It has been a year and a half since my father's service and it has taken me this long to finally write about my experience with these people. First of all, I would like to state that the average cost of a funeral in the U.S. is $7,000. We paid more than DOUBLE that amount. Now, I will begin with my experience walking into my father's wake. Not exactly the easiest thing I have ever done. First - there's a sign directing guests into the room. They spelled my father's name wrong. Then, onto the Mass Cards. The DATES of my father's birth and death were BOTH INCORRECT. Then, and all this before I had even walked up to see my dad, I was grabbed by the arm in a most RUDE fashion by one of the owners who admonished me because he didn't think there were enough flowers there. And then when I asked him about the music we wanted playing, he gave me a snotty rude remark and walked away from me. The music we wanted playing for dad ran once, then was ignored. Uh, sorry, pal but when we're paying SEVENTEEN GRAND for a funeral you can hang around to push the play button again. Remember I said this price was MORE THAN DOUBLE the national average price for a funeral in this country. After all this I finally mustered the emotional strength to walk up to my father's casket. To be greeted by an obnoxious CLOTH STAIN in dad's casket, which had to be cleaned immediately. At this point, I had had enough. The single most difficult day of my life was dealt to me with nothing but incompetence and rancor. Then halfway through dad's wake, they had a woman who came to say a prayer. Fine. Let me give you some advice: this woman should know my father's NAME and not stumble over it when it comes up in the prayer. She's halfway through the prayer and she looks at us to ask dad's NAME??? WHAT??? Do you have any idea how disrespectful that is, to have the woman who's saying a prayer at your father's wake and not even know HIS NAME? On top of that, SHE DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH. No one could understand a single word she said. You're taking this kind of money from my family, and you don't even bother to have a 5 minute conversation with this woman so she knows my father's NAME? As I said, it has taken me this long to write about this. They even charged us $350 to take us from the funeral home to the cemetery - a distance of ONE MILE. We were not given the thank you cards we paid for, and had to drive back there to pick them up. Think very seriously before giving these people your money. The most painful time of my life, for a man who deserved nothing but the best, was met with absolute incompetence. At an OUTRAGEOUS price. They're the only funeral home in Bound Brook now, so they think they can rip people off. But it's not about the money. It's about the incredible DISRESPECT at the most painful time in a person's life. It's absolutely unforgivable. read more
