ComplaintsforTulip Cremation, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  02/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My stepfather father bought a cremation package on 1-13-23. My mother passed away 1-18-23. Due to paperwork issues between hospice and the doctors, her death certificate wasn't signed until 1-27-13. According to her death certificate that we did received she was cremated on 2-3-23. We have heard nothing since. No emails or phone calls. No tracking number for my moms remains. We have been calling for days for an update on tracking for her ashes, and no one is calling back. All we get is the answering service.

  

  Business response

  02/27/2023

  We are so sorry during this of your loss we failed to meet the needs. Unfortunately this is a very busy time for deaths and looking at the interactions I will provide the timeline of events and I understand this isnt an excuse just sharing information. 

   

  **** one of our advisors reached out on January 19th and left a voicemail

  January 24 Dr ***** responding to get vitals for DC filing

  Janary 26 ******** called and got our answering service

  January 31 Luke one our our managers Call ****** and let him know we still needed to complete the signing package 

  February 1 got notice that the dr would be signing DC

  Update to Next of Kin that we would give a call when cremation took place

  February 15 ****** called got our answering service ***** listed as a contact couldnt release information

  February 16 ****** called to get status

  February 16 Advised that we are still waiting on cremation (***** one of our advisors called and explained cremation is scheduled and we would share when it was complete)

  February 18 ****** emailed 

  February20 ****** asked for viewing as we dont allow viewings and cremation had just taken place

  February 20 tracking information sent to next of kin

  February 20 ***** emailed asking about pick up, we responded with tracking information again and apologized as that was selected method

  February 21 email from family asking about tracking information stating from ************ explained our home office and stamps shipping account. 

  February 22 sent an update with movement

  February 23 Ashes delivered Emailed confirmation to next of Kin

   

  Again my sincere apologies for the delay and lack of any information. I am so sorry and understand that had to be frustrating. If there is anything we can do at all please let me know. I am so sorry for the loss of your mother and cant imagine what you and your family are experiencing. I am happy we got her home and apologize for any delays. 

  My deepest condolences to you and your family

  *************************

  Director of Family Care

  ************ Please call my personal cell if you need anything at all any time day or night

• Initial Complaint

  02/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My mother passed away 2/1/2023 at 2 am. They sent a person to pick her up. The driver would not give his name or where he was taking the body. Said that Tulip would reach out to me within 4 hours. No one ever called that day. I started calling them and calling them on Thursday and was told everyone was busy. On 2/3/23 Friday I got a call after I told them I was fling a police report. On Friday I was informed that all paperwork was done and they would do the cremation within 48 to 72 hours and I should have the ashes by Wednesday 2/8/23 or Thursday 2/9/23. As of today their services have done been performed and they are saying maybe this weekend. They have lied and been very untrustworthy in heir business practices with me. They lie and lie and then just ghost you with no communication at all. This is very stressful and they just seem not to care about the family or the stress they cause. They need to help families not make it harder for them. Do not trust them with your loved one.

  

  Business response

  02/16/2023

  Here is the timeline of events:

  2.1.23 7:55 am We recieved notice from our overflow phone center of the passing
  2.1.23 6:29 pm ******* called got our overflow call center and message was taken 
  2.2.23 11:49 am ******* called upset waiting for a call 
  2.2.23 11:59 am ***** one of our managers posted she had made 4 attempts to call ******* and sent a text with her personal contact information and uploaded an image of the text as she had been attempting to connect with him with no response
  2.2.23 5:01 pm ***** attempted ******* and again went to voice mail, Called ****** the other next of kin on the account and the number was disconnected. Called ******** another next of kin gave her the update and contact information
  2.3.23 11:58 am ***** received a a call from ******* he was escalated because he claimed the driver wouldnt tell him anything and thought he would have an immediate call from Tulip. ***** explained the process and that we are waiting on hospice doctors final signature. He was calm and satisfied
  2.3.23 reached out to our removal company regarding the complaint: ***** got there at 7:30, he said he introduced himself to family and said he was ***** with Tulip Cremation. Family went out of the room and nurses were present and assisted, ********************** with nurses. He said family didnt stay long and didn't ask questions and seemed fine. He asked that we speak to Sharp hospice nurses as they can corroborate since they were present the whole time. 
  - we confirmed 
  2.8.23 ***** called ******* and left a message asking for a call back to provide an update
  2.9.23 Rudee one of our team members called ******* and he was upset as he thought cremation would take ***** hours from the time death certificates were ordered. 
  *one isnt related to the other as cremation can take up to 5 weeks during this time of year
  2.9.23 we called our crematory and escalated cremation and paid the escalation fee and shared with ******* that we did and he would not be responsible for that additional fee and he was happy
  2.9.23 cremation performed 
  2.10.23 he received ashes of his loved one
  
  

  I am sorry he is frustrated I know how hard it is to lose a loved one and we did everything we could to simplify the process, ease his mind and expedite the cremation at an expense to help him during this time. I have attempted to call him and apologize and left my personal cell so he can call anytime and he has not responded. 

• Initial Complaint

  01/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My Husband *************************** passed away on 12/21/22 I contracted with Tulip that evening to pick up my husbands body and cremation services including the issuing of the Death certificate.It has been 4 weeks and I still do not have the death certificate signed or entered into the state system.I continue to call them with assurances that they will get it done . reasons they say they can't find a DR. to sign off on it because my husband passed at home. Although he was a patient at ******** Hospital in June 2022. This has become a hardship for me and my family we cannot file proper paperwork so I am left in a mess with no relief not to mention closure for my passed husband . The body is still sitting in a warehouse??

