ComplaintsforHinsdale Animal Cemetery & Crematory, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  04/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I made arrangements to bury my dog on 3/15/22 and she was buried at this cemetery on 3/18/22. "Lifetime grave maintenance fees" totally $500 were included in the fees I paid to the cemetery. On 3/18 I inquired about a headstone and was told by *******, that we could discuss headstones at another time. On April 2, I learned that there are no headstones available at the cemetery and that wait for headstones will likely be several years. The cemetery has hundreds of headstones that have been purchased but not engraved. The cemetery plans to have all of the the existing headstones engraved before ordering new headstones. The cemetery does not provide referrals for purchasing headstones elsewhere but they charge an additional fee of over $500 if a customer purchases a headstone elsewhere. The manager ***** offered to exhume my dog for yet another fee. It is unreasonable for the cemetery to not have informed me that there are no headstone options available until after they had been paid and my pet had been buried. It is unreasonable for them to charge additional fees if I purchase a headstone elsewhere. It is unreasonable for me to pay graveside maintenance fees when there is no headstone. My dog is buried next to other family pets- her plot was purchased in advance; exhuming her is not a viable option.

  Business response

  04/20/2022

  See attachment.

  Customer response

  04/20/2022

   
  Complaint: 16989605
  
  I am rejecting this response because the response provided does not comport with the facts and consists of superfluous details that do not pertain to my complaint regarding the firm's lack of transparency. 1. NO pictures were ever sent with the text- the text was blank and I responded to it requesting for pictures to be sent.  No pictures of headstones were ever sent. See attached photo. 2. I confirmed with ***** that no headstones were available for purchase.  Further the cemetery could not assist me in ordering a headstone. 3. The Cemetery has no written policy pertaining to headstones being purchased from another entity.  I requested such a policy in writing and by phone to ********************** said there was no such policy.  4. I sent ***** measurements of headstones - I have not yet purchased a headstone.

  
  

  This organization concocts "policies" as they go to suit their interests and exploit distraught customers.
  
  

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

  Business response

  04/26/2022

  Complaint: 16989605

  1.  It seems that there are technology gap, as we have confirmation of pictures being sent on our end. It is our regrets that they were not received on Melissas end. 
  2. We do have headstones available. We understand that the ones available did not meet Melissas expectations. Due to a global supply chain issue affecting granite our options remain limited. 
  3. That is correct, we do not have a written policy for purchasing headstones from another entity because we have not allowed this. ***** made an exception to our operating procedures in attempt to satisfy Melissas needs. 
  4. ***** has approved sizing, and sent ******* pictures and measurements of her family's stones for comparison per her request.
     

  
  

  Thank you, 

  Ashley Prohaska 

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

  Customer response

  04/26/2022

   
  Complaint: 16989605
  
  I am rejecting this response because this Cemetery is  once again not being truthful.

   

  1. ******* texted me that she was sending photos of available of available headstones. No photos were sent to me.  Contrary to the Cemetery's posturing, there were no "technology problems."  ******* did not send the photos; she did not reply to my text requesting for the photos. Further the Cemetery did not send photos when I called them after I did not receive a text with photos.

  2. I went to the Cemetery with a scheduled appointment to look at headstones. There were ZERO headstones available for me to purchase. I was in disbelief when I was told there there no option available for me to order a headstone.
  

  3. After my unsuccessful in-person attempt to purchase a headstone. I called Manager ***** who confirmed via phone that the Cemetery did NOT have any available headstones.

  4. Further the cemetery does NOT allow customers to order a headstone through them.

  5. Further the cemetery does NOT know when they will have headstones available for customers to purchase.

  6. Further the cemetery has hundreds of headstones on their property that have been purchased by customers who have paid to bury their pets. None of these headstones have bee been engraved.

  7. Manager, ***** said that only 3 headstones per month are being engraved at this time.

  8..Manager, ***** said the cemetery does not plan to get new headstones until the current ones have been engraved.
  

  9. Manager, ***** ********** per "policy" there would be a charge of $750 if I ordered a headstone from somewhere else.  I requested a copy of the policy. The Cemetery now acknowledges that no such policy exists. 
  

  10. The Cemetery now claims that they have headstones. Significantly, they have yet to provide photographs of such available headstones despite a plethora of requests for those photos. Further, no headstones were available at their location. 
  

  11.  This Cemetery needs to be honest with customers. 1) They need to inform customers that they have no headstones and will likely not have headstones for years BEFORE they charge customers to bury their pet. 2) The Cemetery needs to be transparent about the fact that they provide no option for customers to order a headstone.
  

  12. It is unethical for the Cemetery to say that they have a "policy" to charge customers who order a headstone elsewhere. $750, when the Cemetery has no headstones available; provides no option for customers to order headstones, and significantly DOES NOT HAVE a WRITTEN POLICY.

  13. It is unfathomable for ***** to tell me "you can PAY to have your pet exhumed" in response to my complaints about the series of deliberate misrepresentations by the Cemetery.

  14 This Cemetery will do everything in their power to exploit customers who are grieving over their lost pets. Nothing they say can be taken at face value.

  15. Their deliberate misrepresentations have made a heartbreaking time even worse. It is reasonable for a customer to assume they can purchase a headstone from a Cemetery. No customer should have to endure the tremendous pain this organization has inflicted upon me. 

   

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

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