Anyone have experience with the Neptune Society?

[Luanne]

Right. Are they really your ashes? I do know that they don't do the cremations themselves. I asked " ...does the Neptune Society contract single body cremations..." It would bother me not to have my loved one's actual ashes.

I don't know the answer to that question. It wasn't something I thought to ask. Since I was the one making arrangements for dh and I and since we won't be around afterwards it wasn't something I even thought to ask. I wonder if Google would know? I'll check.

And here is some information I found on the Neptune website. @DaveNV you might be interested.

• Can my ashes be separated for family members?
  Yes, as long as there are separate cremation urns or containers to put the ashes in.
• What guarantee is there that my family receives my cremated ashes?
  We adhere to the strictest identification guidelines in the industry to minimize any possible chance of human error. Additionally, a numbered metal disc is assigned to the deceased and accompanies the body throughout the cremation process. The disc stays with the ashes as they are placed in a temporary container, awaiting final disposition by us or by the family.

Questions About Veteran Cremations

• I am a Veteran; can my cremated ashes be buried at Arlington National Cemetery?
  All United States Veterans are entitled to burial or interment of cremated remains in any National Cemetery that has available space at no charge. Currently, the Veterans Administration operates 125 national cemeteries, of which 65 are open for new casket interments and 21 are open to accept cremated remains only. Burial options are limited to those available at a specific cemetery but may include an in-ground casket or interment of cremated remains in a columbarium, the ground, or a scatter garden. The government runs these programs and benefits may change at any time.
• I served in the Navy; can my ashes be scattered at sea after my death?
  Generally, cremated remains are scattered at sea on a weekly basis. These common scatterings are not open to family members. Family members may request, for an additional charge, this optional burial-at-sea service. This is a Formal Sea Service priced a la carte.
• Can I use my veteran benefits if I choose cremation?
  Through the Veterans Administration, veterans may also be eligible for the following benefits: $300 reimbursement towards your cremation service, free headstones or markers in granite, marble, or bronze, and presidential memorial certificates.

This last was found through a general search, not specific to Neptune Society:

Do they cremate bodies individually?


Can more than one body be cremated at a time? No, each cremation is carried out separately. However, exceptions can be made in the case of a mother and baby or small twin children, so long as the next of kin or executor has made this specific request.

 

[DaveNV]

I attended the Neptune Society presentation here at my development today. It was very informative. I set aside their sales rhetoric, where they tried to convince everyone why they should make their last wishes known in advance and decide right now what they want, saving families from having to make last-minute decisions in times of grief, and all the things I knew they'd be talking about. (It was almost like a timeshare sales pitch, without the high pressure - but a big play on emotions and not stressing out surviving family members. Discounts if signing up today.) Given that nobody wants to talk about this topic, but knowing that it's something important that should be discussed, my takeaway of what they said was this:

The average funeral in the USA runs $9K to $15K.
Cemetery burial plots run between $3K and $6K.
Average cremation services are about $5150, plus upsells from the Funeral Home at time of cremation may add plenty. (Upgraded urns, family viewings, "refrigeration costs" while waiting for cremation, etc.)
Shipping a deceased person's body usually goes by air, at a fairly high expense.
Rates vary on the above, depending on geographical location.

Neptune Society has no upsells or hidden costs - what the person has chosen is what will be done.
They have offices in 32 states, but provide services worldwide.
Surviving responsible party makes a single toll-free phone call, and NS takes over from there. Family doesn't need to do anything else.
They collect the person's remains wherever in the world they die, and handle all costs to return the person to the closest NS facilities.
NS contacts Social Security, notifies the VA, obtains Death Certificates, and handles all similar "official" notifications.
Cremated remains are then delivered to the designated party, unless interment or spreading of ashes is part of the plan.
If scattering ashes on public land, a permit may be required. If on private land, permission of landowner is required.
A lengthy list of NS services are included in several tiered packages.
Pricing runs from about $3100 to about $4100. (These are Nevada prices in my county. Your local pricing may be different, depending on taxes and such.)
Plan pricing is guaranteed, with no hidden costs, regardless of inflation. NS will do what they say they will do.

