10/06/2008 - Thinking about doing business with the Neptune Society? Think again. For years, FCA has been pointing out Neptune's tricky accounting practices they use to illegally pocket consumers' prepaid cremation money instead of putting it in the bank as most state laws require. Finally, one state is taking legal action. Hats off to the Colorado Division of Regulation for a great job protecting funeral consumers. Here's their press release. . .
NEWS RELEASEFor Immediate Release - Oct. 3, 2008
Contact: Cameron Lewis, Colorado Division of Insurance, 303.894.2261
Chris Lines, DORA Public Information Officer, 303.894.7873DORA's Division of Insurance Alleges Neptune Society Used "Bait and Switch" to Lure Consumers
to Purchase Pre-Need Funeral ContractsColorado's Commissioner of Insurance, Marcy Morrison, has ordered representatives of the Neptune Management Corporation,d.b.a. Neptune Society (Neptune) to appear at a hearing to answer charges that the company misled consumers and manipulated prepaid, preneed funeral accounts in order to skirt Colorado law and maximize profits.
An investigation by the Division of Insurance indicated that the Neptune Society was using a "package plan" offer to entice consumers to purchase a particular pre-need funeral services contract. While state law mandates that 75 percent of a pre-need funeral services contract be held in trust to protect the consumer, the Neptune Society created a plan that allowed Neptune to keep, rather than trust, more than half of the entire plan premium.
"We will not stand for businesses that ignore consumer protection laws," Morrison said. "Pre-need funeral plans are prime targets for scams because the service purchased is not provided until an unknown date far into the future."
Most pre-need funeral plans require full payment at time of purchase for funeral services, such as burial or cremation, although the purchaser does not know when, in the future, the services will be used. With funeral plans and pre-paid cremation services running thousands of dollars per contract, Colorado law provided that 75 percent of any preneed plan would be held in trust. That way, should the firm close its doors, move out of state, or no longer offer the service purchased, the consumer could still have most of the money returned in order to purchase another plan.
By reducing the amount actually trusted, through a dual-contract system, Neptune has kept approximately $2.6 million of consumers' money that should have been protected in trust.
Allegedly, Neptune Society skirted the law by inducing consumers to purchase a "package deal" and sign two contracts: one for future funeral and/or cremation services, and a separate contract for the immediate purchase of merchandise, such as a funeral urn, at grossly inflated prices. Most of the funds from the funeral services contract were held in trust, as required, but the funds from the "merchandise" contract were not trusted.
As an example,
· One contract purchaser paid a total package price of nearly $1,333.
· Of that amount, 55 percent of the package price (about $700) was charged for "upfront merchandise" on a separate contract.
· Rather than place three-fourths of the entire $1333 into trust as required by law, Neptune chose to place only 75 percent of the remaining $610 into trust.
· This means a customer who had paid nearly $1400 for a preneed funeral contract had less than $560 trusted.
· In addition, the "merchandise" costs were inflated with a charge of $349 for a funeral urn valued at approximately $13.
The "bait-and-switch" is just one of several charges filed against the Neptune Society. Neptune must also answer charges related to:
· plan and practice to avoid compliance with preneed trusting requirements,
· violations of the general provider agreements,
· conditioning the sale of a preneed contract upon the purchase of a second contract, and,
· violation of several tenets of the Colorado Consumer Protection Act.
With approximately 5,000 pre-paid funeral accounts in Colorado, Neptune confirmed that fully 100 percent of their customers had chosen the "package deal," which appeared to cost less than purchasing those same items individually. However, the "package deal" allowed Neptune to put as little as 35 percent of the package price in trust, thereby avoiding trusting approximately $525 per each preneed contract. The amount that Neptune has avoided trusting is close to $2,625,000.
The "Notice to Set" scheduling conference will be held October 24, 2008, at 1:30 p.m. at the Colorado Office of Administrative Courts, 633 Seventeenth Street, Suite 1300, in Denver. At the Oct. 24 scheduling conference, Neptune Management Corporation and the Division of Insurance may agree to engage in alternative dispute resolution, or a date for a full hearing will be set.
