How to work with FuneralSmart to get a better funeral deal
With many funeral directors to choose from, you may decide to get help from FuneralSmart. Ask the right questions to get a funeral that meets your needs and is value for money.
What does FuneralSmart do?
FuneralSmart is a go-between that deals with funeral directors to arrange the right funeral at the right price. eziFunerals funeral brokers act in your best interests when suggesting a funeral director for you.
FuneralSmart funeral brokers work with you to:
- Understand your funeral needs.
- Advise you of your funeral rights.
- Find funeral options to suit your situation and budget.
- Explain how the funeral process works and what it costs.
How does FuneralSmart get paid?
Independent funeral directors pay FuneralSmart a monthly subscription fee, via eziFunerals, to sell their funeral services and products. So you don’t pay FuneralSmart anything.
If you’re not sure whether you’re getting a good deal, shop around or look online to see what other funeral directors charge.
What to do before you meet with a funeral director?
Before you contact FuneralSmart, think about what matters most to you when organising a funeral. Do you simply want the lowest-cost funeral? Do you want specific features, such as a funeral service at a chapel or special location?
Thinking about this beforehand will make the conversation with a funeral director easier. Make a list of your:
- ‘must-haves’ (can’t do without)
- ‘nice-to-haves’ (could do without)
How to find a funeral director?
You can find a licensed or registered independent funeral director via FuneralSmart and eziFunerals. Alternatively, you can search on Google or the Yellow Pages.
What to do when you meet with a funeral director?
Identify your list of must-haves and nice-to-haves.
The funeral director will listen to your needs and present you with a range of options based on your budget. Get them to explain how each funeral option works, what it costs and why it’s the best option based on your requirements.
You don’t have to take the first funeral quote you receive. Do your homework. If you are not happy with any funeral director, ask eziFunerals funeral brokers to find alternatives.
Questions you should ask funeral directors
Ask questions. Lots of them. For example:
- Who owns the funeral business you are considering?
- Are they family-owned and independent OR are they owned by a publicly listed company?
- Does the funeral director work for you and your family or shareholders of publicly listed companies?
- Have you met or heard about the funeral director in your community?
- Do you know their personal and professional reputation?
- How long have they been serving their community?
- What has been the experience of relatives, friends, and neighbours?
- Does the funeral director provide a full-service facility and are they able to handle all of your needs (chapel, viewing room, reception and catering facilities, parking, etc.)?
- Is the funeral home a trusted and approved member of eziFunerals?
Make sure you get detailed funeral information from funeral directors
Funeral directors should provide detailed funeral information, including prices, the goods and services offered and an itemised quote before entering into a contract or agreement.
Detailed funeral information should include the price of each of the following—
- the transport of the body before burial or cremation
- the storage of the body at a mortuary or holding room
- the hire of a refrigeration plate
- each type of coffin, casket or shroud supplied or the price range of all coffins, caskets or shrouds supplied
- the care and preparation of the body before burial or cremation
- a viewing of the body before burial or cremation
- the arrangement and conduct of a funeral service (including hire of the venue)
- the burial or cremation of the body.
- the location of the mortuary or crematorium used by the funeral director
- if the funeral director uses a mortuary or crematorium that is not owned or managed by the funeral director, the name of the owner or manager
- a reasonable estimate of disbursements such as the cost of obtaining a death certificate from the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages and the cost of obtaining any certificate or permit required to conduct the funeral.
- any fee charged by a cemetery or crematorium about the burial or cremation of a body
- the price of the least expensive package for the burial or cremation of a body supplied by the funeral director
- how a body is transported before burial or cremation.
About FuneralSmart
FuneralSmart is proudly brought to you by eziFunerals and its network of independent funeral directors. FuneralSmart is Australia’s premier marketplace that offers consumers access to affordable funeral goods and services provided by registered funeral directors. Here at FuneralSmart, we provide you with a smarter way to plan an affordable funeral with some of the best independent funeral homes in Australia. As a subsidiary of eziFunerals, a market leader in funeral planning, FuneralSmart can help you arrange an affordable funeral from the safety and comfort of your own home. As well as partnering with family-owned funeral homes that understand your needs best, FuneralSmart staff have years of experience in helping people take care of their funeral arrangements having served thousands of customers.
Peter Erceg
Peter Erceg is the Owner and Founder of eziFunerals. He has had a long history within the funeral industry, and is a published author of ‘What Kind Of Funeral: A self help guide to planning a meaningful funeral’. Prior to eziFunerals, Peter worked in the public sector and health industry for more than 30 years. The views and opinions expressed on posts are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of eziFunerals and members.
