Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/06/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On or about July 9, 2025, I interviewed a representative from International Remains Shipping, Inc. (IRS) regarding customized funeral and repatriation services and selected them over two other funeral homes. On September 2, 2025, we paid $12,540 to *** and its affiliate, ****************************, to provide full preparation, documentation, and international shipment of the remains of Ms. ******** ***** from *********** to *******The business committed to provide pickup and transfer from the Los Angeles County Medical Officer, grooming and dressing, casket and packaging for international transport, coordination with the ***************, and courier delivery of legal documents.On September 2, 2025, I learned that critical embassy paperwork was missing from the courier packet sent by the funeral home. This omission required intervention from the Ugandan Immigration Attach and caused delays and embarrassment. The dispute also involves false advertising of casket price ($1,395 listed but invoiced at $1,795); threats of double-charging courier delivery; contradictory information about service procedures; an improper 4% credit-card surcharge ($506, later removed after three requests); and billing for unperformed cosmetizing services ($375). The misleading casket advertisement was distributed in an IRS promotional flyer on July 28, 2025.The most serious error occurred when all death certificates were sent with the body to ******, leaving the family without legal documentation in the **** and forcing us to incur replacement and mailing costs.Despite multiple calls, emails, and a formal request for a goodwill adjustment, the company has not provided a full reimbursement or apology. I request that the Better Business Bureau investigate these unfair business practices and ensure reimbursement for misrepresented or unperformed services totalling $1,220, as detailed in the attached Reimbursement Summary Table.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/07/2025

  The complaint list me as the business. That is not correct. The email should have been sent to International Remains ************** (IRS) I selected IRS from the drop down menu. Please correct this mistake. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/20/2025

  This letter serves as a counter-dispute. We understand that there are two sides to every story, and we are providing this explanation to clarify and refute the claims made by **** ********* on October 6, 2025 (ID Number: **********

  
  We have substantial proof that the claims made by Ms. ********* are invalid and inaccurate. We will be providing time-stamped DocuSign documents, as well as multiple emails sent to the next of ***, ********* Amongin, the sister of the deceased. To begin, I will list the claims made by Ms. ********* and provide verification and direct evidence regarding the validity of certain statements that have been made.

  
  The Claims:
  1. On or about July 9, 2025, I interviewed a representative from International Remains Shipping, Inc. (IRS) regarding customized funeral and repatriation services and selected them over two other funeral homes. We verify this.

  
  2. On September 2, 2025, we paid $12,540 to *** and its affiliate, ***************************** to provide full preparation, documentation, and international shipment of the remains of Ms. ******** ***** from *********** to ******. We verify this.

  
  3. The business committed to provide pickup and transfer from the Los Angeles County Medical Officer, grooming and dressing, casket and packaging for international transport, coordination with the **************** and courier delivery of legal documents. We verify this.

  
  4. On September 2, 2025, I learned that critical embassy paperwork was missing from the courier packet sent by the funeral home. This omission required intervention from the Ugandan Immigration Attach and caused delays and embarrassment. This accusation is false. While there was no involvement from a Ugandan attach, the issue resulted only in a one-day delay. There should have been no reason for embarrassment, as occasional document omissions are a known occurrence in international repatriation. The consulate is fully aware that such issues can arise and are routinely resolved promptly. In this case, the missing documents were due to an honest oversight by the funeral director at Sunflower Funeral Home. Upon discovery, International Remains Shipping immediately covered the cost of an overnight ***** to ensure the documents were delivered to the consulate the following day.

  5. The dispute also involves false advertising of casket price ($1,395 listed but invoiced at $1,795) Although this claim is partially true, the issue was promptly identified and addressed through communication with ********* Amongin and Ms. ********* by email and phone. The case was handled by a new hire who began on June 9, 2025. During the initial inquiry, both parties expressed interest in upgrading the casket. Our packages already include a transportation (*******) casket at no additional cost, and no family is ever obligated to upgrade. The employee inadvertently referenced an outdated document listing the casket price as $1,395. The error was quickly identified, discussed internally (see attached correspondence), and corrected. The employee then informed both ********* and Ms. ********* of the correct price, $1,795, and apologized. Attached are correspondence confirming the correction, a DocuSign document dated August 18, 2025, showing ********* proceeded with the upgrade at the corrected price, and our Welcome Letter, which explains that the included ******* casket is standard while upgrades remain optional. Our casket prices are significantly more affordable than those of typical funeral homes, which would charge considerably more for the same exact casket. Families may also choose to purchase a casket locally in ******, as our packages are designed to provide flexibility and accommodate varying needs and budgets.

  
  6. Threats of double-charging courier delivery We want to clarify that we never threaten any of our families regarding charges. The familys concern arose from frustration that the consulate was not finalizing the documents. The courier had gone to process the paperwork, but the consulate was closed that day. This was not the fault of our company. The courier had to return the following day, resulting in an additional charge of $250, which was covered by International Remains Shipping and not passed on to the family, as the embassy closure was beyond anyones control.

