While we strongly maintain there was no wrongdoing on Neptunes behalf, in an effort to move forward and continue our full focus on serving our families, we agreed to settle the remaining disputes, an SCI spokesperson said. But $298 for what could be a $10 cardboard box?! The supervisors name is ***** and he was very rude during this whole process outside of when we purchased the stuff for my brother. We think its not worth $400]. While another end-of-life planning guide might find a market niche if it had something unique to offer, certainly the $149 price Neptune has attributed to its information book (booklet) would make independent sales verygive away attractively printed booklets for documenting end-of-life plans and wishes. Courtesy of the Austin Memorial and Burial Information Society. Neptune Society | 4,398 followers on LinkedIn. If you have a different preneed agreement with another Neptune Society, the FCA office would appreciate a copyto confirm that others might be doing the same thing, or to give credit where credit is due if they arent. Actually, the California law on constructive delivery was amended in 1995, AFTER the Pochs had purchased their Neptune plan. BBB directs its services to businesses and consumers in North America. Yes. Service Corporation International customers consequently do not know that the retail fair market value of the merchandise, described in grossly misleading terms at best, is close to zero, the case claims. Combined Services of Florida, LLC; NCS Marketing Services, LLC; and Neptune Society Management Corporationto place money paid in advance for cremation services, ordinarily through preneed contracts, into a state-supervised trust, the suit says. The Neptune Society, Inc. is a national provider of cremation services and one of the largest cremation companies in the United States. of Banking and Finance Dennis Britson, Iowa Dept. It provides a single comprehensive plan that covers every detail of the cremation process. These people wont be able to transfer or receive adequate funds to pay for a cremation elsewhere. As the consumer, I expect the Total to be THE TOTAL! violation of several tenets of the Colorado Consumer Protection Act. Tesla range estimates are grossly inflated, report says. The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. The portion of each pre-need contract that is fully refundable are the funds held in trust [in the case of Mr. Poch, only $470]. The merchandise and sales tax provision of the agreement is non-refundable as this merchandise has already been purchased and stored for your use at time of need. It is now going on 3 weeks and it still has not been refunded. Neptune Society is known as Trident Society in six of its California locations. We were living in Medord, Oregon and a Neptune associate drove down from Seattle to go over the plans with us. Once you find the obituary you are looking for, you can get important information about upcoming services, share a . (Someone selling ice cream doesnt charge separately for the cone or a plastic cup.) Reload the page and repeat your search. Merchandise must be actually given to a consumer now, not stored. NOTICE TO VERMONT CONSUMERS: No one knows what's going on and they seem not to care one bit! Planning a cremation service in advance can save thousands of dollars, and it lets you make decisions when you are in a clear state of mind. Below is an article Hankins wrote for the Fall, 2007 edition of Creative Choices, the newsletter of our Austin funeral consumer group. You definitely should not have to find out this silliness as your loved one is dying and after you have set aside the monies to cover this event only to find you now have an additional financial hardship. Lori Frugoli said in a statement. Whether you have an immediate need or want to plan cremation services in advance, we are always available to assist you and your family. They are dead and you are sending them cremation information. Neptune was charging $1300, which made up a large part of the $2700 contract. Whether at-need or pre-need, Direct Cremation with an alternative container can be purchased for $1592, though Neptune claims that its minimum price would be $2066 at-need, but that includes some items that are not needed by most families, like common scattering of the cremated remains at sea. Because certainly nobody knows. ConsumerAffairs is not a government agency. The Neptune Society of Jacksonville makes helping those who have just lost a loved one a priority. 