I didn't find out whether they will divide ashes to send to different parties. Based on what I heard, I suspect it would be an option. I'd suggest anyone who wants to get answers to specific questions should give them a call. If I was looking for extensive services, I can see how this company would be absolutely worth it. My needs are more basic than a lot of this, and there are unanswered questions about what the VA provides to me and my spouse, since I am a disabled Veteran.

I had to leave the meeting early, so didn't get a chance to ask my questions. I do want to compare pricing with a local funeral home, to see how they differ. About the only additional service I might want beyond basic transport and cremation, is the transportation of remains back home, if one of us died while traveling. But NS is definitely still on the radar.

Hope this helps a bit.

Dave

 

[Luanne]

I attended the Neptune Society presentation here at my development today. It was very informative. I set aside their sales rhetoric, where they tried to convince everyone why they should make their last wishes known in advance and decide right now what they want, saving families from having to make last-minute decisions in times of grief, and all the things I knew they'd be talking about. (It was almost like a timeshare sales pitch, without the high pressure - but a big play on emotions and not stressing out surviving family members. Discounts if signing up today.) Given that nobody wants to talk about this topic, but knowing that it's something important that should be discussed, my takeaway of what they said was this:

The average funeral in the USA runs $9K to $15K.
Cemetery burial plots run between $3K and $6K.
Average cremation services are about $5150, plus upsells from the Funeral Home at time of cremation may add plenty. (Upgraded urns, family viewings, "refrigeration costs" while waiting for cremation, etc.)
Shipping a deceased person's body usually goes by air, at a fairly high expense.
Rates vary on the above, depending on geographical location.

Neptune Society has no upsells or hidden costs - what the person has chosen is what will be done.
They have offices in 32 states, but provide services worldwide.
Surviving responsible party makes a single toll-free phone call, and NS takes over from there. Family doesn't need to do anything else.
They collect the person's remains wherever in the world they die, and handle all costs to return the person to the closest NS facilities.
NS contacts Social Security, notifies the VA, obtains Death Certificates, and handles all similar "official" notifications.
Cremated remains are then delivered to the designated party, unless interment or spreading of ashes is part of the plan.
If scattering ashes on public land, a permit may be required. If on private land, permission of landowner is required.
A lengthy list of NS services are included in several tiered packages.
Pricing runs from about $3100 to about $4100. (These are Nevada prices in my county. Your local pricing may be different, depending on taxes and such.)
Plan pricing is guaranteed, with no hidden costs, regardless of inflation. NS will do what they say they will do.

I didn't find out whether they will divide ashes to send to different parties. Based on what I heard, I suspect it would be an option. I'd suggest anyone who wants to get answers to specific questions should give them a call. If I was looking for extensive services, I can see how this company would be absolutely worth it. My needs are more basic than a lot of this, and there are unanswered questions about what the VA provides to me and my spouse, since I am a disabled Veteran.

I had to leave the meeting early, so didn't get a chance to ask my questions. I do want to compare pricing with a local funeral home, to see how they differ. About the only additional service I might want beyond basic transport and cremation, is the transportation of remains back home, if one of us died while traveling. But NS is definitely still on the radar.

Hope this helps a bit.

Dave

Dave, for the minimal amount we wanted done it was $1799 for each of us. Then the additional for them to take care of us if we are out of the local area was $549 each.

 

[DaveNV]

Dave, for the minimal amount we wanted done it was about $1700 for each of us. Then the additional for them to take care of us if we are out of the local area. I think that was no more than $500 each.

I think that's more in line with my experience. (I think my Mom's basic cremation and interment service was about $1200, but it was 25 years ago.) These are the numbers they quoted in the presentation, but the "discounts if signing up today" pricing seemed lower. I think a phone call would get to their bottom line. What did impress me was their level of services. I think it might be worth talking to them one-on-one, to get things sorted out. But I want to have local pricing from a Funeral Home here before I do that.

Dave

 

[Luanne]

I think that's more in line with my experience. (I think my Mom's basic cremation and interment service was about $1200, but it was 25 years ago.) These are the numbers they quoted in the presentation, but the "discounts if signing up today" pricing seemed lower. I think a phone call would get to their bottom line. What did impress me was their level of services. I think it might be worth talking to them one-on-one, to get things sorted out. But I want to have local pricing from a Funeral Home here before I do that.