DORA is dedicated to preserving the integrity of the marketplace and is committed to promoting a fair and competitive business environment in Colorado. Consumer protection is our mission.
November 1, 2007 —We've had numerous consumer inquiries and complaints about companies calling themselves the Neptune Society. Lamar Hankins of the Austin Memorial and Burial Information Society in Texas, has figured out that not all Neptunes are the same. There are several companies with this name that are entirely unrelated to each other. Here's the explanation from the largest Neptune (this company is publicly traded on Wall Street):
The Neptune Society, Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Neptune Management Corp., owns the right to provide cremation services under the tradename and service mark "Neptune Society" in the 49 states outside of California, and in Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties within the State of California. The Neptune Society, Inc., and its predecessor companies, have been providing cremation services for more than 30 years. The Neptune Society, Inc. is not affiliated with other Neptune Societies in the State of California that provide cremation services outside of the Counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. In those California counties where we do not own the right to use the name Neptune Society in connection with our services, we provide our services through an affiliated company, Trident Society®. In some states, applicable laws require us to use names other than Neptune Society. In Oregon, we provide our services as "Neptune Cremation Service".Below is an article Hankins wrote for the Fall, 2007 edition of Creative Choices, the newsletter of our Austin funeral consumer group. Like we've seen in the past, he found Neptune's prices were significantly higher for a simple cremation than many other services in the area. Hankins also found the company's price lists confusing and misleading. Here at the national office, we often hear from consumers who've been solicited by Neptune salespeople, only to find out they could have bought a simple cremation for about half the price Neptune is charging. The company is heavily into selling "preneed." As always, we urge people to avoid prepaying for death services unless they need to set aside assets for Medicaid. Remember, no matter what a funeral salesman tells you about "peace of mind," "freezing today's prices," and "taking care of everything," there are huge consumer pitfalls involved in prepaying. For better options, see our pamphlet on preplanning without prepaying.
Courtesy of the Austin Memorial and Burial Information Society'The Neptune Society, a cremation service provider on the West coast since the early 1970s, has now opened three locations in Texas–in Ft. Worth, Houston, and Austin.In a recent interview with the Editor of Creative Choices, Neptune Management Corporation President and CEO Jerry Norman explained that there are four Neptune groups, all of which are separate companies. The Neptune Society that he manages presently operates in ten states and has headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Several AMBIS members have contacted the AMBIS office recently after receiving mailings from Neptune. Neptune’s marketing plan in Austin consists primarily of mailings to lists of names and addresses of people aged 60 and over that were purchased from mailing list vendors.Neptune strongly promotes prepaying for cremation services, a practice that AMBIS does not support unless a person is preparing to qualify for Medicaid.
Neptune is moderately expensive. It uses two General Price Lists (GPLs)–one for preneed sales and one for at-need sales. Whether at-need or pre-need, Direct Cremation with an alternative container can be purchased for $1592, though Neptune claims that its minimum price would be $2066 at-need, but that includes some items that are not needed by most families, like common scattering of the cremated remains at sea. The average direct cremation cost in the 2007 AMBIS survey of funeral costs is $1642.Fifteen Austin-area cremation providers surveyed provide direct cremation for less than Neptune’s $1592 charge.
However, Neptune offers a “Direct Cremation Package”for $1389, whether purchased at-need or pre-need. When purchased at-need, the package does not include a“Neptune Information Guide and Portfolio” (valued at $249). The package does include an urn valued at $349. The wholesale cost of both the information package and the urn is probably less than $100. Thirteen Austin-area providers offer direct cremation for less than $1389. When purchasing pre-need, Neptune offers “Transportation Protection” for $399. If a purchaser dies more than 75 miles from where the pre-need contract was purchased,Neptune guarantees service at no additional cost[Note from FCA - this is a common "feature" of prepaid plans, but most consumers don't need it. We think it's not worth $400].
