Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/03/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The owner of the business has put me through enormous stress since purchasing my tombstone. I am a 71 year old single lady with heart disease. I agreed to the original price $3,685 on Monday May 2, 2022. He said I needed to pay him 50% so on May 3, 2022 I went to the bank and got a cashier's check for $2,000 and dropped it off. On May 5, 2022 he told me to come back in and resign another contract for a bigger monument and base because he couldn't fit both my last names on the first monument that he sold me. That was the first time of many he charged me more money or attempted to charge me additional money. When he poured the cement footing at the cemetery it was not where I wanted it and it was falling down the hill. (I have pictures.) I thought I had to accept it because he said the monument was on its way. However, he kept changing the dates that the monument would arrive. First he said it would arrive in Aug of 2022, then changed it to Nov of 2022, then to May of 2023! I have letters that I wrote to him to explain all of this better. I have witnesses also. I have heard from other monument companies that I am not the first person to have problems with him. Two people told me not to go to him, they both said he was a shyster and not to be trusted. I heard he takes advantage of people that are grieving, but I am not dead yet. I hope to stop him from hurting more people.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/20/2023

  The customer who filed the complaint stated that she signed a contract on May 2, 2022.  We did not give her a contract on that day. The first contract was May 5, 2022. 
  Mount ******* Cemetery marks out where the footings need to go. We put the footing exactly where they marked it out. Please contact the cemetery at ************ to discuss the issues they had with this person. I assure you the footing was not falling down the hill.
  In response to her saying that the monument would arrive in August of 2022, that is simply not true. We have not been able to get monuments that quickly since before covid.
  The customer changed the size of the base twice which set the arrival time back each time.
  Mount ******* had to dig out the footing because she wanted it moved. She said she would hire someone else to repour the footing, but other companies refused. She eventually asked us to redo the footing, which we did. 
  She stated in her complaint that she has witnesses. The first witness was trying to settle her down when we were trying to explain things and resolve the issue. The second witness threatened the owner three times with the owner's son present.
  We charge the restocking fee, not the company she said she called. We charge it because now we have a $522 base sitting on our lot we have to work around and we have no idea how long it will take to sell it.
  We are sending all 5 contracts that she has signed.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/24/2023

   
  Complaint: 20688566.  I refute the lies in their account of events.  Their response was written by ****'s wife, ***************************, who was never there when I did business with ****. I did sign a contract on 5/2/22, before I went to my bank to get the required down payment.  **** wanted 50% or more, and my $2,000 was not 50% of the contract on May 5, 2022 when he rewrote the contract.  He called me to say I needed to buy a wider headstone/base because he couldn't fit 2 last names across it.  This is a Bait and Switch tatic.  **** absolutely told me it would arrive in Aug 2022!  One truth in their rebuttal is she admitted the $190 restocking fee is their fee, not the *************** in **.  You can't restock something you don't have. **** had 6-7 months to cancel the shorter base and reorder my original longer base. I only changed the base one time, not 3X.  My cement footing was not behind my parents' ******, where I wanted it and it did go past the edge of the hill.  The cemetery tried to help me by cutting off both ends, but I only discussed cutting off one end by the hill.  The cemetery agreed to remove the cement so I could start over, after **** said my order was delayed for 3rd time and would come in **** 2023.  He wanted to charge me $1,100.00 to go back to my orginal longer base, which I was already paying for, plus $535 to repour the cement, and the $190 fee for $1,825.  I told the owner of a Funeral Home where I was purchasing a Casket. He intervened for me and called ***** so **** dropped it.  I told **** that I would shop for the cement footing. No one ever "refused" to do it for me! Two places told me I needed to buy an additional thin piece of granite to go on top of the cement for more $.  One guy was afraid to step on ****'s toes!  Other Monument Companies told me that I was NOT the first person to have a bad experience.  I took my sister (1st witness) with me to talk to **** once and she did not have to "settle me down!" My 2nd witness went with me to look at my headstone. I think he called **** a thief.  **** grabbed his shoulder to ****** him out!  My witness threatened to call the police if he touched him again. He took pictures of all the bases that **** had, looked like @ 100. Both he and my cousin had a bad experience with **** when their loved ones passed away suddenly. Taking advantage of people that are Grieving is unbelievable. Luckily, I am not grieving.  I pursued this because it is not right what he put me through.  It was emotionally draining for the last 18+ months.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/08/2023

  They finally gave me my Tombstone Monument and Base