Coffin
A tapered, six-sided body container, wider at the shoulders and narrow at the feet. In the US the rectangular “casket” has largely replaced it, and people often use the two words interchangeably.
Technically a coffin is the older, body-shaped six-sided form, while a casket is the four-sided rectangular box that dominates the American market. The distinction is mostly historical now; many people say “coffin” to mean any burial container.
Coffin- or casket-style containers are the single most marked-up item in the funeral business. The Funeral Rule gives you the right to buy one from any third party and requires the funeral home to use it without charging a handling fee.
- Casket— The container the body is placed in for viewing and burial. Required for traditional funerals; optional for direct cremation (a cardboard 'alternative container' suffices).
- Third-party casket— A casket bought from a source other than the funeral home — Costco, Walmart, online dealers, local casket stores. Federal law requires the funeral home to accept it without a handling fee.
- Casket handling fee— A fee some funeral homes try to charge when a family buys a casket from a third party (Costco, Amazon, an online supplier). Illegal under federal law.
This definition is general consumer information, not legal, medical, or financial advice. Industry practices and regulations change occasionally; verify before relying on anything here for a specific decision.
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