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:04/09/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  I hired Eternal Memorials in October of 2023 to build and place my parents' headstones. Their quote came in lower than their competitors', so we decided to go with them. To ensure accuracy and, one would hope, put together an accurate quote, they went to my parents' ****** and copied an existing stone in our family plot for comparison. On the original quote, they listed the first 50 characters included but did not provide any overage charges that exceeded the 50 characters. Without having any direct experience, I had no reason to question the fees listed on the original seeing as the quote listed $0.00 under the "Letters Overage" column. If there was to be an overage fee, this would be where you would put that amount. One would have no reason to think there would be such a difference from the original quote to the final invoice.In December, after leaving a $1,600 deposit, I received another invoice with the balance due. When compared to the original quote, they added 118 additional characters at $9.75 each, totaling $1,150.50. They claim that I added characters later on to justify the difference, which is simply not true. The only characters that were added in addition were my parents' Hebrew names, which only account for 20 to 40 characters.They have gotten pretty clever when it comes to responding to these claims. I wrote them a lengthy email questioning the unauthorized additional charges, and they tried to use previous conversations out of context. They also tried to talk about the timely work they had performed which was irrelevant to my issue.The invoices show that leaving the $1,150 overage fee off of the initial quote, while having a very good idea that the total would be, plus or minus ***** characters (depending on Hebrew names), it seems obvious that this was done intentionally and for the sole purpose of misleading the customer. I've made countless efforts to pay them for the work performed (laid foundation) and ask for a refund. They have refused.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/02/2024

  We stand firm by the terms outlined in our contract, which explicitly states our policy on lettering and refunds. They were also clearly communicated to you in the cover letter sent via email at the time of commencement and thoroughly explained during multiple phone and email conversations. This adherence to standard protocol is consistent for every family we serve.
  
  The sales representatives you dealt with have over 40 years of combined experience and are committed to maintaining clear communication and delivering our services as promised. We are confident that our reputation is built on transparent dealings; and the clarity of our contract, which you signed, includes details on lettering charges.
  
  The family has full control over the lettering. Upon receiving the original drawing sketches and the corresponding invoice, you called our office and subsequently requested additional lettering on both monuments. Contractually, this incurs additional charges. We possess legal documentation confirming compliance with all the aforementioned points.
  
  Since we are committed to ensuring our clients satisfaction and maintaining the reputation weve built, we have made several attempts to reach out and offer various solutions. You have ignored all efforts to cooperate with us.
  In just 3 months, we were already in the final phase of your order. We got the cemetery to approve both orders and pour foundations in under a month. Additionally, we ordered the granite as soon as the order was placed.
  
  We continue to make every effort to fully assist you and would still like to proceed with getting both monuments placed on your cemetery plot. We kindly ask that you get in touch with us, aiming to reach a solution and proceed with setting both footstones for you loved ones.