A 20 ga. steel casket at Neptune costs $1,895, higher than the cost of a 20 ga. casket charged by all of the service providers included in the 2007 survey. Neptune will be included in our 2008 survey due out next February.Neptune is still experiencing some glitches in its operations in Austin, including mistakes in its GPLs, but the company says these problems should be resolved soon.'
Neptune's Preneed Deal
- Would you buy a preneed from Neptune if you knew you'd get less than half your money back if you wanted or needed to change your mind?
- Would you start making payments if you knew you wouldn't get the first half back at all?
- Would you choose Neptune if you were still in good health and traveling, knowing that your family would have to foot the bill if you died out-of-town and would get reimbursed by Neptune for less than half of what you paid?
Not all Neptune Societies are owned by the same company. We have no way of knowing if they all operate the same way. The following trust fund trustees are identified on the preneed contract sent to the FCA office: Emanuel Weintraub, Jacqueline Bell, and Irwin Karp—with offices in Burbank, San Pedro, and Santa Barbara, California. If you have a different preneed agreement with another Neptune Society, the FCA office would appreciate a copy—to confirm that others might be doing the same thing, or to give credit where credit is due if they aren't.
In 1992, Virgil Poch and his wife made cremation arrangements with the Neptune Society in Santa Barbara. The following are verbatim excerpts:
MERCHANDISE STORED OR DELIVERED
Cremation Urn: $77.80
Cremation Container: $298.00
Disposition of Remains with Memorial Plaque
_X_ Sea Scattering ___Rose Garden ___ Return to Family: $115.00
Total Merchandise: $490.80
Sales Tax: $37.98
TRUST FUND
Professional Services—Including cremation, removal, refrigerated holding facility, procurement of signed death certificate, disposition permit, professional and administrative services, Neptune Staff, transportation within County of address listed below.
TOTAL FUNERAL TRUST FUND: $470.00
TOTAL PURCHASE PRICE: $997.98
ALL PAYMENTS made under this Agreement shall be applied first on merchandise stored or delivered, then on sales tax, and then on deposits to the general trust fund. [That's to guarantee they can keep the maximum under law if you default or cancel.]
DELIVERY PROVISION: Purchaser is entitled to delivery and possession at seller's principle [sic] place of business of each item described as merchandise stored or delivered herein only upon payment in full of the Total Sales Price of this Agreement. Upon such full payment seller will deliver or warehouse for Purchaser all such items.
On the back of the contract:
TRUST PROVISIONS
1. ARRANGEMENT FOR SERVICES: In consideration of the payments provided herein, Seller agrees that it will provide merchandise of quality described [no description], and will provide for the other articles of professional services and facilities described for the final rites of the Purchaser. This agreement includes the services of on call 24 hours, procuring attending physician's signature for death certificate, preparing death certificate, all crematory charges, completing and forwarding Social Security forms and Veterans Administration forms for reimbursement of applicable death and burial allowances to the family. The agreement does not include services of out-side mortuaries, funeral notices, removal from home [what's the other "removal" on the front good for—death in a hospital or nursing home only?], death certificates [not even one?], filing permit fees, removal of pacemakers and special handling for contagious diseases [it's illegal to charge extra for this].
. . .
5. TERMINATION OF THE TRUST . . .
B. CANCELLATION BY TRUSTOR: All written requests for revocation by the trustor of a trust shall be honored within fifteen (15) days of receipt thereof. The portion of each pre-need contract that is fully refundable are the funds held in trust [in the case of Mr. Poch, only $470]. The merchandise and sales tax provision of the agreement is non-refundable as this merchandise has already been purchased and stored for your use at time of need. This merchandise is available for your pick-up at one of our warehouses. . . .
6. INABILITY TO PERFORM: If, for any reason, Seller is unable to perform the funeral services prior to or upon the death of the beneficiary of a before-need trust agreement, then the trustees shall pay all trust principle [sic] to the beneficiary, trustor or the legal representative . . . [again, in the case of Mr. Poch, only $470].
