FAQs
Q What is MyGoodbye.com?
A
MyGoodbye.com is an innovative, service based e-business seeking to provide individuals with compassionate, cost effective and community enriching direction for end of life needs. Our online memorials provide a virtual gathering place for friends and family to connect and communicate immediate needs such as service details as well as the ongoing sharing on our Tribute Wall™ regarding the loved one’s legacy. Our expertly crafted MyGoodbye.com planning guide and virtual safety deposit box™ provide users the tools they need to articulate their life message as well as establish a personalized map for their own end of life needs, giving emotional as well as financial benefit to their survivors.
Q I am not the computer type! How can MyGoodbye.com benefit me?
A The beauty of our service is that it is designed to benefit your survivors by providing them with an easily accessible means of communication. Although it is helpful to have access to a computer, it is not mandatory. Our staff can assist you in the setting up of your account and storing of your information, providing your children, grandchildren and others the gift of the Goodbye life does not guarantee to give us.
Q I don't know the first thing about planning my funeral. Isn't that the job of a funeral director?
AWhile state laws require a certified funeral director to guide you through the process of selecting funeral services, your wisest decisions will be educated ones. There are wide differences for the cost of various services, and many, such as the purchase of a casket or cremation are now offered ala carte online at substantial savings. Our resource section can help you through this process.
Q I don't plan on dying anytime soon--shouldn't I wait to set up my account?
AIndividuals spent 4.067 trillion dollars in 2009 a year to pay for life insurance coverage that they hope with all their hearts is not needed. We do it for "peace of mind." Unfortunately, most of us have a better plan for our bank account than our body.The best time to consider your end of life needs and to write final words is when you can do so with a clear head and calm heart. For less than the cost of a safe deposit box, a MyGoodbye.com account provides peace of mind for you, and tremendous comfort for your survivors, should the unexpected happen.
Q What if I change my mind about what my final wishes are?
AYour MyGoodbye.com account may be changed by you at any time. Information may be easily updated as your needs change. In fact, the most effective accounts are ones which have been thoughtfully created over years rather than pulled together in a time of duress.
Q How secure is the information I choose to store in my account?
AAlong with your final wishes for funeral arrangements, biographical information, and words of final goodbye for family and friends, your account contains a virtual safe deposit box where you may store a picture of your financial life for your survivors. Therefore privacy and security are high priorities for MyGoodbye.com. We maintain the site through SSL-Encrypting by a leading industry provider. The credit card or bank information that you provide to place your order go directly to our financial interface, and are not accessible to our administration. Our server is monitored continuously 24/7 to ensure maximum uptime, and backed up every night to separate storage. These security features constitute the majority of the yearly subscription costs, which we are unapologetically committed to.
Q What is a MyGoodbye.com executor?
AIn order for your MyGoodbye.com final wishes to be carried out, you choose someone to execute your plan. This person does not necessarily need to be the formal executor of your will, but should be someone who would be quickly aware of your death, have access to a computer and minimal processing skills. You may designate more than one person if you prefer. If possible, we recommend that you make this request face to face. You will need to give them the individual specific access code generated when you listed them on the My Executor page of your account. Please write these codes down and store with other important papers for backup.
Q Will my executor have access to my information while I am still alive?
AAbsolutely not. Your executor will only have access when they have verified your death, at which time they will need to use the individual specific code generated when you formally specified them on your executor page. In addition, they will only be able to alter or enter information for your memorial website which pertains to your death and service information.
Q What if I'm not ready to choose an executor?
AYou need to specify someone in order to generate an access code. However, you may wait to ask that person and provide them with the code until the time seems right for you. In the meantime, be sure to put "I have an account with www.MyGoodbye.com. At the time of my death, please use this access code to access my account: _________." in a safe and known place.
Q I want to create a Memorial site for my dad. Why should I choose MyGoodbye.com?
A Across the industry, MyGoodbye.com offers the best value for creating a fitting memorial for your loved one. As a site fully devoted to individuals and not a funeral home, honoring your loved one is given the highest priority. You won't find banner ads or other marketing devices cluttering the space devoted to celebrating a life you cherished. The site provides the full details including a Google map of the funeral home or other venue of your choice, usually at a fraction of the cost the funeral home charges, but with the dignity this online service deserves.
Q How can I save my estate thousands of dollars by using a MyGoodbye.com Legacy Plan?
A
Although the costs for a funeral are skyrocketing, with the advent of the internet, wise consumers are discovering there are ways to cut costs without eliminating service or value. Identical caskets ordered online may cost 1/3 of what local funeral homes charge. A cremation arranged online may be less than 1/4 the cost quoted in in crematorium office. However, rarely does a grieving family consider shopping products and services at the time of death. It is inappropriate at best. But for the wise individual who considers and articulates their final wishes pre-need, these options can be easily secured and reserved, providing their MyGoodbye.com executor with the information needed to carry out final wishes.
Q How are friends and family notified about a Memorial Website?
A
As soon as a Memorial Website is published by the addition of the date of death, it is ready to assist you in communicating vital information regarding service arrangements to others. For those who had a Legacy Plan account and created a notifications email list, an email will automatically be sent informing those listed that the Memorial Website is now ready for viewing with a link to the page. In addition, you may use the twitter, email and facebook buttons to notify those in your networks of the Memorial. The main photo of the deceased will show up in the facebook feed, and the url will show up as www.mygoodbye.com/memorial/Person'sName.