Dave

I went back and corrected my initial post to give the actual figures. I never met in person with anyone, but did talk to someone on the phone. And I did check with two local mortuaries to get pricing. Their pricing for a pre-paid cremation plan was higher, and didn't include the transportation for out of area.

 

[Passepartout]

Thanks for doing the research, Dave. Sooner or later this is a decision we all (or someone) has to make. The presentation you attended reminded me of a timeshare presentation. I don't think NS has a presence here, so maybe it's time for some face time with local funeral homes. I think 2-3 of them advertise cremation services and I imagine they are competitive.

 

[Luanne]

Thanks for doing the research, Dave. Sooner or later this is a decision we all (or someone) has to make. The presentation you attended reminded me of a timeshare presentation. I don't think NS has a presence here, so maybe it's time for some face time with local funeral homes. I think 2-3 of them advertise cremation services and I imagine they are competitive.

Jim,

I just looked. Neptune Society does seem to have a presence in Idaho Falls. They work with local mortuaries for the actual cremation.

 

[JudyH]

I attended the Neptune Society presentation here at my development today. It was very informative. I set aside their sales rhetoric, where they tried to convince everyone why they should make their last wishes known in advance and decide right now what’s they want, saving families from having to make last-minute decisions in times of grief, and all the things I knew they'd be talking about. (It was almost like a timeshare sales pitch, without the high pressure - but a big play on emotions and not stressing out surviving family members. Discounts if signing up today.) Given that nobody wants to talk about this topic, but knowing that it's something important that should be discussed, my takeaway of what they said was this:

The average funeral in the USA runs $9K to $15K.
Cemetery burial plots run between $3K and $6K.
Average cremation services are about $5150, plus upsells from the Funeral Home at time of cremation may add plenty. (Upgraded urns, family viewings, "refrigeration costs" while waiting for cremation, etc.)
Shipping a deceased person's body usually goes by air, at a fairly high expense.
Rates vary on the above, depending on geographical location.

Neptune Society has no upsells or hidden costs - what the person has chosen is what will be done.
They have offices in 32 states, but provide services worldwide.
Surviving responsible party makes a single toll-free phone call, and NS takes over from there. Family doesn't need to do anything else.
They collect the person's remains wherever in the world they die, and handle all costs to return the person to the closest NS facilities.
NS contacts Social Security, notifies the VA, obtains Death Certificates, and handles all similar "official" notifications.
Cremated remains are then delivered to the designated party, unless interment or spreading of ashes is part of the plan.
If scattering ashes on public land, a permit may be required. If on private land, permission of landowner is required.
A lengthy list of NS services are included in several tiered packages.
Pricing runs from about $3100 to about $4100. (These are Nevada prices in my county. Your local pricing may be different, depending on taxes and such.)
Plan pricing is guaranteed, with no hidden costs, regardless of inflation. NS will do what they say they will do.

I

 

[JudyH]

That was just what our experience with them this summer was like. They did everything and sent us the ashes. Very easy to work with

 

[b2bailey]

My Mother was cremated and her ashes were interred in a crypt in her grandparents gravesite. She was very close to them, and wanted it that way. When we were at the funeral home that handled the cremation and interment, the Funeral Director asked if Mom had a favorite teapot or sugar bowl or something that her ashes could be placed into prior to interment. He said a lot of people did that, and it brought a sense of closure to the family.

We thought for a moment, and everyone smiled when I suggested a ceramic Victorian house cookie jar I'd made for Mom about twenty years prior. I did hobby ceramics at the time, and I'd spent hours and hours making this "Painted Lady" Eastlake Victorian style cookie jar for her. Very San Francisco style, and it came out really nice. Mom cried and cried when I'd given it to her. She'd always wanted a Victorian house, and that cookie jar sat right on the kitchen counter where she saw it every day for the rest of her life. It had been a perfect gift.

We put her ashes in that cookie jar, sealed the lid on it, and placed it in the crypt in the ground. She now has her Victorian house.