7. DEATH OUTSIDE OF SERVICE AREA
A. . . . All expenses of the mortuary outside of the Seller's service area including preparation and shipment are to be paid by the Purchaser's family or heirs. If applicable, refunds or adjustments would be made at the time of death. [Only $470 would have to be returned to your family.]
B. If the Purchaser wishes to use a mortuary in an area out of the service area of the Seller, the Seller, upon notice will do all possible within 24 hours of notice to provide the same services through a mortuary in that area. [What about same merchandise? Or will that be left unclaimed in the local warehouse?]
This is a GREAT example of why it is a TERRIBLE mistake
to prepay for your funeral!
According to California law (7735), 100% of what is prepaid for a funeral arrangement must be placed into trust. Later in the same article, however, appears an exception (7741) for "merchandise that is delivered as soon as paid for." This is called "constructive delivery" and has caused problems in every state where such dubious dealing is permitted (notably Florida, not in Texas). Because the merchandise has been "purchased" and "stored," the cost for such is not refundable. Is the state of California checking to see if it's actually there? In another state, less than half of what was supposed to be in the warehouse was found when the state showed up for inspection. <
That Neptune lists its "cremation container" at $298 is further evidence of milking the situation for its own benefit—to the detriment of consumers. No state will tell a company how much it may or may not charge for various items of merchandise. But $298 for what could be a $10 cardboard box?! By taking an outrageous mark-up on the box and minimal pricing on services, Neptune has pocketed more than it placed in trust and limited the amount of any transfer or refund should you die while away or if you decided to cancel the whole thing altogether.
Note that the $115 cost of ocean scattering, a service, is listed under "MERCHANDISE STORED OR DELIVERED" and not placed in trust. This service is inexplicably linked with merchandise—the memorial plaque—but there is no logical or necessary link between the services offered and this item of merchandise. Because an undelivered service (ocean scattering or any of the other available options) cannot be warehoused, it appears that Neptune has violated trusting requirements in this regard.
Actually, the California law on constructive delivery was amended in 1995, AFTER the Pochs had purchased their Neptune plan. Merchandise must be actually given to a consumer now, not stored. And what is Neptune giving to consumers at the time of arrangements? According to one report, the consumer gets a funeral planning booklet (valued at several hundred dollars to avoid trusting the full amount).
Neptune at least admits up-front how much is NOT going into trust. Unless you have a statement that indicates a full refund or transfer of what you paid can be requested at any time, preneed purchasers of other arrangements should mark the contracts: DO NOT DELIVER MERCHANDISE UNTIL TIME OF NEED. And then get verification that the full amount paid has been put into trust—not the warehouse. Better still, keep your money in a pay-on-death account at your own bank and let your family know it's there.
August, 2001
According to General Price Lists in our possession, Neptune in Portland, Oregon, is charging $300 MORE for cremation services sold PRENEED than at the time of death. Consumers in other locations where Neptune is operating are advised to be cautious before making any preneed purchases.
Funeral Consumers Alliance has mailed the following letters, out of concern for the problems of preneed buyers in the states where The Neptune Society, Inc. is operating.
August 27, 2001
Myra Howard
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, HQ-238
Washington, DC 20580
Dear Ms. Howard:
We believe the Neptune Society, by requiring the purchase of certain items, is in violation of the FTC Funeral Rule. One Florida preneed agreement lists a $49 charge for the 78-page "Neptune Society Information Book," a $99 charge for a "Lucite Plaque," and $129 for a "Minimum Urn." An inquiring consumer was told these items could not be declined. The crematory, by necessity, must place the cremated remains in a receptacle even if only a plastic bag, the cost of which should be part of the cremation price. (Someone selling ice cream doesn't charge separately for the cone or a plastic cup.) In Portland, Oregon, Neptune customers are being charged $149 for the information booklet. (See enclosed.)
