Profits of Death: An Insider Exposes the Death Care Industries,   ISBN:9781877749216

Customer Rating: 

As someone who works in the industry I can tell you that the vast majority of funeral directors are honest, caring and compassionate people who do this as a service to humanity not to cheat people.

Customer Rating: 

I wish I had read this book before my Mother died, and before we were taken advantage of in many ways. Though I know that not all funeral establishments are the same, after doing much research and educating myself on funeral matters, I now know that my family and I aren't the only ones who have dealt with unethical funeral personnel. An informed consumer, is an empowered consumer. People shouldn't walk into a funeral home to make arrangements believing that someone has their well being in mind. These are businesses that have been a monopoly for ages until the Federal Trade Commission instilled some laws to protect consumers in 1984. The funeral industry as a whole continues to try to keep out any competition because they don't want to "share the wealth." Why invite competition when they can sell a casket they purchased for $300.00 mark it up hundreds of percent and sell it for thousands. The rule for the day is still "Let The Buyer Beware." I appreciate the information from the book, but do question why the author reaped the rewards from that industry for years and years only to turn around and tell on the same industry that made him rich.

Customer Rating: 

I really enjoyed the book and it was very helpful. I liked the part about purchasing your casket online. I bought a casket from [...] and saved $3400 on an 18 gauge metal casket that looked exactly like the funeral home's caskets. I bought it for $995 and the funeral home wanted $4400 for it and it arrived the very next morning at the funeral home. They also suggested as the book did that I visit several funeral homes saying that I live about 10 minutes away but I will have my funeral here if your price is the best. It says to show interest in the funeral home caskets so they think they can make $4000 on the casket so they are more likely to give you a better price on the funeral. After getting all itemized lists from the funeral homes, the book explained then to call up the one that you want to have it at and tell them that someone in the family already purchased a casket, so you will not be needing one.

When I did what the book suggested I noticed that the range for the funeral was $2500 up to $10,000 and the concrete vault varied from $600 to $1500. The opening and closing of the grave varied from $600 to $2100. Incredible. What other industry does the price vary 300 or 400%. The book said that the average amount of time the funeral home spends on a funeral is about 5 hours (2 hour viewing, 1 hour embalming, 0.5 hour hair/face, 1.5 hour misc). How come it costs so much for 5 hours of work?

Using the books and [...] I spent $995 on the casket, $2500 on the funeral, $600 on the concrete vault and $600 on the opening and closing the grave. Total cost $4700 and I had it at the funeral home that was closest to my house. Most of the other funeral homes with the casket were $10,000 to $13,000.

If you had a recent death or are preplanning, definitely read the book, do not let the funeral home get the body until you have all the prices and buy your casket online.

Terry Zimmer
Dallas, TX

Customer Rating: 

I have friends who work in the industry and was curious how this person portrayed as "An Insider Exposes the Death Care Industries". Now, I'm about half way through the book and the more I read the weirder it gets. They don't have pictures of Jesus and crosses all around, and they certainly don't look at the addresses or living conditions of families to gauge their spending ability! This Darryl Roberts guy must have been really slimy, if you ask me, he's telling us what he did to people during his years in the industry and that can't be projected onto everyone.

The funeral industry is just that, an industry, a service. Yes people are more prone to emotional over-spending during these periods but that doesn't mean that the industry is taking advantage of them. At the same time isn't a $10.00 steak and a $100.00 steak still a steak? No one can force you to buy one or the other, you have a choice of restaurants and you can't expect to get the $100.00 steak for $10.00 just because you think it is unfair to charge so much. Some places give free refills on tea and some make you pay. Such is it in this industry. Granted some things may not be spelled out real clearly, i.e. embalming may not be required by law, however the cemetery can require it in order to bury the person on their property or for viewings and crypts interments. Many things are dependent upon each individual cemetery and the situation at hand.

Knowing about pricing etc. ahead of time is good but that is what pre-planning allows people to do, avoid the emotional spending and simply deal with the loss of a loved one. This way you will freeze the prices too, by buying ahead.

This book can paint a vague image of the industry today. But if you rely too much on what this guy is saying you will only make yourself more miserable. They aren't all the thieves and robbers he would like to make them out to be! His writing style is also a bit tainted with a sense of jealousy, it's almost as if he has a chip on his shoulder rather than trying to help people deal with a difficult time he is making people feel that they are being taken for a ride. Not too healthy if you ask me!

Customer Rating: 

this gentleman may have been around a funeral home cemetery operation but he didn't learn much.he tried to sensatioalize and exagerate most of what he talks about,with total diregard for the truth