Who are Heritage Cremation Provider?

In this article, we expose the truth behind who Heritage Cremation Provider is, explain how they operate, provide information about consumer complaints, 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 an online national website offering cheap direct cremation services between $695 and $1,395.  They give the appearance of being a local company when in fact they are just acting as ‘middle men’ and do not actually operate a funeral home.

heritage-cremation-providerHow 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 inquiry 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 be charging 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 had so many complaints about its level of service that the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has an alert warning about the company and has ranked it as 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.

There are numerous other states where the Attorney General is pushing through legislation to prevent Heritage from operating as they are in their state.  Several states funeral boards have also advised their members not to work with Heritage Cremation Provider.

In February 2017 EYEWITNESS NEWS did an investigation in 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 trade as Legacy Funeral Services.  Both websites offer the same kind of online service where the cremations are simply sent to a trade cremation service in the locality for a nominal fee, whilst 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 ASAP.  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 Cremation Costs in 2021.

Further reading:

A Heritage of Deceit by Steven Palmer for Nomis Publications 2017

Heritage Cremation Scamming again

Sara Marsden

I have been researching and writing about the death care industry for the last ten years. End of life services and experiences are something most of us choose not to reflect upon until we are suddenly faced with dealing with it. I have been contributing comprehensive and independent resources for families that explain how the funeral industry operates, and the laws that govern funeral practices. Sara writes for US Funerals Online and DFS Memorials LLC, as well as contributing to other forums and publications for the death care industry. I have a BA in Cultural Studies. This helps my analysis of cultural death care rituals, alongside a career background in Business Management. The death care industry is undergoing an epoch of change and this fascinates me.

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