7. The Neptune Society, Inc., and its predecessor companies, have been providing cremation services for more than 30 years. THE LENDER MAY BE SUBJECT TO FEDERAL LENDING LAWS. If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile. The company offers localized services nationwide and we recommend them to anyone looking for an affordable cremation service. This complaint is being filed in regard to the Neptune Society, Inc. for what we believe are fraudulent trade and accounting practices in violation of SAB 101. What to do if you get COVID now, Lockdown lifted at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey after riot, Three killed in San Bernardino County plane crash, Our family of four shared a cramped studio for 25 years. Neptune Society is the largest provider of affordable cremation services in the nation. In truth, the lawsuit alleges, the merchandise offered through the Standard Neptune Plan comes with high and hidden costs in that a customer has significantly less money placed into a monitored trust while setting themselves up to receive a substantially lower refund should they cancel their preneed contract with Service Corporation International. She then sent a contract with several errors. Jacksonville, FL. Once you find the obituary you are looking for, you can get important information about upcoming services, share a favorite photo or memory, and send . It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment based on your own personal circumstances and consult with your own investment, financial, tax and legal advisers. CONSUMERS UNIFIED, LLC IS NOT A LENDER. A friend also called neptune a month after I did and was also told she had to hurry and sign or the prices were going up Sept. 1. Sign up for ClassAction.orgs free weekly newsletterhere. Stories from visitors indicate that not all of them are resting peacefully, as ghost . This business is in an industry that may require professional licensing, bonding or registration. The following are verbatim excerpts: Cremation Urn: $77.80 Cremation Container: $298.00 Disposition of Remains with Memorial Plaque _X_ Sea Scattering___Rose Garden___ Return to Family: $115.00 Total Merchandise: $490.80 Sales Tax: $37.98, Professional ServicesIncluding cremation, removal, refrigerated holding facility, procurement of signed death certificate, disposition permit, professional and administrative services, Neptune Staff, transportation within County of address listed below. Company NMLS Consumer Access #2110672 MORTGAGE BROKER ONLY, NOT A MORTGAGE LENDER OR MORTGAGE CORRESPONDENT LENDER. CANCELLATION BY TRUSTOR: All written requests for revocation by the trustor of a trust shall be honored within fifteen (15) days of receipt thereof. Prices start from 1,795. 1. Kansas City,MO Obituaries. Add a Memory | Neptune Society is the largest provider of affordable cremation services in the nation. (See our letter of complaint to the FTC of this date, enclosed.). By handing a consumer a planning kit, registration kit, and plaqueto which unreasonable and exorbitant prices have been assignedNeptune reduces the amount of money placed in trust by nearly half. If you want a personalized memorial at sea, Neptune Society offers several options. As the case tells it, virtually all of Service Corporation Internationals customers are lured into buying the Standard Neptune Plan with a promise that theyll be charged the same amount or a slightly higher amount than they would for just cremation services and receive the merchandise for free or a small price increase. With approximately 5,000 pre-paid funeral accounts in Colorado, Neptune confirmed that fully 100 percent of their customers had chosen the package deal, which appeared to cost less than purchasing those same items individually. At the heart of the companies alleged scheme is Service Corporation Internationals Standard Neptune Plan, a preneed package advertised to customers as a bundle discount on a set of cremation services and merchandise thats positioned as more affordable than the general a la carte selection of the same services. Want to stay in the loop on class actions that matter to you? At Neptune Cremation Service, our staff will walk you through the process of either immediate need or preplanned services. Need to file a complaint? I was subject to high pressure sales. Your database/marketing staff must be completely clueless. BBB is here to help. 5. Because of Neptunes aggressive marketing and growth plans, we would appreciate your immediate attention. No, but they do offer an alternative. Wow. She even let us know of special boxes offered to veterans and other benefits. We should be refunded more than the above because this was a horrible experience and we were shown no compassion by ***** during one of the hardest times in our lives. Please select the region that you would like to explore today. Thirteen Austin-area providers offer direct cremation for less than $1389. Funeral Consumers Alliance has mailed the following letters, out of concern for the problems of preneed buyers in the states where The Neptune Society, Inc. is operating. I chose a zero percent payment plan for myself and my wife. The price of this box was not discussed. Neptune Society is the largest provider of affordable cremation services in the U.S. With more than 40 locations nationwide, Neptune serves more than 100,000 people each year and has become the respected provider for those choosing cremation. of Banking and Finance Dennis