We believe these or similar schemes are occurring at all Neptune locations for the purpose of recognizing a disproportionate share of the revenue prior to the delivery of cremation services. (A separate complaint, enclosed, is being sent to the SEC, as we believe these tactics are a violation of SAB 101.)
By handing a consumer a planning kit, registration kit, and plaque--to which unreasonable and exorbitant prices have been assigned--Neptune reduces the amount of money placed in trust by nearly half. This practice is injurious to consumers who may die in another location, move, or simply want to cancel the contract. These people won't be able to transfer or receive adequate funds to pay for a cremation elsewhere.
Because Neptune is actively pursuing preneed sales, including anticipated new markets, and because the future viability of this company is in doubt per the last annual report, we would appreciate your immediate attention.
Sincerely,
Lisa Carlson, Executive Director
cc: Neptune Society, Inc.
Rudy Thomas, Arizona Board of Funeral Directors
Jeff Brown, DCA, California
Colorado Dept. of Insurance
Larry Folsom, Florida Dept. of Banking and Finance
Dennis Britson, Iowa Dept. of Insurance
Debbie Orecki, NY State Funeral Board
Jodi Hanson, Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board
Jon Donnellan, Washington Funeral and Cemetery Board
SEC Complaint Center and Robert Bayless, Division of Corporate Finance
August 27, 2001
SEC Complaint Center
450 Fifth St. NW
Washington, DC 20549-0213
This complaint is being filed in regard to the Neptune Society, Inc. for what we believe are fraudulent trade and accounting practices in violation of SAB 101. It is of particular concern to us because these practices will harm at least some of Neptune's customers who, in the future, may need or wish to change their plans.
According to the SAB 101 FAQ discussion (Topic 13.A.3 --question 4), a company may recognize revenue in a multi-element sale only if the elements are saleable independently of the bundled package and the elements are priced at fair market value based on evidence that is "reliable, verifiable, and objectively determinable." Furthermore, an undelivered element must not be essential to the functionality of the delivered element.
While it is likely that similar practices appear to be happening at all Neptune locations, the Neptune tactics in Portland, Oregon seem especially egregious. Enclosed please find a copy of their "Neptune Cremation Service Pre-Need and Pre-Payment General Price List." If one wishes to purchase a "Basic Cremation--Local," the following services are provided:
Basic Services [$495]
Transfer of the body from the place of death [$350]
Preparation of deceased
Refrigeration [$300]
Fibreboard cremation receptacle [$20]
Cremation process [$225]
Registration packet * [$79]
Neptune Cremation Service information book * [$149]
Memorial Plaque * [$99]
Minimum Urn * [$179]
Neptune does not disclose the total cost of itemized merchandise and services ($1,896), instead offering these at a package price of $999. Only $500 will go into trust, the brochure indicates, with the asterisked items above "delivered" and the remaining $499 therefore not refundable.
Neptune's own prices, as found on their General Price List, reveal that the goods and services which are not delivered at the time of sale total $1,396. Yet, Neptune puts only $500 in trust to cover the cost of delivery of those goods and services. This is not the consumer protection such trusting laws were created for.
We challenge the rationale on which the "delivered" items can be claimed for the purpose of revenue recognition for the following reasons:
- It is a violation of the FTC Funeral Rule for a funeral service provider to require the purchase of any item. (See our letter of complaint to the FTC of this date, enclosed.)
- A registration packet would NOT be purchased by a consumer from Neptune except for the requirement by Neptune to do so and certainly not independently of cremation services. If the registration packet has any value, it is of value only to Neptune as a record of the transaction.
- The (required) purchase of a "basic urn" is a highly unlikely sale independent of a person's plan to purchase cremation services. Because it's not your ideal cookie jar, its functionality is, in practice, dependent on the final cremation. Some don't wish an urn at all, preferring instead to accept cremated remains in the plastic or cardboard box that comes from the crematory
- Some would find a Lucite memorial plaque in exceedingly poor taste, and wouldn't dream of such a buy. Neptune, however, is requiring its purchase.
