News Release VANCOUVER, September 14, 2006: The Memorial Society of BC has received many calls from vulnerable seniors distressed by funeral industry claims that their organization is causing funeral costs to rise. To reassure our members, and the public, the Memorial Society of BC has, for 50 years, been a volunteer-driven, member-based, non-profit society, committed to providing affordable, dignified final arrangements for members and their families. There is no doubt that over the last five decades final arrangements and funeral costs have been driven down and kept down by the presence of the 200,000 members of the Memorial Society acting as a consumer check on the greed of some in the industry. The funeral industry is currently involved in a wave of corporate consolidation, aggressive selling and intense competition for growth with an aging market. In order to continue to provide for the future of the Society and our ability to provide dignified, affordable final arrangements, MSBC put certain protective clauses into proposed contracts to increase membership based on satisfactory service. We are happy to announce the new list of family-owned and operated community-based funeral and final arrangements providers. These providers have committed to improving their facilities in order to locally service all our members. We stand by our commitment to protect our members from aggressive up-selling and corporate harassment during the time of family grief. We also intend to prevent being put out of our consumer protection role by predatory pricing. We will not do business with absentee corporations, or any other providers, who do not meet the goals of our members. The new providers for members throughout B.C. are: Devlin Funeral Services ( News Release VICTORIA, August 1, 2006: The Board of Directors of the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority (BPCPA) is pleased to announce the following appointments to the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Advisory Group. Appointments are effective November 1, 2006 and individual terms range from one to three years.
The purpose of the Advisory Group is to identify consumer and industry related issues and potential solutions for consideration by the Authority. The group will also provide feedback on matters put forward by the Authority for consideration. “We are confident that these members will make a significant contribution to the successful efforts of the Advisory Group,” says Frank Barr, Chair of the Board of the BPCPA. “Together, we will continue to take strides towards our vision of a fair marketplace for BC consumers and businesses.” For more information about the BPCPA, please call 1 888 564-9963, toll-free in BC, or visit www.bpcpa.ca. News Release VANCOUVER, July 3, 2006: Following two years of planning and negotiating with the funeral industry, the Memorial Society of British Columbia has placed about 40 offers of contracts. Desiring to increase choice and accessibility to its members for simple, dignified and affordable funerals, the offers represent a new era in the Society. The contracts extend consumer protection from services to merchandise (caskets, urns, etc). It prohibits the use by funeral homes of unlicensed funeral directors to sell services and merchandise to Society members. The contract offers expire on July 31, 2006 and take effect on September 2, 2006. News Release VANCOUVER, April 3, 2006: “Dier beware,” says Walter Johanson, Executive Director of the Memorial Society of B.C., Canada’s largest funeral consumer group, commenting on the acquisition of Alderwoods Group by Service Corporation International. When SCI bought Alderwoods Group, it also acquired an exclusive contract between Alderwoods and the 14 year old, 40,000 member Peoples Memorial Society. SCI has a contract with the 200,000 member, 50 years old Memorial Society of British Columbia. This contract expires on September 1, 2006. The Memorial Society of BC has stipulated an exclusivity clause in its new contract negotiations with SCI and independent providers. Those signing with MSBC are not permitted to have any relationship whatsoever to any other discount programs such as another memorial society. “The acquisition of funeral giant Alderwoods greatly increases the market share of even bigger giant SCI,” says Johanson. “The Memorial Society of B.C. currently has a 14 year old contract with SCI’s branded First Memorial Funeral Services to provide simple, dignified and affordable funerals for its members. Here lies a fantastic opportunity to greatly increase the market’s consumer protection. “The Society acts on behalf of the consumer. It is negotiating a new, more vigorous, non-exclusive contract with SCI as well as with other independent companies and Arbor. This will provide more choice and accessibility to its members. The companies who eventually sign on with the Society will greatly increase their good will in the eyes of the consumer. “The recent acquisition by SCI can extend consumer protection over a wider market. It can also greatly diminish it if SCI and its First Memorial discontinue its relationship with the Society. The consumer will be more vulnerable against the greatly increased professional sales force,” says Johanson. The Memorial Society of British Columbia is the largest memorial society in Canada. For over 50 years, it has provided choice and consumer protection for its more than 200,000 members. It has been a major contributor to keeping funeral prices in B.C. the lowest in North America. News Release VANCOUVER, March 1, 2006: A report from a Society member residing in southern Vancouver Island indicated that individuals were falsely representing themselves as representatives of the Memorial Society of British Columbia. The purpose of the representation was apparently to make an appointment at the member's home to update personal information because of 'a change in legislation.' "This is an unethical sales tactic used to gain access to the homes of the vulnerable," said Walter Johanson, Executive Director of the Memorial Society of British Columbia. "The Memorial Society is a consumer group which protects its members from such practices. It is illegal to initiate a call for such purposes." The matter has been referred to the Central Saanich police department as well as the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority for investigation. Johanson spoke with the manager of the alleged funeral home. He denied that any of this happened. "It's not company policy," he said. "Unfortunately, this is a pattern of abuse over the past 14 years at least," says Johanson. "If someone claims to represent the Memorial Society and wants to make a home appointment, then just say 'no'. Call the police immediately. It violates paragraph 30 of the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act." |