Q What is a Legacy Plan?
A
A Legacy Plan begins with is the wise acknowledgement that no one escapes death. It addresses this reality from two important perspectives, immediate and legacy.
Immediate: In an effort to leave a roadmap for my survivors, I consider and answer ahead of time the difficult questions they will be faced with in regards to my death: What do I want done with my remains? What kind of funeral service would I prefer? Who needs to be notified? These decisions made pre-crisis significantly reduce heartache and expense for your survivors.
Legacy: Beyond these essential questions, there is the opportunity to answer life defining issues: “How do I want to be remembered? What lasting legacy can I impart in my final goodbye?” Therefore, in an effort to leave a genuine picture of who I am and how I want to be remembered, I collect and store information in a way that can easily be accessed by my survivors. Writing and storing final words for loved ones provides the goodbye life does not guarantee to give us.
Q Isn't this morbid?
A
To dwell on one’s death definitely could be considered morbid. However, to take preparations for the inevitable is prudent, wise and considerate, especially in today’s environment. Prudent because funeral expenses are rising exponentially, and yet, costs are reduced dramatically by those who plan ahead. Wise because family dynamics require forethought and communication regarding such a significant event. If there has been a divorce, with which parent does a child want to be buried? Who will pay for the services? What picture should be used for the obituary? Unaddressed, these simple questions in the turmoil of grief have fostered family grudges which are continued for years after the burial. Considerate, because by taking a few minutes to put your goodbye in order, you are not leaving those you love most questioning for years if they did right by you in your last hours.
Q I thought end of life planning meant going to a funeral home, selecting a casket and making payments. What are you selling?
A
Until recently, this was the general procedure for putting your affairs in order. However, with the advent of MyGoodbye.com, you have a better option. We are strictly a consumer alternative to the traditional funeral industry, providing you with a guide and resources to decide and record your selections regarding your end of life needs. We will not sell your information to anyone, nor will you be obligated to buy anything. However, you will have provided your loved ones with the information they require, going farther than just the “funeral” mindset, to meet the needs of the bigger picture.
Q What do you mean by the Bigger Picture?
A
End of life needs encompass more than the actual funeral. We divide these up into two parts. Immediate, and Legacy.
Immediate needs include:
Funeral or Memorial Service Decisions: Burial or cremation? Open or closed casket? Viewing or rosary? Pallbearers? Flowers? Eulogy, obituary, speaker, musicians, service program, notifications, seating assignments, transportation, grave, grave marker, guest book and reception.
Hospitality: Housing, meals and transportation for incoming friends and family. Communication: The conveying of information regarding the above arrangements, as well as the actual service times and directions, flower and donation preferences, and the ability for friends and family to send messages of tribute and condolence to the family.
Legacy needs include:
Providing the tools to insure that a life story is properly told and captured for succeeding generations. Grandchildren who are too small to remember what their Papa was like can have a place to read what others said about him, view photos and video to see and hear him. This kind of information is not gathered in 48 hours, but over time, as people have opportunity to process how this person impacted their lives. MyGoodbye.com provides a virtual gathering place to remember and celebrate a life so that relatives can reconnect regardless of where they are presently living.
Grief Support: An ongoing MyGoodbye.com Memorial Website can be a beneficial part of healing for surviving friends and family, as grief was meant to be shared. By utilizing the Tribute Wall™, individuals can share their memories and loss with the larger community. As the Tribute Wall™ is built out, filled with stories of how lives were impacted by the life honored, the framing of a life legacy provides tremendous comfort to the family and enables them to insure that their loved one will not be forgotten.
Q How long is a Memorial Site good for?
A
Every Legacy Plan and Online Memorial account includes one full year of published Online Memorial. There after, the site’s life is maintained with the yearly $14.95 subscription.
Q I am not tech savy. How hard is it to upload pictures?
A
We have worked to provide our users with a easy to use system.
1. Find the pictures you desire to use and place them in a folder on your computor i.e. "dad's memorial."
2. Write down the individual picture file names in the order that you want them to appear on the page, along with the caption you will use. Verify spelling and grammer for caption.
3. Follow the prompts to upload pictures, entering the file name into the box next to browse.
4. Click Upload.
Q Why do you need my email address if I want to post on someone's MyGoodbye.com Tribute Wall™?
A
We believe providing an online community for individuals to grieve and support each other in the death of a loved one is a sacred act. As a precautionary measure to help safeguard this, we require users to verify their identity and agree to our terms of use to participate.
Q How do I re-set my password?
A
When you submit your name and email for verification, MyGoodbye.com sends a link in an email to you that you must click to be rediected back to MyGoodbye.com to complete the registration process. We also provide an initial password. After your intial log in (Welcome Your Name!), you may go to My Account, and re-set your password to one of your choosing. Be sure to click the Update button on the bottom of the page to save your changes.
Q Can a post be deleted from the Tribute Wall™?
A
The executor of the account reserves the right at any time to delete (but not edit) posts from an Online Memorial. To do so, the executor should log in, click the "Create Their Goodbye" button to navigate to the "Their Memorial Site Preview." Once on the preview, click the green delete button on the post to delete it.