In this article, we expose the truth behind who Heritage Cremation Provider is, explain how they operate, provide information about consumer complaints and industry complaints, and cover state cease & desist orders against the company. Read on and learn why NOT to deal with this company.
So, Who and What is Heritage Cremation Provider?
Heritage Cremation Provider is a national website offering cheap direct cremation services between $695 and $1,395. It gives the appearance of being a local company, but in fact, it acts as a ‘middleman’ and does not actually operate a funeral home.
How does Heritage Cremation Provider operate?
Heritage is NOT a funeral director or a funeral establishment. They are registered in Colorado which happens to be the only state in the USA that does not require a funeral home to have a license to operate. They handle the inquiries from a family and coordinate cremation services by doing trade services through a local funeral home. In the majority of areas where we conducted research,
Heritage would charge a family more than the local funeral home would have charged the family. But at no time do they handle the deceased’s body. They require payment upfront, yet several of the funeral homes they work with report that it can take several weeks or more before they receive their trade payment.
Should you trust Heritage? NO
The company has received so many complaints about its level of service that the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has issued an alert warning and ranked it a grade D. If you visit the BBB website, you can view the complaints lodged against Heritage Cremation Provider.
BBB Complaints against Heritage Cremation Provider.
BBB warns against using Heritage
Complaints lodged against Heritage Cremation Provider record families who paid the upfront fee but have had trouble obtaining the cremated remains of their loved one or trouble obtaining death certificates.
States where Cease & Desist orders or other State Funeral Board action has been taken against Heritage Cremation
In May 2015 the attorney for the Florida Department of Financial Services filed a cease-and-desist order against Heritage Provider LLC to prevent the company from selling cremation services in Florida.
Numerous other states have Attorneys General pushing through legislation to prevent Heritage from operating as it does in their state. Several state funeral boards have also advised their members not to work with Heritage Cremation Provider.
In February 2017, EYEWITNESS NEWS investigated Heritage Cremation Provider, which resulted in the Attorney General of Minnesota taking action against the company as an unlicensed funeral company selling funeral services.
Cease and desist orders have been served in Florida in 2001, and in North Carolina in 2016. Wisconsin has taken action against the continued operation of the business, as has Tennessee, Colorado, Massachusetts, Arizona, Ohio, and Oregon.
Also note: Heritage Cremation Provider also trades as Legacy Funeral Services. Both websites offer the same kind of online service: the cremations are simply sent to a trade cremation service in the locality for a nominal fee, while the family pays a full upfront fee to the online company.
The difference with DFS Memorials’ low-cost cremation services
I would like to point out here how DFS Memorials is very different from Heritage Cremation. We do operate a nationwide network of service providers. However, we are referring all families DIRECTLY to the affiliated provider for a specific area.
We clearly identify WHO the provider is for a city, and we also quote the EXACT price the provider charges, and the family can expect to pay. Not a vague “$695 – $1,395”.
All phone calls go through directly to the local provider and are answered and responded to by the licensed staff in that particular state.
Our mission with DFS Memorials is to help families quickly price-check direct cremation costs and connect with a local affordable cremation service provider immediately.
We aim to support families through the daunting task of choosing a cremation service provider.
For an overview of cremation prices nationwide, visit our Guide to How Much Does Cremation Cost in 2024.
Further reading:
A Heritage of Deceit by Steven Palmer for Nomis Publications 2017
I have been researching and writing about the death care industry for the past fifteen years. End-of-life services and experiences are topics most people avoid thinking about until they must face them. My work provides comprehensive and independent resources for families, explaining the workings of the funeral industry, the laws governing funeral practices, and the death care trends that impact consumers. With a BA in Cultural Studies, I bring a unique perspective to analyzing cultural death care rituals, complemented by a career background in Business Management. The death care industry is undergoing significant changes, which I find fascinating. The shift towards cremation services and the emergence of sustainable alternatives like aquamation and human composting are of particular interest. I am also intrigued by how technology is reshaping the funeral planning process and experience. I write for US Funerals Online and DFS Memorials LLC, and contribute to various forums and publications within the death care industry.