Dave

I've had possession of ashes, and I don't think a teapot or sugar bowl could hold them. I'm glad your cookie jar was large enough.

 

[BargainTraveller]

My Step-mom passed away last Monday.
When she passed away in New Jersey, my sister called Neptune and they contacted a funeral home that came and handled the arrangements.
Neptune sent us an email on Monday letting us know when the cremation was scheduled.
Today at 2 pm she was cremated...

I remember when my Dad and Step-mom gave my sister and I copies of the Neptune contract and said,
"We want you to have a copy for when the time comes."

When Dad passed two years ago, they were easy to work with as well.

Our hearts have been broken over their passing
but we appreciate the care they took to plan ahead.

 

[b2bailey]

Oh Boy! One of my favorite poems, performed by an exceptional voice. I'll listen tom it later. Thanks!

I hadn't heard of this poem.
But once started, I had to listen till the end.
Johnny Cash did it well.

 

[DaveNV]

I've had possession of ashes, and I don't think a teapot or sugar bowl could hold them. I'm glad your cookie jar was large enough.

The cookie jar was about a foot tall, in a rectangular shape. It held her ashes just fine.

Found this image online. This is a very ugly version of the cookie jar I made for her. Mine was painted much, much better than this one:

Dave

 

[b2bailey]

The cookie jar was about a foot tall, in a rectangular shape. It held her ashes just fine.

Found this image online. This is a very ugly version of the cookie jar I made for her. Mine was painted much, much better than this one:

View attachment 45861

Dave

That would be a very special final resting place.

 

[DaveNV]

That would be a very special final resting place.

Thanks. The one I made was glazed with a "Painted Lady" color scheme, and looked really nice. It was one of a kind, and I'm glad to know she finally has her Victorian house.

Dave

 

[Jan M.]

Thanks Dave for starting this thread. Today we signed up with the Neptune Society. The cost was $2893 after a $200 discount for paying in full.

 

[DaveNV]

Thanks Dave for starting this thread. Today we signed up with the Neptune Society. The cost was $2893 after a $200 discount for paying in full.

Happy to try and help, Jan. They obviously gave you answers and options you were looking for?

Dave

 

[Jan M.]

Happy to try and help, Jan. They obviously gave you answers and options you were looking for?

Dave

The information everyone posted and what I read online did a fantastic job of answering our questions before we even talked to them. All we had left to ask was how much. We weren't interested in anything above and beyond the basic package as it was sufficient for our needs.

 

[Luanne]

The information everyone posted and what I read online did a fantastic job of answering our questions before we even talked to them. All we had left to ask was how much. We weren't interested in anything above and beyond the basic package as it was sufficient for our needs.

That's a great price. Did you get the option of them taking care of you even if you are out of your area?

 

[Jan M.]

That's a great price. Did you get the option of them taking care of you even if you are out of your area?

Yes it's the plan that covers all 50 states and Canada.

The cost, $2893 was apiece; not for the two of us. And Dave will love this, we put it on our Costco Visa card!

 

[louisianab]

My MIL passed unexpectedly in 2021. She was 65. Please, please, please write down your wishes, preplan and prepay if you can, organize your finances so they are findable and accessible. My husband's grandmother's estate was not complete and my MIL was the executor of that. It's still a mess. Don't just tell someone in your family, make things explicitly clear. *No opinions about the Neptune society included.

 

[Luanne]

Yes it's the plan that covers all 50 states and Canada.

The cost, $2893 was apiece; not for the two of us. And Dave will love this, we put it on our Costco Visa card!

Our price was $1794 each and an additional $500 each for coverage anywhere.

 

[DaveNV]

And Dave will love this, we put it on our Costco Visa card!

Not sure, since we're talking about cremation, that you'd want to get that 2% back... LOL!

Dave

 

[DaveNV]

Our price was $1794 each and an additional $500 each for coverage anywhere.

They told me their pricing varies by location, local costs, taxes, and such. The guy said the prices in Las Vegas were higher than in Reno, due to local tax rates.

Dave

 

[Jan M.]

Our price was $1794 each and an additional $500 each for coverage anywhere.

How long ago did you purchase yours?