Macomb County family battles business over casket ordered for mother

Family said casket wasn't as advertised

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – A Macomb County family that was supposed to get a special casket to in which to bury their beloved mom and wife is battling a Texas-based company after they say they got something completely different.

An online order turned into a nightmare for the family as they deal with an already difficult time.

"Are you ready to refund my money yet?" Lauren McDougall-Alijaj asked Bestpricecaskets.com.

"No, but I'm ready to block this number," a worker responded.

Bestpricecaskets.com has blocked her cellphone number, her dad's cellphone number and even their house phone number after the company sent them the wrong casket.

"I just wanted something beautiful for my mom," McDougall-Alijaj said.

She picked out a specific casket for her mom, Carol -- A white casket with angels on the outside and a picture of the Last Supper emblazoned on the velvet in the lid.

"She was a very religious woman and (we wanted the casket) with the Last Supper on the background," McDougall-Alijaj said.

The casket came on Saturday and the funeral was Monday.

"When I saw the picture, I was furious," McDougall-Alijaj said.

The McDougall family had the funeral home send the company a picture of the casket. There was no Last Supper. The so-called velvet interior was like crepe paper and they said it was dented. McDougall-Alijaj got on the phone right away.

"They said, 'Hold, we'll get you a manager,'" she said. "Please, something needs to be done. My mom's funeral is Monday. I need it Monday. 'Hold on, miss. We'll get this resolved. (They) never came back."

She said she was kept on hold for an hour and 45 minutes and nobody ever got on the line to help her.

Carol was buried Monday in the casket because the family said spending more money on top of what they had already paid was not an option.

That marked the beginning of the phone war with bestpriceaskets.com, a company that never apologized for the mix-up and would keep repeating "Why did you use the casket?"

"'If you want any money back whatsoever, why don't you go dig your dead wife up and send me back the casket?'" Mark McDougall, Carol's husband, said the company asked.

Local 4 called the Texas-based company Wednesday and got someone on the phone who identified himself only as John.

"My position on it is, I need pictures of what they're talking about," he said.

The company agreed the Last Supper was not in the casket, but said other than that, it's what the family ordered.

The company said if it receives photos, it will assess the family's request, but the company's bottom line is "Had they not buried the casket and not used it, we would be able to refund them and return it."

McDougall-Alijaj said they never told her she needed to send photos to get a refund. The family thinks it will never see a dime unless legal action is pursued.


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