ComplaintsforGreenwood Cemetery & Crematory

• Initial Complaint

  07/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I ordered two (2) headstones last year, July 2021 and specifically indicated that names be engraved on the backs of them, and paid additional money for names to also be added to the backs of three (3) other headstones that I had previously paid for and had installed. Because of the pandemic, there were delays, but the two headstones were finally placed, but never set permanently in the ground, as instructed. In addition, after a year I am now informed that they will not be proceeding with my request, because they are unable to accomodate my request.When I had placed the order with ****, she promised me that although she was leaving, she would help to arrange that everything was taken care of. Recently I discovered from a photo that the new person in charge (****) sent me, that one headstone had the name on the back in all CAPS and higher than the other one, at the opposite end of the plot. I noted the error, but I said to "ignore" the problem and just align the rest of the names with the first one to the left. For some reason she came back with an email claiming that the Board has decided to REFUND part of my money (not for the headstones that now stick out with names on their backs, without the rest of the headstones conforming) because they don't feel they can do it correctly.I would like to have the Board actually read the email exchange between **** and me, so they fully understand that I was willing to IGNORE the error of the name placed wrongly and in all caps, and to proceed with aligning the names with the other one. This does not seem unreasonable and I was NOT asking for my money to be refunded. I feel that waiting a year for this to be done and now for them to back out, without doing it to the best of their ability is negligent and extremely unprofessional. SOMEONE there SHOULD be trying to make sure that it is done correctly. I would have thought that a reputable business person would even suggest that the name done wrong could be sanded.

  Business response

  07/20/2022

  Good afternoon,

  Attached is our response letter to ID ******** as well as all supporting documentation. We are also mailing ****** the same letter and supporting documents.

  Thank you,
  

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

  Office Manager

  Greenwood Cemetery

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

  WWW.Greenwoodrockford.com

  Facebook- Greenwood Cemetery ********

  

  Customer response

  07/20/2022

   
  Complaint: 17518207
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  First of all, notice that **** at Greenwood had the response from the Board since July 7th.  It took this report from the Better Business Bureau yesterday (July 19th) before she decided to send it, not to me, but to the Better Business Bureau instead.  I finally got it today, through BBB.  This shows the lack of urgency on ****** part and her defiance and lack of consideration or concern for a customer of ***********************, with literally hundreds of ancestors which are buried at their cemetery.
  
  Over a year ago I was promised by her predecessor, ****, that she would follow-through and get the work done, since she knew what I wanted.  I have asked repeatedly to be contacted by **** and/or for **** to make sure to work with ****, to get this done.  Instead, **** kept inundating me with repeat approvals (which were already done last year) during my six-month sabbatical overseas.  I had to literally approve things over my cell phone and I cannot see without my glasses.  Regardless, I did NOT "blame" Greenwood for this error.  It was clearly my error to approve AGAIN, something that I made perfectly clear in writing, before I left, that was supposed to be "*****", not "*****".  If Greenwood were a professional business, they would have caught the discrepancy.  THEY are the ones with the other headstones and THEY are the ones that have all the artwork and documentation there at their office.  I was not even at my computer!!!  But, I regress, I told ****, at least TWICE (2 times) to "ignore" the ***** headstone and for the engraver to just align the other names to "*******" which is to the far left.  This is NOT "impossible" which **** keeps insisting.  She just doesn't want to deal with it. It is an easy out for her.  And, apparently, the Board feels the same way, as they apparently reviewed all the documentation and they came to the same conclusion.

  I believe that since Greenwood cannot/will not proceed with getting the final step done, to simply have the names engraved on the backs of the already established headstones, that they should not only refund the money that I paid for that AND for cleaning the main headstone and engraving it, they should ALSO refund the money for the last two (2) headstones that were made through their direction, at my expense.  Those last two headstones should be REMOVED and my money refunded as well, because without the names on ALL the headstones, those last 2 headstones look ridiculous!!!  I rather have them REMOVED and my money refunded, than to have to deal with the eye sore and reminder of the long, drawn out aggravation that I have been going through with Beth 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  08/01/2022

  See attachment

  Customer response

  08/01/2022

   
  Complaint: 17518207
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  
  

  1.  ********* for Greenwood Cemetery is clearly continuing to run in circles, gaslighting the information
  and instead of actually trying to rectify the problem by following through with putting the 3 names on
  the backs of the currently standing headstones, decides to wash their hands of it.
  
  2.  They continue to keep sending their initial response, this time with back-up documents which show the
  price I paid for the one headstone that has "*****" engraved on the back. ($2,410.00)  And, the invoices that I paid for
  a year ago, ($435 & $900) when I purchased it AND my sister's headstone (which was done correctly) for ALL of the names to
  be aligned with the new headstones and in addition, to clean the main headstone and add "*******" to the back of it.

