Buying a casket for a loved one or pet can seem like a major challenge. Along with the emotional difficulties you’ll face when choosing a casket, you’ll also face practical struggles, such as determining the right type of casket for your goals and budget.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- Can You Buy a Casket on Amazon? How Does It Work?
- Tips for Buying a Casket for a Deceased Loved One on Amazon
- Tips for Buying a Pet’s Casket on Amazon
- Popular Casket Sellers on Amazon
That doesn’t mean this experience has to be as challenging as it may feel. Online retailers like Amazon have made finding the right casket in your price range easier than ever. Searching for a casket on Amazon gives you the freedom to explore a wider range of options than you might otherwise have if you only worked through your local funeral home or suppliers.
That said, you should keep certain tips in mind when buying an Amazon casket. This guide covers some of the more essential points to remember when purchasing a casket through the internet.
Can You Buy a Casket on Amazon? How Does It Work?
You can buy a casket from several online retailers, including Amazon. The process for buying a casket on Amazon can vary depending on your preferences and goals.
For instance, you could simply head to Amazon and type the word “casket” or “coffin” in the search field. This way, you can get a sense of the caskets Amazon offers. However, this may yield an overwhelmingly long list of results. (Searching for "coffins" will also bring up many Halloween decorations and other items.)
You might choose this method if you have a specific and/or unique type of casket in mind. Searching for a casket using specific terms, such as “blue steel casket” or “pine casket,” will make finding what you’re looking for easier.
You can also go to Amazon's home page and navigate to the overall casket selection by heading to the "home use medical supplies" and "equipment" departments, then the "funeral products" subdepartment. You may consider this if you simply want to begin browsing Amazon’s inventory. When browsing, you can also set a price range or learn more about different types of caskets.
The next section of this guide offers several tips for buying a casket on Amazon. However, it’s important to first mention that Amazon isn’t necessarily always the “seller” when you buy a casket through the service. Amazon may more accurately connect customers with sellers (several of which this guide will also cover later).
Keep in mind that different sellers’ products and services can vary in quality when you buy something off Amazon. The tips and examples in the next sections will help you more easily find a seller worth buying from.
Tips for Buying a Casket for a Deceased Loved One on Amazon
While Amazon simplifies the process of finding a casket, you still need to guard against spending your money on a casket that doesn’t live up to your expectations. These tips will help you ensure that doesn’t happen.
1. Check reviews
This is a very basic tip, but it’s important enough to earn a spot on this list.
Amazon helps consumers make informed choices when purchasing virtually anything by allowing customers to leave reviews. Because a loved one’s casket is among the most significant purchases you’ll ever make, you should take the time to thoroughly check the reviews of any item you’re considering. You want to be confident you’re buying a quality product from a reputable seller.
It’s also worth paying attention to the number of reviews for a particular item. An Amazon casket that has dozens of four- and five-star reviews might actually be a safer purchase than a casket that has only perfect five-star reviews, but not very many reviews in general.
2. Check delivery times
Depending on a number of factors, such as a seller’s location, the amount of time it may take for an Amazon casket to reach you after you’ve placed an order can vary widely. Because a casket is likely the type of item you need to receive within a very specific timeframe, you want to be certain you’re ordering one that arrives on schedule.
Check delivery areas as well. Some sellers only deliver caskets in certain areas. You don’t want to waste your time trying to make a purchase, only to learn a seller doesn’t deliver to your part of the country.
3. Sort by price
Don’t sacrifice quality in exchange for saving money when buying an Amazon casket. Shop around to ensure you’re buying the best casket you can get for the amount of money you can justify spending.
That said, if you’re on a budget, you may understandably prioritize finding an affordable casket. If so, you can use Amazon’s sorting options to organize your search results by price, from lowest to highest.
4. Don’t fall for tricks
Unfortunately, some sellers of Amazon caskets know that someone purchasing a casket for a loved one may not have much experience doing so and don’t know which qualities they should (and shouldn’t) look for. Sellers can take advantage of this lack of knowledge by describing a casket in a way that makes it sound as though it’s a high-quality item when that may not be the case.
