Poor initial service

25/11/2019

Gallagher Funeral Services gave me a poor service for which I was charged £300. I ended up using a different funeral service. Just days after I said that I would use them for dads funeral, they were unavailable at the weekend to collect fathers clothes, saying they didn\'t work weekends even though their website said they did. As I needed to go back home to Kent, from Leeds this was very inconvenient. When they eventually came for my fathers clothes on the Monday, a lady came dressed very casually, not looking professional and not having any paperwork such as contract or paperwork for dads clothes. She also made insensitive comments about how my fathers body would look. I decided then and there not to use them any further. GFS booked a day and time at the crematorium and I paid them £300 for work, they said, that was done . Otherwise they would not transfer that day and time to my new funeral director which would have made things difficult as family and friends had already been informed. GFS said this was all written down in the contract/terms and conditions (which they had not given me). I wrote to GFS explaining my point of view and expected an apology. The letter they sent me in reply had some very insulting and insensitive comments relating to my deceased fathers home and they did not acknowledge that I had not been given a contract (which I understand that all reputable funeral directors should give you.) I was very disappointed in GFS attitude as I had initially been attracted to them because they said they did a \"Veterans Funeral\", which is what my father was but I did not find them respectful to my father or sensitive to me at my time of bereavement. I took the matter to the National Association of Funeral Directors and they upheld my complaint and reprimanded/& or gave GFS advice.