♪ [theme]
>> David: This is marketplace.
 Undercover inside Canada's
 funeral homes.
>> The top level and the bottom
level they start at $3,000.
>> David: Can you trust
 the people meant
 to help you the most?
>> 98% is mandatory.
>> We're still grieving.
It's only been a couple days.
>> David: High-pressure sales.
>> She doesn't die in the next
90 days we still
have to pay in full?
>> Yeah.
>> David: Hi costs.
>> You could be looking at
$12,500.
>> David: marketplace and
the Toronto Star investigate.
 Death Inc.
What's brought you here today.
>> Well, I love Honest Ed's.
♪ [super funky]
>> David: We're gathering to say
 good-bye to Honest Ed's.
>> It is, in a way,
about mourning, but I think
it's also about celebration.
>> David: A celebration of life,
 but not for a person,
 it's for a
 much-loved bargain store.
>> This weekend, for me,
is a farewell.
>> David: Where decades of
 cheap deals and free Christmas
 turkeys are coming to an end.
>> It's nostalgic, I wanted to
see what was going on,
all the changes that would be
coming to this neighbourhood.
>> David: It seems like a
 good place to test
 how much people think about
 losing something or someone.
>> I want to throw a
question at you
out of left field here.
>> Okay.
>> David: A question you
 might find...
 awkward.
What if you died today?
Who would look after everything
that needs to be done
with a funeral.
>> If we died?
>> Yeah.
>> Okay, that's kind of morbid.
Interesting. I get it.
>> It's pretty scary, yeah.
>> What do you want?
>> Not too much.
I want a celebration.
>> My goodness.
>> It's a weird one,
I know it's a weird one.
>> I can't even
give you an answer.
>> If you were to die today,
who would look
after your funeral?
>> That's a bizarre question.
>> David: Yeah.
Have you ever thought of it?
>> No.
>> Sort of.
[ Laughter ]
>> What's your frame of
mind when you're walking
into a funeral home?
Are you susceptible of to being
taken advantage of?
>> Of course.
You're probably at the most
susceptible point of your life.
>> David: You're about to find
out what happens
when sales trump sympathy.
>> Let's do this.
>> Let's do this.
>> David: Our team is getting
 ready to head
 inside funeral homes.
 Just how up front
 are staff when
 we need help the most?
 We'll need a cover story.
>> Well how about
we have an auntie
and we call her Alice.
>> David: Aunt Alice isn't
 a wealthy woman,
 she wants a simple service.
>> There are I am.
Okay, great.
Okay.
>> Should we do this, then?
>> Yeah.
>> David: Like many Canadians,
 Alice wants to be cremated.
 Come join us for the journey.
Arbor Memorial is our funeral
 home of choice.
 It's the largest Canadian
 funeral company,
 and it's expanding.
 But it's also one we've heard
 many complaints about,
 from pressure to prepay for
 a funeral,
 to a lack of empathy,
 and preying on emotions
 by overcharging.
 How bad can it be? 
 We head into six locations.
>> David: And tell the same
 story at each one.
>> David: In our time of need,
 will Arbor help us
 or add to the heart break?
>> David: But simple isn't what
 they have in mind.
 In the business of death, costs
 can add up quickly.
>> David: What should you spend
 on a casket?
>> David: What about embalming?
 It cost $500,
 but is it required?
>> David: So many
 decisions to make.
>> David: Pre-planning directors
 like these make a base salary,
 the rest is commission.
 So when it comes to planning a
 simple funeral,
 it's not easy to
 know what you really need.
>> David: Lucky for us,
 Aunt Alice isn't real.
 But I'm about to meet someone
 whose loss is very real.
 So was the nightmare she faced
 at the Arbor location
 in Windsor.
>> Hi, Judy.
>> Hi.
>> I'm David.
>> Hi David, nice to meet you.
>> Good to meet you.
>> David: Judy Wood wrote to
marketplace wanting to share 
 her story as
 a warning to others.