For example, experts point out that some Amazon casket descriptions mention the gauge of the metal. Those who lack experience buying a casket might assume that high gauge means “high quality.”
That’s not actually the case. The metal’s gauge is only significant to those who will carry the casket, as it affects the casket’s weight. A casket with high-gauge metal isn’t necessarily worth more money.
Experts also suggest discussing this topic with a funeral home director if you don’t know which details you should and should not consider when choosing a casket. They can help you better determine if a description highlights genuinely important qualities or if a seller tries to use sales gimmicks to charge more than he should.
5. Check for contact information
It can be difficult to know whether a seller on Amazon is trustworthy. One simple way to increase your odds of buying an Amazon casket from someone who’ll deliver an item that matches its description is to check whether the seller lists customer service contact information.
If the seller doesn’t provide any clear means of reaching customer service, you’re better off buying a casket from someone else.
Consider checking whether a seller has its own website as well. Although some reliable casket suppliers may only sell through Amazon, if a seller also has a separate website, you can research that store more thoroughly before deciding to buy one of those caskets.
6. Check shipping costs
The price of the Amazon casket itself isn’t the only cost you may need to consider if you’re on a tight budget. Caskets are large items and shipping fees for caskets can be higher than you might expect.
Check shipping fees early when narrowing down your options. This will help you understand how much a particular casket will actually cost in total.
7. Check for pictures
A single picture of a casket might not be enough to give you a clear idea of how it will look when it finally arrives. Caskets have many elements and details you should see closely before deciding which one to buy.
The listings for some quality Amazon caskets may only feature one image. Ideally, you should buy a casket from a seller who offers many pictures of the casket. Along with wide shots that show the entire casket, they should offer shots of details difficult to see unless you’re up close.
8. Know your cemetery’s standards
This is a crucial tip to remember not only when buying Amazon caskets, but when buying a casket from any supplier.
Many cemeteries have rules about the types of caskets you can bury on their grounds. If you know which cemetery where you’ll bury your deceased loved one, check its conditions before purchasing a casket on Amazon, and don’t take a chance on purchasing any casket if you can’t be completely certain it meets the cemetery’s criteria based on its description.
9. Coordinate with the funeral home
If you’re planning on having your Amazon casket delivered to the funeral home directly, coordinate with your funeral director ahead of time. According to the Federal Trade Commission’s funeral rule coordinator, funeral homes have to accept caskets from third-party suppliers if delivery occurs during regular business hours.
If there’s a question as to whether the casket you order may arrive outside of business hours, get in touch with the funeral director and, if possible, the seller, to ensure someone will be at the funeral home to accept the delivery.
Tips for Buying a Pet’s Casket on Amazon
Many of the general tips for buying a loved one’s casket on Amazon also apply to buying a pet casket on Amazon. That said, check out some specific pieces of advice worth keeping in mind if you plan on buying a casket for a beloved pet online.
1. Check sizes
This may be a basic tip, but it’s also a vital one that’s easy to forget about when you’re looking for a pet casket with the right design!
Pet caskets come in a wide range of sizes. Make sure you’re buying one that’s not only the right size for your pet but also the right size for the space in which you plan to bury him.
2. Consider long-term goals
If you’re buying a pet casket on Amazon, you might be thinking about burying your pet somewhere on your property.
However, you might also plan to sell your home one day. If you do and there’s still a pet casket under the lawn, buyers may want you to remove it before they buy the house. Fortunately, many casket materials are biodegradable and become a natural part of the soil.
3. Get everyone involved
A pet is part of your family. There’s a good chance you’re not the only one mourning a pet’s loss. Your kids or other family members may want to make sure you choose the right casket for your pet.
Get your family involved! Some people might feel a casket for a deceased person should have a traditional and dignified design. On the other hand, a pet’s casket can be more fun and whimsical.