- The price of $149 for the "information book" (78-page booklet) is NOT, we believe, listed at "fair market value" and would have minimal if any sales if marketed independently. In fact, the evidence for our claim is compelling. The following have been offered to the public in recent years: Last Wishes, a 123-page, write-in, spiral-bound, soft-cover, trade book, retail price $14.95; "Before I Go, You Should Know," a 20-page end-of-life planning kit for funeral plans with a Living Will in a plastic document pouch accompanied by a refrigerator magnet, retail price of $10 includes shipping; The Beneficiary Book. a large three-ring binder with 122 pages in nine detailed sections, retail price $29.95. Those are examples. Quite a few others of the same ilk in a similar price range are being offered. While another end-of-life planning guide might find a market niche if it had something unique to offer, certainly the $149 price Neptune has attributed to its "information book" (booklet) would make independent sales verygive away attractively printed booklets for documenting end-of-life plans and wishes. Neptune's ploy is not only out of step with the industry practices but could not be independently sustained, we believe, given the competition. unlikely. Furthermore, it is common practice for many funeral homes to
Neptune's annual and quarterly reports repeatedly refer to nonrefundable purchases as a key financial asset. Given the vagaries of the human existence, folks move, die while traveling (without a protection plan), or change their plans, perhaps because they've subsequently located the same services for considerably less. Under the current scheme of recognizing revenue, Neptune benefits itself to the detriment of consumers by its use of unfair practices, tactics that drastically reduce any possible refund or transfer of funds.
Because of Neptune's aggressive marketing and growth plans, we would appreciate your immediate attention.
Sincerely,
Lisa Carlson, Executive Director
cc: Robert Bayless, Division of Corporate Finance, SEC
Myra Howard, FTC
Neptune Society, Inc.
Rudy Thomas, Arizona Board of Funeral Directors
Jeff Brown, DCA, California
Colorado Dept. of Insurance
Larry Folsom, Florida Dept. of Banking and Finance
Dennis Britson, Iowa Dept. of Insurance
Debbie Orecki, NY State Funeral Board
Jodi Hansen, Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board
Jon Donnellan, Washington Funeral and Cemetery Board
Well, the BBB has never been high in my esteem. I find they do little actual investigation of their businesses, and their ratings are often worthless. You might want to submit this article on Neptune to the BBB and see if they change their tune!
Josh Slocum
Exec. Director
Funeral Consumers Alliance
However, I am curious about the BBB rating which gives Neptune an A+ . Would be grateful for your feedback.
I paid my contract in full 4 years ago and called them so I could cancel my plan since they were conducting illegal activity in Colorado. I was told I would only be getting about $500 back and I paid twice that much.
They are evil people, it is a sham and the state should shut them down!
None of this takes away from the good experience you had, and I'm glad you had it. But don't cover your eyes to the truth in order to protect your good experience. That experience is yours, no matter what. But it doesn't change the fact that Neptune is a deceptive company, and FCA cannot in good conscience recommend it to anyone.
Surely you're not saying that you think consumer families like yours shouldn't be warned about potential scams? Surely you're not saying that Neptune's systemic problems simply aren't valid because they didn't happen to you? If you knew that a popular bank was accused of defrauding consumers, charging usurious credit card rates, and had violated consumer finance laws, would you still say we should judge that bank only on the individual, isolated experiences of one consumer or another?
- Josh Slocum, exec. director, FCA
He also owns half of Fort Hill Cemetary, aka Forest Hill, possibly aka Sunset Memorial (so many assumed names). he does business in TN and GA and around the South. The town took him to court during the past 10 years to try and force him to keep up the cemetery-which after much resistance he now treats as a joke. He spitefully instructs his men to throw out any flowers left around the graves. I believe he has funeral operations going by the names Stuart and Hardwicks also. He's a modrn day Potter and is trying hard to turn Cleveland, TN into Potters field. He has real estate offices in TN and GA : C21 Williams and Williams, Williams Corp, Williams and Langford, Louisville land Co property and Real estate "management" where he manages to run half the historical homes in the neighborhood into the ground. His partner is Kennedy Omanwa. They have (or had) a senior saints assisted living center going in Chattanooga, which appeared to be a run down house (704 Belvoir Ave-but since relocated)
This Neptune operation is right up his dark alley: Joe Williams=Bill J?
