Oh yes, there is a scam for this one too, a big one as well. How? Funerals are always organized in a bit of a hurry, since no-one really knows when it might happen. In the days following a death, the bereaved people in charge take several emotional overspending decisions – and the funeral directors know that.

One of the tricks used is that the funeral director always shows the 3 most expensive caskets in the house, worth a few thousands of dollars. They do have more in their inventory, but when it comes to a funeral, studies show that people always choose one of the first three caskets shown.

Another shameless scam is that the sellers promote “protective” caskets. These have a thin rubber gasket around the edge and will be advertised by the salesman as “protector against the penetration of biological entities. The body will be preserved for a longer period of time, maybe years”. Just because of that, they will add another $800 to the cost of the casket, while the mounting of the rubber is probably worth $25.

How to avoid: in this difficult situation it’s best to have a friend who checks for you on what is available; let them pick a nice, reasonably priced casket for you to approve.