Britson, Iowa Dept. However, Neptune offers a Direct Cremation Packagefor $1389, whether purchased at-need or pre-need. The plaintiff alleges that the defendants bookkeeping sleight-of-hand with regard to preneed merchandise results in Service Corporation International placing into the state-mandated trust barely 50% of the amount its required to by law for the sale of cremation services alone, sans merchandise. Judicial Watch ( JW) is an American conservative activist group [1] that files Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits to investigate claimed misconduct by government officials. This leads me to believe the company is just for profit and does not care for the sanctity of the people in their care. In 1992, Virgil Poch and his wife made cremation arrangements with the Neptune Society in Santa Barbara. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. The Neptune Memorial Reef is an underwater memorial 3.25 miles (5.23km) off the coast of Key Biscayne, Florida, where families can have the cremated ashes of their loved ones interred. November 1, 2007 Weve had numerous consumer inquiries and complaints about companies calling themselves the Neptune Society. When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints. Neptune is moderately expensive. The following trust fund trustees are identified on the preneed contract sent to the FCA office: Emanuel Weintraub, Jacqueline Bell, and Irwin Karpwith offices in Burbank, San Pedro, and Santa Barbara, California. Some dont wish an urn at all, preferring instead to accept cremated remains in the plastic or cardboard box that comes from the crematory. SACRAMENTO, Calif. California's attorney general sued the Neptune Society on Monday, claiming the well-known company pocketed $100 million that it should have kept in reserve for those who. <. I was sent a price list, but it wasn't easy to follow. If you're still having trouble, please consult your browser's help page, or choose a city and state/province from the type ahead dropdown choices. This practice is injurious to consumers who may die in another location, move, or simply want to cancel the contract. Lori was able to answer all our questions. The suit lastly alleges that Service Corporation Internationals practice of selling a so-called Transportation and Relocation Protection Plan is unlawful and deceptive in that the company offers such while concealing its own financial interests. Once again, ***** was very rude to my wife. Class members will be identified through records provided to the settlement administrator by the defendants. The (required) purchase of a basic urn is a highly unlikely sale independent of a persons plan to purchase cremation services. Within a few weeks, I received a package containing a wooden box for my cremains and items such as thank you cards. They are a reliable and trusted company that offers comprehensive coverage. . "The Neptune Society, Inc.: Private Company Information - Businessweek", "Neptune Society Completes $7-Million Equity Financing", "Neptune Society Says It Has Acquired Iowa Firm", "Neptune Society Seeking to Trade on Nasdaq", "Deal to Buy Neptune Society Is Called Off", "SCI acquires 70 percent of Neptune Society", "Settlement Reached in Neptune Society Suit: Legal: Sources say widow of former Burbank mayor will receive almost $1 million after her husband's remains were mishandled and his cremation delayed", "Neptune Society Offering $2.6 Million in Settlement", "East Oakland residents protest Neptune Society crematorium plan", "Oakland City Council dead wrong in fighting crematorium", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Neptune_Society&oldid=1147950764, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 3 April 2023, at 06:00. Since the TOTAL SALES PRICE, is indicated on Page 1 of the contract. He said the items wouldnt be ready for another week or so after it had already been a month and got an attitude with me and my wife. Already have an account? The single plan has all the features that customers need the most. This agreement includes the services of on call 24 hours, procuring attending physicians signature for death certificate, preparing death certificate, all crematory charges, completing and forwarding Social Security forms and Veterans Administration forms for reimbursement of applicable death and burial allowances to the family. Quite a few others of the same ilk in a similar price range are being offered. But I want to tell anyone reading this that I am so sorry if your loved one has died to this horrible Corona Virus like mine did. The Florida lawsuit alleged infractions similar to those filed by the State of California in 2019. The Neptune Society that he manages presently operates in ten states and has headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. . 