BEWARE THEY TAKE YOUR MONEY AND DO NOT CARE!!!
Regarding: David J. Mendoza 11---memorial service 3/9/2024
This letter is to demonstrate the unprofessionalism, neglect of a grieving family, and lack of service and care I received at Healey Mortuary in Salinas, CA.
Monday, March 4, 2024, my brother Alwyn, and I met with David Healey to sign the agreement for services. My brother was killed in a hit and run accident and we were devasted. Dave Healey had a list of items he asked me to get back to him so he could get everything organized in time for the memorial service which we agreed would ne 3/9/2024. I forwarded the item requested in emails as he asked me to. He never acknowledged any of my emails even when asked to confirm nor did anyone else at Healey's I assumed all was well.
March 6, 2024, I made payment to Tom Barry-paid in full on my credit card for the mortuary fees totaling $5,806.18. I also delivered clothing at that time which my brother would be dressed in. The memorial service was set for March 9, 202, at 10 am. This competed all the items on my list that I was to get back to the mortuary.
March 9, 2024, at approx.9:35 I showed up along with 5 family members to Healey's Mortuary in Salinas, CA to attend my brother's memorial service. I was to be attending my brother's service and paid a fee for the mortuary to provide me with the service I paid for so that I could spend time with my family grieving our loss of my beautiful brother. Instead, I was acting as the funeral director since the one I had the agreement with was not present. Ellen stepped in only when I pointed out all the issues and wrong or missing items, she apologized and said she was not aware of any of this, and Dave was out sick. This means there was no communication in passing the baton to the next responsible person such as the manager to step in and take care of the family.
The first shock was my brother's casket was NOT in the correct room, I specifically selected the smaller service room. No one from the mortuary directors was present during the service. When I went to the room that was to be the room of the memorial service for my brother there was a dead body in it and it was not my brother. The funeral home took it upon themselves to use a room NOT of my choice to place my brother because they left a body in the room from the night before per Ellen. Ellen explained they could have moved and changed rooms, but many family members were already coming in and it would have been too much of a distraction with all the other chaos going on.
Ellen told me the cleaners did not come in again. This is an ongoing issue according to her. The bathrooms were overflowing with trash, we were the first service, there was no toilet paper and the paper that was there was not on the receptacles. I had to ask for this to be done as well as if I was directing them. By this time, it was well past 10 am and that was the time the service was to officially start, more friends and family were coming yet I was still not able to rest worrying about what else might be wrong or incomplete. I lost trust and did not get the services I paid for.
The prayer cards did not have a photo as Dave told me it would, then they said that would have been extra after the fact. This was not disclosed to me at the time of contract. The photo sign in guest book had stock photo in it and it was NOT my brother. Another huge disappointment and I had to ask for that to be corrected with my brother's photo by this time many guest signs ins had happened with an incorrect photo. No tissue boxes out at a memorial service I had to ask for this as well. This ordeal took approx. 1.5 hours before all of the issues were resolved with me at the helm of overseeing and asking for what should have been in place.
present. I asked the owner Josiah to call me to discuss this matter none of which has happened. I was ignored. I called at least three other times and again was disregarded.
I called to speak with the manager Tom Barry 3/20/24 who was unavailable, so I left a message with Matt /answering service with no return call. 3/21/24 I called and this time Tom did return my call. The tone of Tom was dismissive and not taking responsibility for anything. It shows that they place profit before people and don't care about how this traumatic mishandling affected me and my family. When I initially met Dave Healey, he went on how he was in the business for about 40 years, yet it was an amateur experience with full price paid for a professional experience I did not receive. Misstep after misstep in our time of grief. I did not get to honor by brother David due to the lack of care and attention that created more stress and uncertainty. This ordeal was so unprofessional, this is what I remember most about my brother's memorial service! This was a sloppy mess. AVOID THIS PLACE IT IS CORPORATE GREED Alta Vista Mortuary is $800 less for the same services-I should have gone there. read more