Gabauer-Lutton Funeral Home

May 11, 2015To Whom it may concern,This letter is in reference to a complaint filed through the Revdex.com on May 5,2015,***.Mr*** is correct, that on a prearrangement AND prepayment basis, the funeral home willguarantee any services or merchandise (caskets, vaults, urns)
purchasedWhat Mr*** fails tounderstand is the fact that assigning the funeral home owner and beneficiary of a life insurance policydoes not constitute prepaymentThe life insurance policy is simply a promissory note, acknowledgingthose funds will be released and applied to a funeral at the time of death, NOT on a prearrangementbasis.When the funeral home accepts ownership and beneficiary status on a policy, we still do not havecontrol of the growth of the policy, if loans are taken against the policy value, if premium payments aremade in a timely fashion, or if the policy lapses or reaches its term limit.When a funeral is purchased and funded through to funeral home, the money is set aside in anirrevocable burial account under the social security number of that individualAt this point, the funeral(services and merchandise) is guaranteed, the price is frozen.Aiso, what Mr*** failed to point out in his complaint is that is it clearly written on the statement ofgoods and services, which his deceased brother signed, that the "price is subject to change until paid infull" In addition to this, it also states, beings Mr*** was choosing to use insurance to eventuallypay for the funeral he chose, that it is "to be paid by insurance at time" (of death).Many families choose to surrender insurance policies, to convert them into cash, to prepay a funeral.This would guarantee and freeze the costTo choose to simply let the policy sit until the time of death,these funds can then be used to fund the funeral chose, using the costs at the date of deathIf moneyremains after the funeral is paid, this money is returned to the familyIf there is a shortfall (as in Mr.***'s case), the family is responsible for the shortfall.Sincerely, PresidentGabauer-Lutton Funeral Home,

I have nothing against this funeral home all I really wanted was some justified understanding as to how a funeral home can entice someone to do a pre-need and then when that time comes they charge current pricesmy brothers preneed was done seven years ago the total cost of that funeral was around today it's around 9000+ this funeral home had me sign paperwork that I wanted my brother embalmed and then they stated that by signing that paper I was okay in the current prices for his funeral stated that the funeral was now my funeral responsibilitymy brother had the cheapest service you can buy one day four hours the cheapest casket the cheapest vault a cement vault there was nothing special or extra they could not have been done with today's funeral yet the funeral home found a way to guarantee that they would have the business of providing funeral services for my brother because he had signed over his insurance policy to them using his Social Security number and guaranteeing payment with that insurance policy he did not get one little consideration for doing a preneed into thousand and eight and guaranteeing that funeral home that they would be getting his business when he passed on at The very least I should be returned the $overpayment that I had to be responsible for
Regards,
*** ***

May 11, 2015To Whom it may concern,This letter is in reference to a complaint filed through the Revdex.com on May 5,2015,[redacted].Mr. [redacted] is correct, that on a prearrangement AND prepayment basis, the funeral home willguarantee any services or merchandise...

(caskets, vaults, urns) purchased. What Mr. [redacted] fails tounderstand is the fact that assigning the funeral home owner and beneficiary of a life insurance policydoes not constitute prepayment. The life insurance policy is simply a promissory note, acknowledgingthose funds will be released and applied to a funeral at the time of death, NOT on a prearrangementbasis.When the funeral home accepts ownership and beneficiary status on a policy, we still do not havecontrol of the growth of the policy, if loans are taken against the policy value, if premium payments aremade in a timely fashion, or if the policy lapses or reaches its term limit.When a funeral is purchased and funded through to funeral home, the money is set aside in anirrevocable burial account under the social security number of that individual. At this point, the funeral(services and merchandise) is guaranteed, the price is frozen.Aiso, what Mr. [redacted] failed to point out in his complaint is that is it clearly written on the statement ofgoods and services, which his deceased brother signed, that the "price is subject to change until paid infull" In addition to this, it also states, beings Mr. [redacted] was choosing to use insurance to eventuallypay for the funeral he chose, that it is "to be paid by insurance at time" (of death).Many families choose to surrender insurance policies, to convert them into cash, to prepay a funeral.This would guarantee and freeze the cost. To choose to simply let the policy sit until the time of death,these funds can then be used to fund the funeral chose, using the costs at the date of death. If moneyremains after the funeral is paid, this money is returned to the family. If there is a shortfall (as in Mr.[redacted]'s case), the family is responsible for the shortfall.Sincerely, 
President
Gabauer-Lutton Funeral Home,