  

  Business response

  01/30/2023

  In regard to the delays for *******************************. *************** died at his residence on 12/21/2022. This was an unattended death, meaning the deceased was not being attended to by a doctor or hospice at the time of his passing. The coroner came to the residence and determined this was a natural death and allowed Tulip to do the removal and bring the deceased to our facilities. We were told by the spouse that her husband had been diagnosed with cancer but was not seeing a doctor for traditional treatment. We reached out to the coroner and request they step in and complete the death certificate but they refused. They instructed us to contact *********************** where his cancer was diagnosed and to have their doctor complete the death certificate. The two doctors I spoke to at ******** were not willing to do the death certificate because it had been over six months since the patient had been seen. I again contacted the coroner and asked them to step in and complete the medical portion of the death certificate and again they refused. They said they would get back to us with the name of a doctor who will complete the death certificate but they never did. We made numerous calls and left messages with the coroner. When I did get the name of a doctor from them, this doctor again refused, again because he had no idea what the patient had been doing in the six months since he had been seen. I finally reach a hospitalist at ******** and she agreed to do the death certificate but she often replied she was busy and would get to it but she was very slow in following through. We spoke to her on 01/06/2023, we did not get cause of death information from her until 01/17/2023, she did not sign the final attestation until 01/20/2023. 
  
  

  Customer response

  02/05/2023

   
  Complaint: 18834506
  
  I am rejecting this response because: While I think some of what Tulip has to say about my husband not having a primary care physician did make it a more challenging situation. He is not the first person to have passed in this manor . My husband passed away at our home in  December  2022. I engaged Tulips services that night in reliance on assurances that the cremation and necessary documentation including a death certificate would be professionally and appropriately handled by your firm (and as your website explicitly states, with Tulips direct cremation package, once your loved ones body is carefully taken in with us, a doctor will register their death before proceeding with the cremation.) Unfortunately, almost a full month  passed and my husbands body was still warehoused somewhere because Tulip had failed to obtain a death certificate. 
  
  
  Tulips representatives repeatedly have promised that a doctor would be preparing the certificate tomorrow, but when tomorrow arrives it had not been done. This excessive delay  made my grieving process even more difficult emotionally, as I dont even know where or under what conditions my husbands body was being kept, or when he will be cremated.
  
  
  In addition to the emotional harm, Tulips failure to perform its duties in a timely manner created a financial hardship. Specifically, without a death certificate I was unable to even begin the processes needed to open probate, access accounts, and claim life insurance and social security benefits, all of which I need in order to pay bills and living expenses.  
  

  I feel you should beware of what you are getting when you engage Tulip Cremation. I did notice after looking more closely at Tulip that I am not the first person with this kind of complaint. As far as Tulip complaining and trying to blame others for the lack of doing their job I personally spoke with the Crooner they told me it was Tulips responsibility. I also talked with the Hospital where my husband had been prior to coming home and they also indicated it was Tulips JOB to secure the death Certificate.. 

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I live in ******. My mother passed away may 14th. Prior to her passing, I paid for several death certificates, some trees to be planted in her name, and her cremation.Tulip cremation apparently sent her doctor, who was not involved in her last hospitalization before death, a packet of papers and did not bother to follow up to check if the forms were filled out properly or even sent to the county. They just sent out the paperwork to her general practicioner and ignored my emails asking for updates for weeks at a time. The county has been trying to get ahold of them as well, because the paperwork was not properly completed by the doctor's ******* I've finally resorted to begging her doctor's ****** to contact the county to coordinate. What was advertised by this company was they would take care of these things. They made me sign mountains of paperwork that i couldnt reasonably pay attention to while i was watching my mother suffer and die from a rare incurable disease, so I don't know if I missed some fine print somewhere stating that they would inflict emotional and financial turmoil on me by causing significant delays in the delivery of my mothers death certificate. To this day, I still don't have her death certificate. It is July 7th. Her bank account is still frozen and I have late fees on all of the bills and mortgage as a result.

  

  Business response

  07/18/2022

  Complaint acknowledged and working with family and doctor to resolve any concerns 

• Initial Complaint

  08/29/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Weeks ago, I started the process of prepaying for cremation service ($1,200 + $500 travel reimbursement). They don't tell you there are other parties involved -- Homesteader, life insurance company, and eFuneral, sales agent. There were many issues with the eFuneral portal not working, causing me to give my private information repeatedly. (1) I finally got a signed contract for the life insurance, but I still don't have one from Tulip, showing that they agree to fulfill their end of the agreement or for the travel. (2) Further, they emailed a separate signing package with all of my highly confidential info needed for a death certificate (full SSN, DOB, address, profession, etc., etc.) WITHOUT A PASSWORD OR ENCRYPTION. (HelloSign, the app that they use, confirms it's due to how they have the software configured). (3) Please review their rating -- A+ is very misleading for how careless they are. Also, it's misleading with so many parties involved. (Pls do not publish).

  

  Business response

  09/14/2021

  Thank you for letting us know about this complaint.  We will be following up directly with ******* to resolve any of her concerns. 

*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. ↩