Did you feel going
in there, that a funeral home
and its staff,
were a place you could trust?
>> Very much.
We just felt they understand and
will try to assist you getting
through this difficult time,
and not take advantage.
>> This is a business
unlike any other.
>> You're so vulnerable.
They have you.
This was a fantastic one.
We surprised her
with a birthday.
>> David: Judy's sister, Diana,
 was only 56 when
 cancer killed her.
 Diana had paid over $4,000 for
 her own funeral, believing that
 would cover it, and lessen the
 burden on her family.
 It didn't.
 Judy's left to plan the rest.
When you're in
the funeral home,
how up front were
they about all
of those charges?
>> They weren't.
They weren't at all.
They -- the gentleman had a
laptop, and there was a large
screen, and as he asked us the
different questions, that item
went up on the list.
It wasn't until the very end
that we saw what the cost would
be for all of
the things we selected.
>> And what was that number?
>> $10,000.
>> And what did you think?
>> Oh, we were shocked.
>> This is how much you
were told it would cost.
 Arbor recommends a package. 
>> Arranging and administration
is $1755.
What that includes,
I'm not quite sure.
>> David: Making sense
 of that package
 seems next to impossible.
>> That doesn't include the cost
of the vehicle.
>> The transfer to the
funeral home.
>> That's for --
>> Doesn't include the
cost of actually getting to the
funeral home.
I don't understand this.
 To reduce the price,
 Judy gets rid of some services,
 but it wasn't easy.
>> I didn't want to seem like I
was asking a lot of questions
about money.
It's like, well, you pay what
you have to pay, right?
[ ♪♪ ]
>> David: We're at the same 
 location Judy
 turned to for help.
>> David: At first there's 
 sympathy, but she quickly gets 
 down to business.
 Like Judy, we're offered a 
 package and told identifying 
 Aunt Alice is company policy.
>> David: This planner
suggests embalming.
>> David: But there is no law
 requiring embalming
 and in a lot of cases, no need.
>> David: We don't want a 
 viewing for our fictional aunt,
 so why all this?
 Well, it's part of the package 
 she's recommending.
>> David: Better closure?
 Arbor makes Judy identify her 
 sister, which means extra costs
 for things she never wanted. 
>> He's very kind saying,
you know, "Take your time,
go in there."
It's like, no, we're not going
to take our time.
We're only here to identify her.
And yet she was laid out and
presented as if
she was going to be viewed.
>> David: And you were paying
for that.
>> And we were paying for that.
>> David: Even though that's not
something you wanted?
>> That's not what we wanted,
and that's not what she wanted.
>> Did you want embalming?
>> Not if it wasn't needed.
>> David: And what happened?
>> She was embalmed.
>> David: And why?
>> Well, because she was going
to be dressed and displayed.
>> David: For you to identify --
>> For us to identify her.
We're shaking our heads.
Like why are we doing to this?
Let's just go with it,
like he says to do that,
let's do that.
>> But he's the guy.
How many times have you been
through this before that?
>> Never.
>> So what happens?
>> It was terrible.
Somebody had dressed her and put
make-up on her, and put her in
her clothes again, and it didn't
look like her.
It wasn't -- in my heart --
it wasn't her.
But it was something we were
forced to do.
So that -- we felt --
I felt bitter.
>> It wasn't just that
there was expense that --
>> No.
>> David:-- you feel
is unnecessary.
>> No.
>> David: It's that your closure
was re-opened.
>> Yes.
We had said
our goodbyes in the hospital.
We weren't given any option.
And that's wrong.
>> David: More than 250,000
 Canadians died last year, 
 including Judy's sister.
 In the business of death, that 
 amounts to a
 $1.6 billion industry.
 Big players like Arbor make the
 majority of the profits,
 and with our aging population,
 stand to make even more.
[ ♪♪ ]
>> David: I'm in Manitoba to 
 meet a guy who's
 a know-all, and now a tell-all.