Review: My brother did a pre-need funeral agreement in 2008 using his insurance policy ($8.500) as collateral which he signed over to the funeral home. The top part of the agreement stated the following items are guaranteed costs and the bottom portion of this agreement indicated that anything below this area was non guaranteed pricing. When my brother passed away, the funeral home made ALL top parts of the guaranteed pricing funeral agreement at todays current prices because they state he used his insurance policy to secure guaranteed costs instead of using cash. So instead of owing the funeral home $6345 in guaranteed prices they billed him $7800 (This is only the guaranteed pricing part not the whole bill. This is $1.455 additional. The whole bill was #9000 plus opening/closing grave ($1.050).Desired Settlement: I want the guaranteed price initially agreed on. My brother is deceased and I could pay a few of his bills. Is this unfair billing practices.

Business

Response:

May 11, 2015To Whom it may concern,This letter is in reference to a complaint filed through the Revdex.com on May 5,2015,[redacted].Mr. [redacted] is correct, that on a prearrangement AND prepayment basis, the funeral home willguarantee any services or merchandise (caskets, vaults, urns) purchased. What Mr. [redacted] fails tounderstand is the fact that assigning the funeral home owner and beneficiary of a life insurance policydoes not constitute prepayment. The life insurance policy is simply a promissory note, acknowledgingthose funds will be released and applied to a funeral at the time of death, NOT on a prearrangementbasis.When the funeral home accepts ownership and beneficiary status on a policy, we still do not havecontrol of the growth of the policy, if loans are taken against the policy value, if premium payments aremade in a timely fashion, or if the policy lapses or reaches its term limit.When a funeral is purchased and funded through to funeral home, the money is set aside in anirrevocable burial account under the social security number of that individual. At this point, the funeral(services and merchandise) is guaranteed, the price is frozen.Aiso, what Mr. [redacted] failed to point out in his complaint is that is it clearly written on the statement ofgoods and services, which his deceased brother signed, that the "price is subject to change until paid infull" In addition to this, it also states, beings Mr. [redacted] was choosing to use insurance to eventuallypay for the funeral he chose, that it is "to be paid by insurance at time" (of death).Many families choose to surrender insurance policies, to convert them into cash, to prepay a funeral.This would guarantee and freeze the cost. To choose to simply let the policy sit until the time of death,these funds can then be used to fund the funeral chose, using the costs at the date of death. If moneyremains after the funeral is paid, this money is returned to the family. If there is a shortfall (as in Mr.[redacted]'s case), the family is responsible for the shortfall.Sincerely, PresidentGabauer-Lutton Funeral Home,

Consumer

Response:

I have nothing against this funeral home all I really wanted was some justified understanding as to how a funeral home can entice someone to do a pre-need and then when that time comes they charge current prices. my brothers preneed was done seven years ago the total cost of that funeral was around 7000 today it's around 9000+ this funeral home had me sign paperwork that I wanted my brother embalmed and then they stated that by signing that paper I was okay in the current prices for his funeral stated that the funeral was now my funeral responsibilitymy brother had the cheapest service you can buy one day four hours the cheapest casket 990 the cheapest vault a cement vault there was nothing special or extra they could not have been done with today's funeral yet the funeral home found a way to guarantee that they would have the business of providing funeral services for my brother because he had signed over his insurance policy to them using his Social Security number and guaranteeing payment with that insurance policy he did not get one little consideration for doing a preneed into thousand and eight and guaranteeing that funeral home that they would be getting his business when he passed on at The very least I should be returned the $416 overpayment that I had to be responsible for

Regards,