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Buying a Coffin Online
Table of Contents
- Why Buy a Casket Online?
- Researching Caskets Before You Buy
- Where to Buy Caskets Online
- How to Shop for a Casket Online
- How to Find a Quality Casket Online
- Where the Casket is Made
- Design Quality
- Conclusion
Why Buy a Casket Online?
Saying goodbye to a loved one is not only an emotionally difficult experience, but it can be an expensive one. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the cost of a funeral for an adult increased by almost 29 percent, from $5582 to $7181 between 2004 and 2014. Because coffin prices take up a significant portion of that expense, one of the best ways to reduce the “casket cost,” is to purchase a casket online.
Buying a casket from an online retailer can yield several benefits, such as the considerably lower prices when compared to buying through a funeral home, a greater opportunity to customize the coffin and the flexibility and comfort of being able to shop anywhere, anytime the internet is available to you.
Researching Caskets Before You Buy
Under the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule, every customer has the right to provide their own casket should they so choose. The funeral home is required to accept delivery of a casket from an outside source and cannot impose any fees or penalties upon you for doing so.
Prices of caskets (or coffins) purchased from funeral homes can cost up to 85 percent more than caskets bought online. Buying a casket online from a reputable seller, however, costs significantly less, and the caskets are of the same or better quality as those bought through funeral homes.
At Titan Casket, we recognize that our customers want as much information as possible before deciding to go ahead with the online purchase of a casket or coffin. We are available at any time to answer questions about our products and the purchasing and delivery process. Our goal is to offer all the answers our customers need for a confident, easy purchase in their time of need.
Where to Buy Caskets Online
There are a few options when it buying where you can buy a casket: Batesville Services Inc., for example, is a recognizable brand that is commonly sold in funeral homes. Many of the caskets offered by Titan are comparable to Batesville: for example, the Titan Orion casket is comparable to the Batesville Gemini and Batesville Sierra, the Titan Paris Rose is comparable to the Batesville Tapestry Rose, and the Titan Paris Rose II is comparable to the Batesville Primrose.
Other big-name coffin companies include Aurora Casket Company Inc. and Universal Casket Co. (the supplier for Costco). While these brands are amongst the largest in the casket business, they tend to be more expensive than smaller companies like Titan Casket. Also, because of their size, larger casket retailers may be harder to reach, making customer service less personal and prioritized.
At Titan Casket, customer service is our highest priority. We are always available to assist with casket selection and answer any questions. We can also custom build a unique casket just for you. (Please keep in mind that custom made caskets may require a few extra days to create, so contact us as soon as possible if you would like to explore this option.)
How to Shop for a Casket Online
No matter where you make your purchase, it is important to have a set budget for a casket. Whether the budget is fixed or flexible, it will provide you with some guidelines for the purchase and customization, making the process feel less overwhelming. A good online casket retailer like Titan Casket can help you determine the right budget given your requirements.
Just because you have decided to purchase a casket online, doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t interact with something tangible. Consider visiting a showroom or funeral home to get an idea of the materials (such as woods, metals, finishes, and interior fabrics) used to manufacture the caskets available from an online retailer. You need not mention to the funeral home staff that you are comparison shopping, or that you are considering buying a casket online, as this is your own business.
We at Titan Casket recognize that when making a large online purchase, such as a coffin, it is essential to use a vendor who is easily reachable and makes you feel prioritized – always make sure customer service information is clearly available before a purchase. This is why we at Titan Casket get to know our customers personally, and our customers have the name and direct phone number of a specific care specialist they can reach anytime, day or night.
Online retailers should have a clear and solid privacy policy to protect their customers – click here to check out Titan Casket's privacy policy.
It is also important to be clear on any fees you may be charged for your purchase. Many online retailers charge for shipping which typically ranges between $300-$600. Titan Casket provides free and fast shipping, and charges no additional fees. It is also important to remember that under the Funeral Rule any funeral home cannot charge you any sort of fee or penalty to accept a casket from an online retailer.
Another aspect of online shopping you should be aware of is a retailer’s delivery range – what cities and states can a casket provider guarantee delivery in – and the retailer’s delivery time – if your coffin needs are time sensitive, this is especially important. Some casket providers offer overnight shipping, but this may come at an additional cost. Titan Casket works hard to deliver caskets and coffins whenever needed. We work with customers directly to keep them informed on the delivery status of their order. If a customer has a deadline for the delivery of their purchase, we do everything in our power to meet those deadlines. We also coordinate with the funeral home of your choice to ensure a smooth delivery.