2023, International Association of Better Business Bureaus, Inc., separately incorporated Better Business Bureau organizations in the US, Canada and Mexico and BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, Inc. All rights reserved. [5] In 2003, it was reported that an $11.5 million deal proposed by the firm of Walt Disneys great-nephew to buy Neptune Society was called off. Many choose to prepay for those services through companies such as Neptune. Neptune Society is a trustworthy and reliable cremation service that has been around for nearly 50 years. The price of $149 for the information book (78-page booklet) is NOT, we believe, listed at fair market value and would have minimal if any sales if marketed independently. of Insurance Larry Folsom, Florida Dept. The reef is a popular destination for divers, tourists, and families depositing or visiting their family members' cremains. This is horrible. Further, Florida law entitles a consumer to cancel their preneed contract at any time and receive a 100-percent refund of the purchase price of preneed cremation services, undelivered merchandise and fees collected for future third-party payments, the case says. You can imagine my surprise when I was quoted a balance DOUBLE that amount. Because Neptune is actively pursuing preneed sales, including anticipated new markets, and because the future viability of this company is in doubt per the last annual report, we would appreciate your immediate attention. It that time, the company's annual revenues were more than $55 million and it had more than $125 million in future revenue on its books.[7]. It was explained to me that the FIRST Total Sales Price is an escrow total for the State of Florida and the SECOND Total Sales Price is for Neptune Society. I called Neptune to prearrange my cremation. 1 simple direct cremation plan. Consumers in other locations where Neptune is operating are advised to be cautious before making any preneed purchases. Your company is awful. Came home to find a note still in the box saying to fill the picture frame with some ashes and guess what's not done! There are several companies with this name that are entirely unrelated to each other. Hankins also found the companys price lists confusing and misleading. Neptune keeps mailing us information for my husband's dead brother, nearly on his birthday, to make matters worse. Allegedly, Neptune Society skirted the law by inducing consumers to purchase a "package deal" and sign two contracts: one for future funeral and/or cremation services, and a separate contract for the immediate purchase of merchandise, such as a funeral urn, at grossly inflated prices. Its location on this page may change next time you visit. 100 NW 70th Ave STE 200 Plantation, FL 33317-2901, 4173 State St Santa Barbara, CA 93110-1817, 28581 Northwestern Hwy Southfield, MI 48034-1824, 4770 Montgomery Blvd NE STE C119 Albuquerque, NM 87109-1255, 6781 N Thornydale Rd Ste 253 Tucson, AZ 85741-2731, Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating. Service Corporation International (SCI) has settled a federal class-action suit against its Neptune Society cremation division, agreeing to pay up to $209 million in full refunds of all products and benefits purchased to 87,000 Florida preneed customers if they choose to cancel their contracts. Pure Cremation funeral plans are provided by on the of the UK's leading direct cremation providers. That's why we offer the most affordable Jacksonville cremation service, working within your budget every step of the way. If a purchaser dies more than 75 miles from where the pre-need contract was purchased,Neptune guarantees service at no additional cost[Note from FCA this is a common feature of prepaid plans, but most consumers dont need it. Founded in 1994, JW has primarily targeted Democrats, in particular Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and the administration of Barack Obama. This whole experience has been a ** show and someone should not have to go through this after losing a loved one. The suit says Neptune thus deceived consumers who thought all their money was protected, as required by California law. At the Oct. 24 scheduling conference, Neptune Management Corporation and the Division of Insurance may agree to engage in alternative dispute resolution, or a date for a full hearing will be set. Or will that be left unclaimed in the local warehouse? BBB encourages you to check with the appropriate agency to be certain any requirements are currently being met. Really? (A separate complaint, enclosed, is being sent to the SEC, as we believe these tactics are a violation of SAB 101.). Copyright 2023 Consumers Unified, LLC DBA ConsumerAffairs. Additionally, requests for refunds on the merchandise only were treated as a request to also cancel the cremation services agreement. Not only did she lie about the price being included (by presenting it as if it was in the initially agreed upon price); she did not inform me I could return it within 30 days which I would have done. This browser does not support PDFs. [Only $470 would have to be returned to your family.
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