Dear sirs,
I wonder if there is any way you could help me please. My family and I are desperate, as you could imagine, and at out whits-end as what to next.
I refer to the artical below published in 2009 and I regret to say that this company is still trading and its owner Colin Pitt is still up to his old tricks.
My family and I found it very difficult to gather our resources saving for a while to purchase a headstone for my mothers grave, which is in East Kilbride Cemetary, Scotland. In June of last year we finaly placed an order with Stonewrite Memorials and paid in full, we got the paperwork and the layout was agreed. We area a small family from Glasgow but we are scattered around the country as we live in different places, I am in Blackpool, Lancashire, my sister Irene Catchople (who arranged the whole thing through Mr Pitt) is in Leeds, and other family members in Surrey.
We were promised in September, after a long wait, that the ‘Buchanan Memorial’ would be fitted as it was mums birthday towards the end of the month. After various phone calls and advice from trading standards we sent Mr Pitt registered letters as suggested a full refund a promise that this work would be completed as we were under the impression that the headstone had been ‘written’ and would be of no use to anyone else. After what seemed a lifetime, I personaly managed to get hold of Mr Pitt by telephone and as I expected, he denied all knowledge of the problem and as far as he was concerned the headtone had been fitted by whoever he contracts that job out to in Scotland, I assured him that it had not been done and demanded my money back. At this point he said he would contact his contractors for an explanation and would get back to me.
Thus, that was the last we have heard from him, we last visited mums grave on New Years eve with fingers crossed that he had done the job but were dissapointed again. My family and I are constantly phoning and leaving messages to this day and get nothing in return. I contacted a a funeral directors which he used to be associated with in Wellinborough and was assured that he was still trading and still thriving in his business. All this was passed to trading standars in Northampton and after some time they advised us that we would probably have to persue this matter through the courts.
As you can appreciate we are very traumatised by this and I am now wondering what or where I can go next, Im sure you agree that this is very distasteful and it obviously has happened to other customers of Mr Pitt.
On behalf of my family I would appreciate any help or information you could give us. I am sorry to bother you with this but I just dont know where to turn to next.
Yours in hope
Brian Buchanan
Stonewrite Memorials denied my father a headstone
Almost a year after commissioning a headstone, I'm still waiting
·
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Steve Playle
The Guardian, Saturday 19 December 2009
Article history
In January I ordered a headstone for my father's grave from Stonewrite Memorials in Northampton. It is based near the church where my father is buried, offers simple memorials and claimed to be able to deliver in six to 12 weeks. The contract price was £595 and I paid £250 deposit using my debit card. Eleven months later, and after many delays, empty promises and endless chasing, no headstone has been delivered. I am at a loss and hope you can help. RC, London
The paperwork says that once the layout of the memorial is agreed, you should get a photograph of the finished design about three weeks later and, at that stage, the final payment should be made prior to installation. You found some references on the internet suggesting the business may have connections with another memorial mason that had generated complaints. My immediate concern was that you had paid by debit and not credit card – paying more than £100 by credit card gives protection when things go wrong. The owner of Stonewrite Memorials was tracked down to another business in the Midlands and, after telling me the headstone had been installed, the church warden told me otherwise. After further chasing, the installation has now taken place.
Phone: 0121 2882231
Or Write to:
Stonewrite Memorials UK
170 Wellingborough Road
Northampton
NN1 4DU
I wonder if there is any way you could help me please. My family and I are desperate, as you could imagine, and at out whits-end as what to next.
I refer to the artical below published in 2009 and I regret to say that this company is still trading and its owner Colin Pitt is still up to his old tricks.
My family and I found it very difficult to gather our resources saving for a while to purchase a headstone for my mothers grave, which is in East Kilbride Cemetary, Scotland. In June of last year we finaly placed an order with Stonewrite Memorials and paid in full, we got the paperwork and the layout was agreed. We area a small family from Glasgow but we are scattered around the country as we live in different places, I am in Blackpool, Lancashire, my sister Irene Catchople (who arranged the whole thing through Mr Pitt) is in Leeds, and other family members in Surrey.
We were promised in September, after a long wait, that the ‘Buchanan Memorial’ would be fitted as it was mums birthday towards the end of the month. After various phone calls and advice from trading standards we sent Mr Pitt registered letters as suggested a full refund a promise that this work would be completed as we were under the impression that the headstone had been ‘written’ and would be of no use to anyone else. After what seemed a lifetime, I personaly managed to get hold of Mr Pitt by telephone and as I expected, he denied all knowledge of the problem and as far as he was concerned the headtone had been fitted by whoever he contracts that job out to in Scotland, I assured him that it had not been done and demanded my money back. At this point he said he would contact his contractors for an explanation and would get back to me.
Thus, that was the last we have heard from him, we last visited mums grave on New Years eve with fingers crossed that he had done the job but were dissapointed again. My family and I are constantly phoning and leaving messages to this day and get nothing in return. I contacted a a funeral directors which he used to be associated with in Wellinborough and was assured that he was still trading and still thriving in his business. All this was passed to trading standars in Northampton and after some time they advised us that we would probably have to persue this matter through the courts.
As you can appreciate we are very traumatised by this and I am now wondering what or where I can go next, Im sure you agree that this is very distasteful and it obviously has happened to other customers of Mr Pitt.
On behalf of my family I would appreciate any help or information you could give us. I am sorry to bother you with this but I just dont know where to turn to next.
Yours in hope
Brian Buchanan
Stonewrite Memorials denied my father a headstone
Almost a year after commissioning a headstone, I'm still waiting
·
Share
Steve Playle
The Guardian, Saturday 19 December 2009
Article history
In January I ordered a headstone for my father's grave from Stonewrite Memorials in Northampton. It is based near the church where my father is buried, offers simple memorials and claimed to be able to deliver in six to 12 weeks. The contract price was £595 and I paid £250 deposit using my debit card. Eleven months later, and after many delays, empty promises and endless chasing, no headstone has been delivered. I am at a loss and hope you can help. RC, London
The paperwork says that once the layout of the memorial is agreed, you should get a photograph of the finished design about three weeks later and, at that stage, the final payment should be made prior to installation. You found some references on the internet suggesting the business may have connections with another memorial mason that had generated complaints. My immediate concern was that you had paid by debit and not credit card – paying more than £100 by credit card gives protection when things go wrong. The owner of Stonewrite Memorials was tracked down to another business in the Midlands and, after telling me the headstone had been installed, the church warden told me otherwise. After further chasing, the installation has now taken place.
Phone: 0121 2882231
Or Write to:
Stonewrite Memorials UK
170 Wellingborough Road
Northampton
NN1 4DU