Gary:
1. Do you, or do any of your family and friends, have any financial connection or interest in Neptune? It should be obvious why I'm asking.
2. Who is "they" in "who knows their agenda?"
Sticking your fingers in your ears and singing "la la la neptune is good la la la" won't change the facts. FCA has long fielded complaints from Neptune customers about tricky sales methods, broken contractual promises, hard-sell cold calling to customers at home, and more. Now some state agencies are wising up, too. You can't wish away the facts, Gary - Neptune has broken the law. They're a shady company, and they charge twice the reasonable price for a direct cremation. It's too bad - the business model is a good idea. There was no reason to muck it up with immoral and illegal behavior.
With this information, they have decided to use a local company which is well renowned in our area in Missouri.
Thank you for all of your valuable information.
The day after my Mother died, I called the Neptune Society to verify that they had picked up her body so that all the pre-planned arrangements could be put into effect.
My first question to the young lady that answered the phone was that she verify they had picked up my Mom from Memorial Hospital in Pembrooke Pines. I was passed to another young man who told me he did not know. When I told him he needed to find out, he said something about just getting to the office. He then placed me on hold. When he returned to the phone he told me that he had my mother’s file in his hand, and, yes, they had picked up Mom yesterday at 2:30 PM.
I told him that was not possible because Mom died at 4:30 PM. Without a hint of empathy for my situation, he insisted that, in the file, it said she was picked up at 2:30 PM. I suggested that perhaps he had the wrong file. He fumbled around for a moment, and then said he was reading a note in the file of a phone call from the hospital at 5:30 PM. He still could not give me the information that I was asking for.
I then asked about the Chapel. The young man on the phone said, “What Chapel”.
Two years prior to this day, a salesman came to my parents house. My parents, like so many elderly people, decided that it was time to make arrangements for their passing. They decided to be cremated, and liked the idea of their ashes going to sea. A commercial for the Neptune Society caught their eye.
Of course, what my parents were really looking for was peace of mind. They both wanted to know that, when that difficult day came, everything would be taken care of.
They were assured that all would go smoothly. Instead, it was a mess, and not one person that we came into contact with at the Neptune Society office showed an once of regret.
The young man on the phone told me that he would really need to call me back. When I hung up the phone I had to share with my grieving father that we did not know where Mom was, and that it looked as if we needed to start finding and planning where we would have her Memorial service.
My father decided to call the Neptune Society sales man that had come to their house two years prior. The sales man was apologetic to our circumstances, and said he would make a few phone calls, and call us right back. When he called back, he said that everything was fine, that they had Mom, and that yes, there was a “room” that we could use for the memorial service. The sales man suggested that we drive to the location, and look at it because it was small.
My sister and I drove my father to the Neptune Society to see the “Chapel”. When we arrived a girl behind the desk began to usher us into a room, and we told her that we were there to see the Chapel. She turned and said, “we don’t have anything to do with that, we do not have a chapel here”. Confused, we told her what the sales man had told us, and that the chapel was a part of my parents contract. After debating this for a moment, she said that they did do that in the past, but do not do “it” any more. She seemed to have an epiphany when we mentioned it being in our contract, and said that they did have a room. She then took us to a room that was obviously a conference room with a large conference table and about ten chairs. She told us that this was their “Chapel Room”.
We were then placed in a room to meet with the young man that I spoke with on the phone. He entered very matter of fact to explain the paperwork that needed to be filled out for the permits to cremate my Mom’s body. I interrupted and asked if he could please suggest a Chapel where we could arrange my Mother’s Memorial service. He said that they did not handle any of that, and he did not know of any.
He told my father that they would place a small obituary in the paper for my Mom. My father filled out, signed all the necessary papers, and we left.
