I can't figure out where to start when writing a review for a cemetery. Most people don't consider the "service" at a cemetery. Most people probably don't consider cemeteries at all until they have to. And that folks is when it's too late. You're most likely up against a deadline (pun intended) and you don't have a lot of options. I, unfortunately had very little options when I needed to deal with a cemetery. Hence, I ended up at Arlington.
My Dad's family has a plot at Arlington and therefore I was kind of stuck. Had my grandparents known the type of people who were running this cemetery I suspect they'd have chosen differently.
The nitty-gritty (pun intended) details: my Dad passed away about 8 years ago and was cremated. My Mom passed away the end of September and was also cremated. The plan was always to bury the cremains at Arlington in the family plot. I didn't know till I was talking to the funeral director after Mom passed away that cremains could be co-mingled in the same urn. I decided to do that and then bury that urn. So, now, I have one urn with the cremains of two people in it. Theoretically, this means, I only need to use one plot at the cemetery to bury the urn. Here's where it gets complicated...
Donna at Arlington tells my uncle that it costs $545 to bury one urn with one person in it, but it will cost us $1437 to bury an urn with two people in it. After multiple phone calls between Donna and Uncle Jim and multiple price changes (anywhere from $800 to $1600) I decide to call Arlington myself. Donna informs me that we can bury the urn "between" the two plots to avoid the second right of interment charge. There was some confusion around what exactly "between" meant. When I pressed her for a reason on why it would cost me more for almost exactly the same amount of work she insisted it was "the rules". I asked to speak to someone who could explain to me the reason behind the rule. No, no one can explain that to me. So I kept asking (I'm such a jerk) an finally Donna told me "well, it would be unfair to other people if we didn't charge you more. It would be unfair to people who were burying two bodies in two holes". What?! This is the point at which I decided Donna wasn't playing with a full deck. After calls to other cemeteries in the area to find out if this was common practice I've found that no, it's not common practice. Charging me a second right of interment and 1.5x the price to bury one urn is not normal. In my opinion, it's predatory. They've got me exactly between a rock and headstone and they know it.
So, I'm paying $1437 for what would otherwise cost $545 had I not told them my parents were splitting the urn. Now, time to get the monument engraved. I'm adding 41 letters to a granite monument that was placed decades ago. The cost for this? $800. I call Donna to get the breakdown on the pricing and she explains that it's $62.50 for the frame and $4 a letter. I don't have to get a calculator out to know that doesn't add up. When I tell her that it's more like $17+ a letter she says "Oh, maybe the $4 per letter is what we pay to have it done? I don't know. But your cost is $800". Seriously?! Fine, I'll find someone else to do that for me. And I did! For $650 I can have an outside contractor do the exact same work. As an added bonus, I don't have to work with Donna.
Time to schedule the interment. Donna has waited this entire time to let me know that I need a permit to bury the urn. "Oh wait, you might need two permits. I'm not sure". Is there anything you do know, Donna? Aside from how much of my money you want?
Will I have the permits in time to bury the urn? I don't know. Was doing this through the proper channels better than breaking in after dark and burying the urn myself while enjoying some whiskey? I don't think so. I've been to Arlington cemetery, I could easily climb that fence... read more