Oklahoma woman gets headstone deposit back after News 4 steps in
An Oklahoma woman is demanding answers after she paid $1,500 for her husband's headstone and now can’t get ahold of the monument company that was supposed to fulfill her order. She’s been worried and was looking for answers, so she reached out to KFOR’s In Your Corner team for help. On Friday, we got results.
DEL CITY, Okla. (KFOR) - An Oklahoma woman is demanding answers after she paid $1,500 for her husband's headstone and now can’t get ahold of the monument company that was supposed to fulfill her order.
She reached out to News 4’s In Your Corner team for help, and Friday, we got results.
Donna Murray says it’s been more than a year since her husband Mark passed away and his plot has been sitting with nothing ever since. All she wants is to honor his memory with a headstone.
“I just feel like I'm being taken advantage of,” said Donna Murray.
Back in April 2023, Donna Murray says she signed a contract and put a $1,500 deposit down with Oklahoma Custom Memorials in Del City for her husband, Mark’s headstone.
Mark tragically died in December 2022 and Murray says this has only been causing her and her family more stress during their grieving process.
“He had prostate cancer. When he found it, it was already stage four, but it went into his bones, and there was no cure for that,” said Murray.
Murray says all she’s been asking for is transparency from the company. It’s now been almost a year since she put her deposit down.
While her contract says the headstone will take 10 to 18 months, Murray says she’s worried because she can’t get ahold of the owner. Plus, she’s heard Oklahoma Custom Memorials is no longer in business.
“Kind of fishy,” said Murray.
This situation has been causing Murray so much stress that she dipped into her savings to purchase a headstone from a different monument maker. She says she’s been told it will only take four months to make and she’s getting a cheaper deal.
“Mark was good to me. I had savings that he left me. He didn't want me to not have any money... I've had to take some of my savings to be able to purchase another headstone,” said Murray.
News 4’s In Your Corner team looked into the issue and got ahold of a family member who helps run the business. He told us even though the 18 months in her contract are not up yet, they would be happy to give her a full refund.
“I do apologize for the lack of response, but there has been no breach of contract. We're not trying to pull a fast one on anyone. We've been doing this for 20 years,” said a family member with Oklahoma Custom Memorial.
The family member also confirmed they’ve shut down the business, however they are fulfilling all remaining orders and will not be taking on any new business.
Shortly after News 4 reached out to Oklahoma Custom Memorials, they fulfilled their promise of returning the money and wrote Murray a $1,500 check.