>> Hi, Shane.
>> David.
>> David: Good to meet you.
>> Nice to meet you.
>> Thanks very much.
>> David: Shane Neufeld has 
 worked in the business
 for 25 years.
 At times for the big guys, 
 including Arbor.
 He knows the secrets
 of the sell.
 And doesn't like what he hears 
 about our Alice's service. 
>> What she's doing is
increasing the value of that
sale with that family.
>> David: It was all about
identification.
It wasn't about a viewing.
>> Well they're using
identification as
a means to an end.
The end is to get the money for
the embalming, because the
embalming is expensive
but doesn't cost much.
>> But most of us aren't
professionals at
burying our loved ones.
>> The consumer is at
an extreme disadvantage.
You can't possibly come out on
the ride side of that if you're
in front of people who are
motivated to sell you things
that you don't need.
>> David: We dig up
 Arbor job postings.
 Some traits they value most
 include : a sales mentality,
 people who are skilful at
 negotiating and closing,
 who meet and exceed 
 sales quota goals, and here's
 what that looks like in action.
>> David: Remember, we only want
 a simple service, a cremation,
 a small celebration,
 but they're pushing packages.
David: That same-day service
 costs almost $6400.
>> David: 98% mandatory, and 
 there's no mention of
 an À la carte option.
>> I'd like to see that package,
98% seems like
a very high number.
>> David: It's only when we 
 press that Arbor agrees to get 
 rid of a few items,
 about $600 worth.
>> David: The flower vehicle, 
 for a simple service?
 We haven't even talked
 price for
 the actual cremation.
 Imagine if we were
 wracked with guilt and grief?
 So what's really necessary
 for Aunt Alice.
 Shane takes a look, and says 
 many items can go.
 Worse, he says,
 it seems Arbor's
 double charging for staff.
 He figures the package could be
 cut by almost $2,000. 
>> Well, in that case our hidden
camera team is being lied to.
>> I would say so.
♪ [theme]
>> David: How much did the
casket cost you?
>> $895.
>> So we managed to get
the wholesale cost for that.
Any idea how that is? $175.
[ Sigh ]
>> David: Closing the deal on 
 your marketplace.
♪ [theme]
>> David: The big
 business of dying.
 We're undercover,
 six feet under,
 shopping for a simple funeral.
>> David: Simple answers are
 proving hard to find.
David: As sad as funerals are,
 they're also a business.
>> David: And the staff who
 help you plan are
 working on commission.
 Money means a lot. 
>> David: This planner
 encourages locking
 in before losing out.
>> David: And with hefty prices,
 you might easily be convinced.
 Our industry insider used to do
 it that way too, but guilt got
 the better of him.
>> Shane, how are you?
>> David: Now Shane Neufeld 
 calls himself
 a "death care consultant."
>> I'll take these three.
>> David: He believes you should
 be charged a flat fee.
>> Shane: It's about giving
 people the truth.
>> David: And products at cost.
>> And the rest of the industry,
the big guys?
>> Their role is to make as much
money as they can.
Which is fine, it's not just
something I want to do.
>> David: And something he says
 he wouldn't do, push a package 
 like this: with transfer 
 vehicles, drivers...
 a funeral coach?
>> David: But do they need to 
 charge almost $350
 for that vehicle?
>> So we're at the funeral home.
Let's go and see how far away
the crematorium is.
>> David: The drive
 takes one minute.
>> This is the crematorium
right here
>> Right behind the mausoleum.
So we have driven...
>> 400 metres.
That's a dollar a metre.
>> Poor auntie Alice.
>> David: Another questionable 
 cost, rental caskets, to view 
 Aunt Alice, who remember,
 will be cremated.
>> David: Sounds hopeful, but...
>> David: We get our hands on a 
wholesale price list.
 That casket cost Arbor $1,695.
 500 less, and they can
 use it time and again.
