The Internet market has evolved to a level where all products are for sale online, including caskets. We see many online stores that sell caskets, which bereaved people can buy for the burial of their loved one. These are not virtual coffins – they are real coffins, which people buy online, before sending them to their cities / towns in preparation for funerals.
As with any other type of online purchase, there are at least four questions to ask when considering purchasing a casket online.
1. Who Should Pay Online Casket Shipping Costs – You should be aware that casket shipping costs are likely to be substantial, considering the typical casket weight and size. So what may seem like a very cheap casket for sale online can turn out to be a very expensive structure, when it turns out that you are the one financing the shipping costs (and when those shipping costs are added). You should get clarification as to whether you, or the supplier of the caskets, should finance the shipping costs. There is nothing wrong with buying a casket online where you are the one who pays the shipping cost. But you need to be aware of the fact beforehand and run numbers to see if buying the casket would be a good deal, even after accounting for shipping costs.
2. How long can it take for the casket purchased online to be shipped: The idea here is to avoid having to delay the funeral as you wait weeks for the casket you bought online to be shipped to you. While you wait, the deceased will likely have to stay in the morgue, and this will inevitably cost you money, increasing the cost of the funeral substantially. It is helpful to know what method will be used to ship the casket and what are the typical shipping times.
3. If the coffin displayed online is the coffin to be delivered: the idea here is to avoid sharp knocks, when the coffin that is finally shipped to you turns out to be substantially different from the coffin you selected (pictorially) online. There are online vendors that display one thing online and ship something else to buyers when it’s finally time to ship. You must be sure that the casket that will eventually be delivered to you is one that looks exactly like the casket you selected online graphically.
4. What is the ‘return policy’ for caskets purchased online: There are times when the casket that is finally delivered to you is totally unsuitable for your use. For example, it may turn out to be a coffin that is too small for the deceased, or something like that. You need to know what the vendor’s policy is regarding returns. We recommend that you avoid buying from suppliers that have a “no-return” policy (if there are suppliers of caskets of this type), because doing so would be quite risky. It may mean being left with a casket that you cannot use, which is further complicated by the fact that, unlike most other items, which can be used for alternative uses if they prove unsuitable for their original uses, it doesn’t actually there is ‘alternative’. used ‘for a coffin.