ComplaintsforRutherford County Monuments

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Bought a headstone for my grandsons grave on December 21st check ********** for $5655.87. Two times it came in totally wrong they sent it back a year ago, and we still have no headstone. When phone calls are made they are not returned or the owner is always unavailable. The employee that answers is rude, and blaming the last two years on covid. My grandson deserves the headstone I bought for him he was only 19. This has been a nightmare for the family causing a lot of stress, and tears. Please help us!

  Business response

  09/28/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 12, 2022/09/15) */ Our Customer Ms. *** ******** which is the mother of ***** ***** ******** and to whom ordered the memorial for her son. The memorial order was placed on Nov. 3, 2020 whis is right in the middle of the pandemic as you well know. The ******* *********** in Elberton, Ga. was shut down for 3 months due to this pandemic. Afterwards, the hurricane came thru and dumped excessive water in the quarries and they could not get out the ******* that was already greatly behind. I have enclosed for your reference an article that the Executive V.P. of the *** ******* *********** wrote in the *******r Magazine addressing the issues at hand. We did receive the Flash Black memorial aprox. October of 2021. The Black takes alot longer to get because it is a colored stone even without a pandemic going at least 7-9 months. The family was told this up front. When the stone came in from Elberton, Ga. it was not lettered on the front side. I addressed the issue with Mr. ******** and told her we would take it back to a shop that I know and have it lettered. She wanted to add some praying hands and a cross to the front side because it was a space there that she and I felt would look better if it had something else to take that space up. I told her I would have that extra engraving done and I would take care of that cost for her. In looking closely at the memorial I noticed the beach scene on the back did not look exactly to my expectations, it seemed to be flaking off where it had been etched. I spoke with Ms. ******** at the gravesite and told her we would be removing the die only and sending it back to be looked at and redone, this was Nov. 5, 2021 when the new design was approved and we moved forward. I saw Ms. ******** and a friend at *****s gravesite aprox. a month later and told her as of I would not accept the die with the beach scene that something was wrong and I had requested they replace the memorial with a brand new ******* piece. This was ordered late November early December of 2021. I have been in touch with Ms. ******** by text Jan. 22, Mar. 22, May 22, and I have talked to the ******* dealer last week and he has promised he will have *****s top sometime this month on the truck. The base of the memorial and the two black vases are and have been set there the entire time. We have only been waiting on the Top (Die) part of the memorial. I have done extra things to the memorial for Ms. ******** and have not charged her a dime extra. The new memorial I have ordered for her is costing me 25% more because ******* has gone up since I ordered the first one. I am VERY adamant that my families get the best quality stone they pay for and unfortunately the first one that came in was NOT up to our standards. We will get this put down for Ms. ******** as soon as we can get it in from the ******* quarry but my hands are tied until we do. If you google ******* shortage it will give you a total story on how we all are struggling getting memorials for our families in. I have stopped taking any order for special memorials at this time, only small pieces grey ******* that has gotten a little quicker to get. Anything like this is now taking 1-2 years to get. I am so very sorry Ms. ******** has had to wait but I want *****s memorial to be of TOP Quality for him and his family. Thank you for letting me explain a very challenging situation for us all. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you need any further information from us. Ms. ****** Rutherford County Monuments P.S. My customer was Mr. ******** ******** not Ms.******* **** Consumer Response /* (3000, 14, 2022/09/15) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Mrs. ******** ***** ***** *********** mother did not buy the headstone. I did I' m his grandmother. The first stone came in with no writing on the front it was sent back. When it came back the back lettering was not engraved correctly. It was more stamped on. This is when the monument company sent it back. This is when ms ******** decided to add praying hands. It has been almost 2 years since this started. I do realize covid slowed down progress, but 2 years. It appears other people who have died in less then a year headstones are already on their graves. I feel like if the Better Business Bureau had not been involved we would not be moving forward. Just like that now she can get the stone by the end of the month. I just want the headstone on my grandson's grave done correctly. Business Response /* (4000, 16, 2022/09/20) */ In response to Ms. ******. The stone that is coming is not the one that was placed on the gravesite in the beginning it is a BRAND NEW ONE. This is a special order with a full laser colored scene on the back with a picture on a black stone. It takes time to get these in. I told Ms. ******** I would not accept the old one because of the quality and she thanked me for taking care of her baby. That was at the gravesite last time I saw her. The base and the 2 vases are there and waiting on the new headstone. Not the old one but the new one that was ordered Oct. of last year. It takes that long and it is NOTHING the dealers can do about the supply crisis. It has NOTHING to do with contacting anyone...... The ******* dealer has told me it will be on this truck this next shipment. Hopefully it will, but again I am at their mercy getting these ******* stones to me to set. Please google ******* demand and supply. I am so deeply sorry but please understand I am trying to get you the best stone I can for your loved one. It is costing ME 25% more than when I ordered the first one. I have to eat that so it not a win for any of us. Please be patient I WILL GET IT in. Everyone is in the same boat not just one person. As for others that have passed and already gotten their headstones. I'm sure they are not special ordered ones. Because every dealer is having the same issue. We try to help each other with things we may have to get these to families as soon as we possible can. These Black stones like this one is shipped from overseas so that made it even worse. Again I am so very sorry but we will get it for this family as soon as they get it to our company. I'm Praying the shipment they have promised coming our of Elberton GA. this month.

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