For specific questions about shipping and delivery, feel free to contact us anytime.
Referrals from friends and family and looking at reviews featured on the site itself or applications for reviews such as Google reviews or Shopper Approved are also a great way to get a feel for a company before buying from them. Click here to read reviews from our valued customers.
When looking at funeral homes, make sure to contact local ones and ask for a General Price List, or “GPL” (a detailed list of prices and fees on funeral services and experiences) before mentioning that you are considering buying a casket online. This will prevent the funeral home from raising prices on other services to make up for the lost sale. Information regarding pricing and savings may also be available through local chapters of the Funeral Consumers Association (FCA).
Caskets and coffins are forms of containers and do not preserve a loved one. As a consumer, it is vital to have this information as some sellers will try to advertise their caskets as a form of preservation. This is completely false – gaskets/seals are meant to protect the inside of the casket from outside elements, not to preserve the body inside.
Before buying, it is crucial to understand a retailer’s terms and conditions. While a company’s terms and conditions can often be a hefty read, the goal of understanding them is important to ensure an online retailer offers similar recourse as some funeral homes provide. For example, what happens if a casket arrives damaged or late? At Titan Casket, we keep you updated on the status of your casket and are always available to answer any questions.
For more information on Titan Casket's terms and conditions, click here.
For more information about our refund policy, click here.
How to Find a Quality Casket Online
Many caskets and coffins available online are offered at such low prices because they are made with inferior materials and construction. This is not true of all discounted online casket retailers, With Titan Casket, for example, works hard to reduce prices on our caskets without sacrificing quality. Finding a high-quality casket depends on several factors: the material the casket is made from, the design quality, and its size.
Material
The first step in shopping for a casket online is to decide from which kind of material you want it to be made from, as well as the materials used for the interior. If color selection is important to you, you may wish to choose a steel casket, as that will offer the widest range of options. If natural materials are a priority, consider a wood or wicker casket. If pricing is the main concern, you may prefer a cloth casket.
Design Quality
All coffins provided by Titan Casket are beautiful and solidly made. Titan Casket offers distinctive craftsmanship and design elements on our the wood, metal, wicker, and cloth casket models. Handcrafted features on each casket convey a distinguished, personalized feel. Soft, plush elements are incorporated into the interior of our caskets. Some caskets also have functional features included in our casket designs such as swing bars, which make for easier transport.
Size
It is important to pay attention to the size of the casket or coffin you are buying. Caskets are measured by width, not length, and generally manufactured in a standard size (28” wide) into which the average man or woman fits comfortably. If you have the need for a wider, oversized casket, we can work with you and build one to fit your needs.
Titan Casket's standard size and 28-inch and 29-inch oversize caskets and coffins are designed to fit standard-sized 30" burial vaults.
What is included when buying a casket online?
Titan Casket will provide you with a casket or coffin, as well as an adjustable bed and pillow/throw covers which are typically sold with caskets purchased from funeral homes.
Understanding the ‘Funeral Rule’
The process of buying a casket or coffin has changed drastically since the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) introduced the Funeral Rule. The Funeral Rule is a federal law which allows for you to choose only the funeral arrangements you want, get pricing information upfront, written out legal information regarding legal cemetery or crematory requirements, use an “alternative container” instead of a casket for cremation, be able to provide and use a casket or urn bought outside of a funeral home, make funeral arrangements without embalming, etc. This law also requires funeral directors to provide a copy of the General Price List (GPL) to anyone who requests one. A GPL provides information about goods and services – a GPL must include prices for embalming, caskets, outer burial containers, alternative containers, and basic services. It must also specify that you have the right to choose only the products and services that you need or desire. Under the Funeral Rule, if you visit a funeral home and personally request a GPL from a funeral home staffer, they must give it to you and allow you to keep it. Once you have this information in hand, it should be easier to know what you can afford to spend on a casket as well as various other parts of the funeral service.
A funeral home cannot legally refuse a casket or add a “handling fee” to one, no matter where it is purchased, nor can they make it difficult or burdensome for you to supply your own casket.
For more information on the Funeral Rule and GPLs, click here.
For a state-by-state guide to your rights when planning a funeral, click here.
Conclusion
The death of a loved one is never easy. From the shock of the event, to the realities of the costs you’ll be incurring to the grief that you will inevitably face, there is much to take into consideration during this trying time. At Titan, we are committed to making buying a casket as low stress and economical as possible, while still providing beautiful products with high levels of service. Please check out our guide to buying a casket online with Titan or feel free to contact us to learn more about how we can help.