when you do it [Music]

Channel: CBC News

Views: 1,146,109

Rating: 4.7170973 out of 5

Keywords: CBC News, CBCNews, CBC broadcasting media, public broadcasting, news, Canadian News, Canadian Broadcasting Corportation (TV network), CBC News Network, cbc marketplace, marketplace, marketplace cbc, funerals, funeral homes, funeral home, casket, caskets, coffins, coffin, sales, money, cost, arbor, arbour, arbor memorial

Id: xRNaqntsLPI

Length: 22min 26sec (1346 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 10 2017

Reddit Comments

[u/jhick107]

Never understood why the fancy coffins aren’t rented for the viewing and then something cheap gets buried or burnt. Each to his/her own but....

[u/poutinegalvaude]

If anyone hasn’t seen, I highly recommend watching YouTuber Ask A Mortician. She’s very frank and honest about the funerary business and death in general.

[u/Ryan_is_my_real_name]

Recently my mum told me she already bought her coffin. A cardboard coffin. She said no open Casket just throw me straight in the oven and be done with it then go and have a BBQ and talk about all the good times. My mum's a bit of a hard case.

[u/UsernameChecksOutBro]

Brutal. My GF buried her 31 yr old brother 18 months ago. Tore the family up and they all took on massive debt to pay for the service, casket etc. Upwards of 16k.

[u/LodgePoleMurphy]

My family cremates our dead. Fuck spending a shitload of money on a dead person.

[u/AbnerKitty]

"It is our most modestly priced receptical."

[u/cs700r]

This will be the next industry that millennials kill off. I don’t see my generation forking out $8k for a casket/elaborate funeral.

[u/LemmeTasteDatWine]

Former Funeral Director here.... on the one side, you have to understand it's a business, not a social service. On the west coast of the US, a direct cremation (body pickup, cremation, cremains processing) can be as low as $1000. If you want the embalming, visitation, nice casket, funeral, procession, graveside service etc, it will cost you $10,000 without the cost of the plot and marker. It's a lot to coordinate. It's like a small, dark wedding so you will pay for the production. People shouldn't be surprised that a memorable event is expensive.

On the other side, many mortuaries exploit the vulnerability of the family by upselling on the "experience." I had sales quotas I couldn't meet because I listened to what the family wanted instead of telling them. The pay structure for funeral directors was based on sales (package bonuses) so you told yourself you were helping the family obtain the best. Memorial events and celebrations of life packages are on the rise as families try to become independent of funerals. It really is a dying industry.

[u/chrisfalcon81]

Amazing how that happened after massive corporations bought up thousands of funeral homes.