Bad serice

07/07/2016

We have just had a very bad experience dealing with Dengate Family Funerals of 1 Burwash Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 8GP. We dealt with then previously when they traded under the name of Nigel Dengate Funeral Services. Since they retained their old phone number and used their old adverts we were not aware that they had filed for voluntary liquidation in 2012 and had reopen under a new but very similar name and no longer traded from the premises shown in their adverts. They now trade from an untidy shop in the back streets of Hove in Sussex.

My sister died in May 2016 but long before we knew that the end was not far away. Dengates (under the old company) had provided good services for my sister's husband and she wanted the same services for herself. I contact Dengates on their published telephone number advising them that their services would soon be required. They told me of their change of address but did not mention that they were no longer the same company. On the day of my sister's death I advised them of the death but they were unable to collect the body as they were closed. They asked me to phone another Funeral Director to ask them to collect the body and hold it overnight. That was not what I wanted to hear immediately after my sister's death.

A few days later we met with Dengate Family Funerals in Hove to make detailed arrangements for the Funeral and scattering of the ashes. I had already drafted out an Order of Service but others in the family wanted a couple of poems included. We handed everything over to Dengates who said that they would revise my draft to include the poems and to ensure that it met the needs of the Minister who would take the service. Subsequently the Minister contacted me direct saying that he had no information from Dengates and could I copy my information to him. This I did but could not include the poems as I did not have a copy of them. At no time did we receive a written quotation from Dengates stating the services to be provided and advising us of the costs At the funeral the Order of Service brought by Dengates was little more than a copy of my draft and did not include the requested poems. After a long delay Dengates got copies of the poems from their office and the Service was able to proceed.

We had agreed with Dengates that the physical act of scattering the ashes would be done by them while we all stood by and that there would be a short service. Subsequent to the Funeral we heard nothing from Dengates apart from the bill despite phone calls and emails from me asking for details of the planned scattering of the ashes. Finally I contacted Crematorium to arrange the scattering without the assistance of Dengates. I was told that the ashes had already been scattered by the Crematorium staff following instructions from Dengates.

With the ashes gone there is nothing we can do to recover the situation and achieve full closure other than to record out intense displeasure at the way Dengates have carried out their duties.