 Seems like a sweet deal for 
 them, not a cost savings
 for us.
>> David: We try saving money at
 another location. 
>> I hope we can see what's
below that casket.
 It is tilted towards you.
 That makes it much more 
 desirable to purchase,
and then you have this.
 Down below,
 underneath the other casket,
 that is strategically placed.
>> David: But they don't
 want us to have it.
>> David: What's the big deal? 
>> David: With more than $1,000
 on the line,
 they dig in their heels.
>> Looked almost taken
aback at the suggestion that --
that she wants something simple
and --
>> That's a way of making people
feel minimized and feeling badly
for wanting something simple.
I mean, they're being careful
but they're not
being forth right.
>> David: So much to watch out 
 for, and even with time on our 
 side, it's not easy when the 
 sell kicks in.
>> David: This planner starts 
 out wanting a deposit
 of four grand.
>> David: But really he'll take 
 anything to close the deal and
 get the commission. 
>> David: He continues to push. 
>> She's already answered the
question, no I don't think we
want to do that right now.
>> The idea is lock
the business down now
while they're inside.
>> Lock it in.
>> David: Judy Wood's sister
 thought she'd locked it in,
 but Judy still had to
 pick up the pieces.
What would you say to Arbor?
>> You need to be more up front.
People need for understand that
people are hurting,
they're coming in here,
relying on you, depending on you
to not take advantage.
And I think we were taken
advantage of.
>> David: So who's
 watching out for us?
Is there enough for
you to follow up with Arbor?
>> Oh, absolutely.
>> David: This is
 your marketplace.
[ ♪♪ ]
>> David: This is
 your marketplace.
 Our journey inside
 the business of death,
 reveals a world of high
 pressure and high costs. 
>> David: Where the up-sell can 
 add to your grief.
>> David: So who's meant
 to protect us, 
 the Bereavement Authority of 
Ontario is one of the few 
 provincial regulators.
 It investigates complaints,
 keeps tabs on the industry,
 but regulations don't cover
 the kind of hard sell
 we're seeing. 
>> Good to meet you.
>>Good to meet you too.
>> David: The registrar
 is Carey Smith.
>> This is 98%.
>> 98% is mandatory. 
>> David: He doesn't like some 
 of what he sees.
>> You're the consumer, you have
the ability to pick and choose.
>> But he's saying to us that
98% of what's on there,
we got to take.
>> There's things on here that
legislation certainly doesn't
make mandatory.
>> Should you be told
that you can
buy things individually and not
in a package?
>> Yes, you should be.
>> David: But with only three 
inspectors for more than 600
funeral homes, tactics like this
go unchecked.
>> This is basically just an 
 identification container. 
>> David: We zero in on that 
 home that doesn't
 want us buying
 a cheaper casket.
>> So they're following a law
but trying to dissuade as from
using the less
expensive options.
>> They're certainly trying
to dissuade you from using it,
I just don't understand it.
>> After we've seen all
this video any concerns around
preplanning salespeople?
>> Well you showed me a bunch of
examples that certainly are at a
minimum disappointing and would
cause me to have concerns, and
that we'll have to look into.
>> We went to six locations,
all six are from
 Arbor Funeral Homes,
a big player in the industry.
>> I would be surprised if
that's their corporate values
and philosophy, they're a
professional provider.
>> Is there enough for
you to follow-up with Arbor?
>> Oh, absolutely.
>> David: We do follow up with 
every salesperson we met,
they all say call head office.
But despite weeks of discussions
with Arbor Memorial, they say no
to an on-camera interview.
We're not questioning their
right to make money, but we do
have questions about their sales
practices, and their response
comes in the form of a
statement.
>> Hi five.
There we go.
>> David: To avoid heart ache, 
 shop around.
 Ask what's not included,
 and talk about it.
>> Have you told your kids
exactly what you want?
>> No.
>> No.
>> It almost seems
macabre when you do it,
but it should be done.
[ ♪♪ ]
