Similarly, the public is led to believe that the purchase of a sealed vault will in some manner preserve the casket and remains of the deceased. Sealed vaults do absolutely nothing to preserve either of these. Human remains will still decompose and the caskets will still deteriorate whether the vault is sealed or not. For instance, it is common to lead the consumer to believe that bodies must be embalmed before cremation or that a body must be placed in a container before cremation. Often it is suggested that all bodies must be embalmed regardless of disposition.
Cremation is a threat to the income stream of most funeral facilities.
In 1999, about twenty-five percent of all death cases were cremated. The industry is attempting to maximize their sales by again using guilt and fear to lead the consumers down the most expensive path possible. It has allowed the industry to charge consumers a fee for services whether the services are used or not. It is defended by the industry as a cost of keeping the facility staffed and controlling the cost of operations. I know of no other industry that charges its consumers for their overhead in a separate non-declinable fee.