For the remainder of that day, the day after my mother’s battle with cancer ended, we were left scrambling to find an appropriate place to hold a memorial service. During the brief time that we spent at the Neptune Society’s office we were told that Mom’s remains were in Lake Worth where the Neptune Society has a crematory. It was then explained to us that they were trying to open a facility locally, but that they had not obtained the permits yet. All of this information was overwhelming to us all, and did not help us in any way.
Also during that Neptune visit, we were subjected to over hearing a women in the back office loudly complaining about customers that were calling on the phone.
We were fortunate to find a Chapel through my Mother’s wonderful Hospice group. My father ended up paying an additional $600.00 so that my Mom would have the memorial, that he thought, was already arranged.
Later that day, we also found out that even with a pre-planned contract, we could have changed the arrangements the day after my Mom passed.
My parents trusted what they were told by the Neptune Society. I wonder how many other elderly people are sitting on a “contract” with this company and will ultimately have the horrible experience that we had. My parents purchased the contract two years before my Mother passed, never thinking that what they were told was not the entire truth. Instead, we were placed in a horrible situation at the worst and most vulnerable time of our lives.
My hope is that this information will get out, and that no other family will be placed in the same position that we were. This company should be investigated. The Neptune Society’s practices are negligent, and in my opinion, obscene. The “Package” my parents purchased included a series of services and items. People need to know that what we actually received through that contract was only the cremation. We were told that my Mom’s ashes would be put to sea, and that my father would receive a plaque stating her name, and the location where her ashes were dropped. Nothing else in the contract was given, no urn, and no Chapel for a memorial service. We discovered small print in the contract that stated that a Chapel is only provided where available; my parents were told that it was available in Pompano. The urn for my Mother’s ashes was quoted for $300.00 on the contract. Because we were not taking possession of her ashes, we were told that there was no need for an urn, and that her ashes would be taken to sea in a plastic container. My sister asked why my father would be paying for the $300.00 urn. We were told that it is simply part of the “package”.
It is so important to know the facts before the loss of a loved one. I learned through this experience that it is best to find a reputable funeral home and get the answers from them. A reputable funeral home can help you escape the neglectful practices of the Neptune Society. They can provide the same services, and for less money. They can handle all of the changes for you.
If my family would have known this the morning after my Mom died, we would have been able to place all the plans and arrangements in the capable hands of Barbara Falowski’s Funeral Services with a simple phone call. We would have avoided all the pain and confusion that the Neptune Society placed on us by their shabby, and unprofessional actions. We were under the wrong impression that my father had no choice because of his contract.
My mother received a beautiful memorial service because of Barbara Falowski. At one point during the service, a friend of my Mom’s handed me the obituary notice that the Neptune Society placed for my Mom. Through all of the tumult over the past few days, I had forgotten about it. I unfolded the small newspaper to read the obituary. It said:
Pearson-Weingarten Elizabeth, 67, of Sunrise, FL passed away on October 5, 2008.
Neptune Society Cremation.
I realized after looking through the obituaries that it is customary for the funeral homes to attach their name to the obituary. I just couldn’t help feeling that this was the last, in a series of wrongs, inflicted on my family. That my mother would leave this world advertising a company that so failed her is grotesque.
Please tell this story! It is so important!
God Bless
Bill J
[Response from FCA] - Are you serious? You think we put up this information on Neptune's practices to lure consumers to use traditional funeral homes? You can't possibly have read this site, or you'd know that we're the biggest nonprofit watchdog over the entire funeral industry, traditional and otherwise.
I'm glad that you had a good experience with Neptune, but that does not change the fact that they're a shady company.Do you think your experience makes all the information we've collected on them untrue? Do you think we should not present it to the public just because it didn't happen to you? If so, why do you think that? It always surprises me when readers and consumers, like you, actually get angry at watchdog organizations for trying to *protect them* from companies known to abuse consumers.
Oh, and thanks for the blessing, after accusing us of trying to con consumers. . .