  
  

  3.  If you look at the document that they sent with the abridged timeline (so many more email exchanges transpired between
  me and ****, with repeated requests for approvals of artwork of which I cannot even see, as you also cannot see from the photos
  they included with their reply) and they claim that they decided that they could not work with me, after I am losing my patience
  with ****, as I indicated in my email, because **** had claimed that their grounds person was NOT going to permanently set the

  headstones.  I had to send her the years long emails from her OTHER predecessor, ***, who had properly had the initial three (3)

  headstones permanently placed.  I had explained that they needed to be permanent, because no one will ever actually be buried there,
  that they needed to be permanently placed, so that the names could be aligned.  **** spent more time with repeat emails, telling me
  what she could NOT do, instead of being proactive and actually getting the work done, which I have been waiting for a year for.  The

  documents that Greenwood Cemetery left out were all the emails leading up to me being finally very upset with **** for taking the

  easy road out and deciding to drop the ball instead, and simply refund me for the names on the three headstones which are existing there
  right now, next to the headstones with the names already on the backs.  You can see from their documentation that the ALLEN  name is
  crazy high and in all CAPS.  Would a prudent person really believe that a professional cemetery should not point this out to the customer,

  instead of insisting to have her AGAIN sign for an approval, without full disclosure of this?!  I pointed it out and I also pointed out that
  we could "ignore" the fiasco and just let the engraver align the last names on the back of the headstones, with ******* name at the far left.
  Why is this so impossible to do?!  (Other than the fact that there are pieces of white paper on the backs and one piece seems to be up higher
  than the others?)  I had arranged all of this to happen a year ago and ****** predecessor, ****, promised me that she would work with the

  new person coming in (****) and they would get it done.  Instead, I have been repeatedly hounded with emails asking for additional approvals
  and being annoyed beyond common sense, when I have REPEATEDLY asked for the engraver to use his best judgement and just get the names
  done.
  
  At this point, I do NOT care about the "*****' name and have repeatedly said to "ignore" it and just align the names with the "*******" name

  at the far right.  This is NOT "impossible" as the Board from Greenwood Cemetery keeps trying to claim.  It seems that they are instead just trying
  to be nasty and make me have to look for another engraver.  I am NOT going to look for another engraver!  I have paid them in FULL for the work
  to be done and I want the names on the backs of the headstones, to be aligned with "*******".  I don't care what the white pieces of paper shows,
  the engraver has the names.  Anyone in their right mind can see how the names can be aligned and none of the names need to be engraved at the top
  of the headstone, instead of more towards the middle back, to align with *******.  This seems like an extremely easy thing to do and I have approved
  enough and do not need to approve anymore.  We have gone over the spelling of the names so many times that I have exhausted my patience with ****.
  Instead of anyone actually addressing the issue properly and professionally with me, **** jumped to say she was going to REFUND part of my money.
  
  

  Yes, after repeatedly being asked to approve something that I had approved PRIOR to ****** predecessor, I did approve the last name
  AGAIN, but I did NOT see all the information in front of me and I was overseas, looking on a cell phone.  When I realized this was the problem, ****
  certainly wasn't being forthright, I emailed and pointed it out and said to "ignore" it and just align the names.  I did NOT "blame" them, I was simply
  very disappointed that a professional cemetery employee, who has all the paperwork and emails and artwork and headstones right in front of them, would
  do the right thing.  Obviously, **** is not an experienced professional and instead of trying to get the work done, she blames me for being "abusive".
  What should we call Greenwood Cemetery's Board and ****, for putting me through all of this anguish and frustration and instead of finishing the
  work that they started, refunds only part of my money for incompleted work and then passes the buck to have me find someone else do it?

  
  

  I am located in the ******* area and I trusted *** and **** for years, to help me get the previous headstones installed and now just three names  need to
  be engraved on the backs of the initial three headstones and Greenwood Cemetery is refusing to get it done.  I am NOT going to try to find another engraver.
  The payment was made in FULL to be done, I had no choice of engraver then, and I don't want one now.  I was paying a professional cemetery service
  (Greenwood Cemetery) to provide what I paid for.
  
  If Greenwood Cemetery cannot finish the job, and they want to leave the backs of the headstones empty, against my wishes and in direct violation of what
  our contract dictates, which I paid in full, then they can REFUND the ENTIRE cost of the two (2) headstones that were purchased WITH the instructions

  of the names on the backs which were to match the names on the backs for the initial already placed headstones.  ($2,410 x 2) + $435 + $900 = $6,155.00)

  
  

  REFUND the entire $6,155.00 and REMOVE the headstone with "*****" engraved on the back.  (Since they cannot follow instructions or fulfill the contract.)
  
  They can leave headstone with "*******" on the back, since it was the only thing done correctly.  Or, they can remove it as well. 

  
  

  At this point, I have lost complete respect and trust of Greenwood Cemetery and I will NOT be doing anything further to improve our family cemetery.  

  If they cannot complete the names on the backs, then they need to remove the eye sore of the "*****" name being done incorrectly (since that is their excuse for not being able to align the names).
  
  There are two options, as I see them:
  
  Either complete the job and have the three last names engraved on the backs of the existing headstones or REFUND $6,155.00 and REMOVE the "*****" & "*******" headstones.
  
  Fair is fair.  You cannot charge someone for something they believed would be done in its entirety and then after a year's time decide you will only do part of it and refund the part you don't want to finish.

  
  Time is of the essence and professional communication is what I had come to expect and get from Greenwood Cemetery, until **** took over ****** position and she refused to work with her to get the job finished.
  
  Sadly, after hundreds of years of my family being buried at Greenwood Cemetery, we find out that they are not a place with integrity.
  
  I am extremely frustrated and I believe I have a right to be upset and to express it.  Too bad there is no one at Greenwood Cemetery who has the ability to work with their engravers to get a job done properly and professionally.
  It is clear from their repeat use of their letter (which they never sent me personally) that they have no intention to actually be an honorable company, to fulfill the job I paid for in full a year ago.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *************************

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