Allowing the kids and other family members to contribute suggestions can help you break free from your own assumptions about what a casket should be, making you more comfortable with the idea of choosing a pet casket you might not have considered before.
4. Be specific
The right casket for a dog or cat probably won’t be the right casket for a bird. If you only search for “pet caskets” on Amazon, you could spend far more time than you should looking through your options before finding the casket you want.
Be specific when searching for Amazon pet caskets. This doesn’t just involve specifying the type of pet you’re buying a casket for. For example, because dogs can be very large or small, you might also want to specify the breed of dog in your search. If you have preferences about the casket material, design, or any other factors, specify them in your search as well.
Popular Casket Sellers on Amazon
If you’re looking for a reputable Amazon casket seller, consider the following options:
Stores that Sell Human Caskets
The top sellers of caskets for humans on Amazon include:
Titan Caskets
If customer reviews are any indication, Titan Caskets is one of the most reliable casket sellers on Amazon. Customers frequently give Titan Caskets’ products five-star reviews for several reasons.
Titan Caskets often feature high-quality materials such as 20-gauge steel. Additionally, the company offers free shipping to virtually any funeral home. Reviews indicate customers don’t tend to have any problem receiving their orders in a timely manner. Customers of Titan Caskets can also choose from several different styles, ranging from ornate classic designs to plain eco-friendly boxes.
Carnation Natural Caskets
Carnation Natural Caskets hand-crafts materials that decompose over time. They’re ideal for green burials, which involve burying a body in a way that minimizes the use of resources and lessens the impact on the environment.
Casket Emporium
Casket Emporium, one of Amazon’s generic casket suppliers, earns a spot on this list due to its fairly wide selection of products.
However, you'll find limited reviews of Casket Emporium products. While there’s no evidence of substantial negative customer feedback, the lack of reviews makes it difficult to determine exactly how reliable the seller is. Still, you may consider buying a casket from this seller instead of one of the other options here if, for instance, you want to find a deal.
Stores that Sell Pet Caskets
Along with caskets for humans, some Amazon sellers also supply caskets for pets. Examples include:
Newnak's Pet Caskets
Newnak’s Pet Caskets doesn’t have an official section or store on Amazon. However, Newnak’s Pet Caskets offers popular brands that sell caskets for pets on Amazon. The link above will take you to a general list of the company’s selection.
Customers tend to leave positive reviews for their products, which come in a wide range of styles and prices.
Prestige Wicker
Like Newnak’s Pet Caskets, Prestige Wicker doesn’t have its own Amazon store. The company also doesn’t exclusively sell pet caskets. As the name implies, Prestige Wicker offers several wicker products.
You might buy one of Prestige Wicker’s pet caskets on Amazon if you want an item that has a charming but simple look.
Pet Memory Shop
Like nearly all the sellers listed here, Pet Memory Shop’s products and service consistently earn praise from customers. Along with pet caskets, the company also sells pet urns and pet memorial jewelry.
Pet Memory Shop’s pet memorial jewelry products consist of pendants for necklaces, bracelets, or similar items of jewelry. You can get pet-themed shapes, such as pawprints or other pet-centric images.
Many function as small urns in which you can keep some of a cremated pet’s ashes. This may be ideal if you travel often and would like to keep your pet near you at all times.
Amazon Caskets: An Option to Keep in Mind
From casket prices to casket designs, you need to weigh many factors when choosing how to bury a loved one or pet. Luckily, Amazon caskets are plentiful. There’s a very good chance a seller on Amazon will offer exactly what you’re looking for.
If you're looking for more on caskets, read our guides on pine box caskets and copper caskets.
Sources
- Gilligan, T. Scott. “FTC Staff Issues Opinion on Third-party Casket Delivery Issues.” National Funeral Directors Association, 20 April 2010, nfda.org.
- Passy, Jacob. “Costco and Amazon even have deals on caskets.” Market Watch, MarketWatch, Inc., 25 June 2017, marketwatch.com.