‘Not closing’ says funeral service
There have also been accusations that the funeral service is not providing their clients with all items on their policies.
Social media has been abuzz with posts from clients of Gabriel Funeral Services, complaining about poor service they have been receiving.
For more than a week people have taken to Facebook and Twitter, saying the funeral service has shut its door without informing clients.
There have also been accusations that the funeral service is not providing their clients with all items on their policies.
Some said they did not receive a coffin, tent and cow, among other things in the agreement.
Others said the money was not paid out in time and that they had to use money from their own pockets.
With the Covid-19 regulations, if a person dies of the virus, he or she must be buried within three days.
But because of the alleged delays from the funeral service, some clients have had no choice but to use their own money and prepare for the funerals, even though they had been up-to-date with payments.
The Herald visited Gabriel’s Port Shepstone branch and found it open.
There were families collecting bodies of their loved ones. Others had come in to pay and to seek clarity.
Michelle Bester of Gabriel Funeral Services said she agreed the funeral service was ‘not coping’ and had had issues, but was not closing.
“We have gone from doing between eight to 10 funerals a week, to now doing between 30 and 40 a week. Over the festive season all suppliers were closed, we had a huge shortage of caskets and were without materials to make our own. Our customers don’t seem to understand that there are procedures to follow in submitting a claim. Now they are sitting in our branches demanding payments when claims have not yet been finalised,” she said.
She explained that there are a maximum of eight burial slots per day and that these slots are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
If these slots are full the funeral service will propose and negotiate another available burial date.
“We apolgise to our policy holders and are working tirelessly to provide a dignified and professional service for your loved ones in these trying times,” she said.
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