Know Your Rights - Sympathex.ca

Freedom to Choose

• You don’t have to buy your casket or urn from the funeral home, even if you are using their other services. You have the right to purchase any casket or urn you like, from any location, including online vendors.
• Funeral homes, crematoria or cemeteries may, however, have their own rules regarding types of caskets or urns. If you choose to provide your own casket you may be asked to sign a waiver.
• Funeral homes in some provinces, such as Manitoba, may also impose a handling fee, but this fee must be clearly stated in their price list. In other provinces, such as Ontario, a provider may not refuse to serve you or charge you extra because you supply your own casket or urn.
• It is best to contact the individual service provider you are considering using to check their rules and ask if there are additional fees associated with providing your own casket or urn.

Shop Around

• You should compare prices for caskets and urns, just as you would for any other important purchase.
• A casket can account for half the total cost of an average funeral service, and prices vary widely. The average cost of a casket purchased at a funeral home is approximately $3000.
• Online vendors such as Sympathex can provide the same quality caskets and urns, sometimes even from the same supplier, for thousands less than at a funeral home, with wood and steel caskets starting at only $999.

Direct Delivery Options

• If you purchase a casket or urn online, have it delivered directly to the service provider. Reputable online vendors such as Sympathex will have low cost delivery options and this can save you an additional fee at the funeral home or crematorium. Some funeral homes may add a handling fee, so be sure to contact the home to clarify costs and procedures.