  7. An improper 4% credit-card surcharge ($506, later removed after three requests) From the outset, all of our quotes and documentation clearly outline a 4% credit card fee if a family chooses to pay by credit card. Please see the attached quote reflecting this fee. This information was also communicated via email to both ********* Amongin and Ms. ********** as well as included in our Welcome Letter, sent via DocuSign and initialed by ********* (attachments provided).
  We acknowledge that the family requested to have this 4% fee waived. We explained that if payment was made by *** or wire transfer, the 4% fee would be removed. The family subsequently chose to pay by wire transfer, and the 4% fee was therefore waived.

  8. Billing for unperformed cosmetizing services ($375) The fee of $375 was not solely for cosmeticizing. As Ms. ********* is fully aware, this fee covered grooming, dressing, cosmeticizing, and casketing (placing the decedent in the casket). All of these services were performed except for cosmeticizing, which was not done based on the professional judgment of the funeral director due to the poor condition of Assumpta Oturus skin. We advised the family that a partial refund of $50 would be issued, and this check was mailed to ********* Amongin on October 8, 2025. Correspondence from our employee to Ms. ********* regarding this matter is attached.

  
  9. The most serious error occurred when all death certificates were sent with the body to ******, leaving the family without legal documentation in the **** and forcing us to incur replacement and mailing costs. It is mandatory that all original documents, including death certificates, travel with the body to clear customs and comply with international transport requirements. The family was informed of this from the outset. We also routinely ask families if they would like additional copies for their records.
  In this case, the family ordered two death certificates, which were provided. It is standard practice to send originals with the body so that the family can access them at the final destination. When the family later inquired about the death certificates, we confirmed that they had traveled with the loved one. ********* Amongin responded that she would contact the funeral home in ****** to obtain them.

  
  10. Despite multiple calls, emails, and a formal request for a goodwill adjustment, the company has not provided a full reimbursement or apology. We would respectfully ask that you consider the potential for missteps in such a complex process. Our team is always apologetic and empathetic, as confirmed in all attached email correspondence. Regarding a full reimbursement, this was never discussed or requested, and it is not feasible for our company to provide one. First, it is not warranted, and second, there are thousands of dollars in costs that we must pay to vendors and airlines to transport human remains to *******

  
  11. Regarding the cost of these services: We would like to clarify that the funds for these services were raised by a group of individuals who wished for their loved one to be repatriated to ******. These individuals contacted our team multiple times to ensure that the funds would be used appropriately for this purpose. Despite claims from some callers suggesting that these funds might be misused, we ignored these assertions and continued to work diligently for the family and our objective. Please see the attached cease and desist letter that Ms. ********* sent to these individuals.

  In closing, these claims are frivolous and unwarranted. They appear to be an attempt by Ms. ********* to obtain a full reimbursement for personal gain, despite the fact that the funds were raised by their community. If any reimbursement were to be issued, it would rightfully go to themnot to Ms. ********** Furthermore, we have not received any communication from ********** the sister, or from the community that specifically requested the repatriation of their loved one to *******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/21/2025

  Complaint: 23980966
  
  October 21, 2025
  Subject: Response to Business Rebuttal Complaint ID #********
  To: ******************************************************************
  
  Dear Ms. **** L.,
  
  Thank you for forwarding the companys response to my complaint. After reviewing their statement, I must reject the businesss response as unsatisfactory. Their reply contains multiple factual inaccuracies, omissions, and unprofessional remarks, including a false claim that I am pursuing this matter for personal gain.
  
  I am writing on behalf of ********************** the next of kin and legal authority of the deceased, Ms. ******** A. *****, as well as in my capacity as ************* of Attorney and authorized family representative. My actions have been solely directed toward protecting the legal and financial interests of the deceaseds estate and next of kin.
  
  For record accuracy, please note my correct name is Dr. **** M. *********, not ********* as misstated in the file. As the ************* of Attorney and authorized family representative, I have acted solely to protect the legal and financial interests of the deceaseds estate and next of kin. I have no personal financial interest in this matter beyond ensuring that payments made for funeral and repatriation services were used properly.
  
  Specifically:
  1.     Embassy documentation errors caused multi-day delays and required intervention by Ugandan officials.
  2.     The casket pricing and credit-card fee discrepancies constitute consumer misrepresentation.
  3.     The $375 charge for unperformed cosmetizing services was not refunded appropriately.
  4.     The transfer of all original death certificates left the family without critical U.S. records.
  5.     The companys retaliatory and defamatory statements undermine the BBBs good-faith dispute process.

  I request the BBB to mark this case as unresolved consumer rejects business response and note that I am preparing a small claims filing in ****************** for damages. Please also update your internal record to reflect the correct spelling of my name.
  
  Sincerely,
  Dr. **** M. *********
  ************* of Attorney & Family Representative
  On behalf of ********************** Next of Kin and Legal Authority

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/22/2025

  Please see our response attached in the pdf