Couple's anger at five month wait for headstone for dad's grave (From Daily Echo)

Couple's anger at five month wait for headstone for dad's grave

5:07pm Tuesday 1st January 2013 in News By Michael Carr, Reporter

IT is a disgusting way to treat bereaved families.

These are the words of a Southampton couple who paid out more than £600 of their savings to buy a headstone in July, and still have not received it five months later.

Roger Bennett and his wife Hayley, both 27, from Northolt Gardens in Lordshill, bought a headstone from Skegness-based Simplymemorials to remember Roger’s dad, also called Roger Bennett, who died of lung cancer in 2010.

The couple bought the £635 headstone online from the Simplymemorials website and expected the headstone to arrive within three months.

But instead they say they were given broken promises about when it would arrive.

It has been two weeks since the family have been able to contact the company.

Theye say they are now greeted by an answerphone message saying the office is closed due to bad weather.

Mr Bennett said: “I feel like we have been ripped off, it is a disgusting way of treating bereaved families. I don’t want the headstone now, I just want our hard-earned money back.”

“I feel like it is robbing from the dead.

It is going to take us a year and a half to save for another headstone.”

Another Southampton man also brought a headstone from Simplymemorials. David Hendy, 48, from Freemantle, paid £675 for a headstone to help remember his father, Ronald Hendy who passed away in March, aged 86.

After contacting Simplymemorials in June he claims he was also fobbed off with broken promises and excuses. He says he has not heard from the firm since November.

The Daily Echo tried to contact Simplymemorials but the company did not answer phone calls or emails.

The company is currently in talks with Trading Standards officers, who are aware of a growing number of complaints about Simplymemorials.

A spokesman for Trading Standards said: “If anyone has problems with this company they should go to their local Trading Standards, or Citizens Advice Bureau.

“If a company does not come up with the goods they are paid for then it is down to the consumer to sue the company for damages and compensation through a small claims court.”