Grieving mum loses $6k to company that failed to produce headstone for son

A mother-of-eight mourning the loss of her 19-year-old son is warning other families after she lost $6000 to a company that failed to produce a headstone for her son’s grave and then became uncontactable.

Chantelle Lee, with her children, around the grave of her son Matteo who died by suicide in 2018. Chantelle paid a $6000 deposit to a company that failed to produce the headstone. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford.

A MOTHER-OF-EIGHT mourning the loss of her 19-year-old son lost a $6000 deposit to a company that failed to produce a headstone for her son’s grave and then became uncontactable.

Darwin woman Chantelle Lee lost her 19-year-old son Matteo to suicide in October 2018.

Ms Lee used money fundraised for her family by the community to commission the Darwin business owner, who can’t be named for legal reasons, to make a headstone for his grave.

However, despite paying the deposit, Ms Lee said over a year later it still has not been done. The total cost quoted to Ms Lee was $14,000.

She said a temporary plaque was made in December 2018, but the business owner had since become impossible to contact.

“I made contact with him on and off last year, but March 2019 was the last time I saw him at the workshop,” she said.

“(Then I) couldn’t get hold of him, his workshop was all locked up … the Facebook page (for the business) has been removed.”

Ms Lee wanted the gravestone laid in time for Matteo’s 21st birthday in February.

“That’s all we ever wanted was for that to be put up for his 21st,” she said.

“I’m a person that doesn’t talk about things but this really eats at me.”

Chantelle Lee and her children with the temporary plaque at her son Matteo’s grave. She hoped to have the completed gravestone in time for his 21st birthday in February. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford.

Other customers have made similar complaints on Facebook, claiming they have also lost thousands of dollars to the company.

A screenshot obtained by the NT News shows a comment from customer Maria Viojan posted to the company’s now deleted Facebook page, saying she waited almost 18 months for the headstone she commissioned for her father-in-law.

“(The business owner) has since not answered our calls, texts and has not been at his shop to provide an update,” she said.

Ms Lee reported the matter to NT Consumer Affairs who said in an email they were also unable to contact the business owner.

“NT Consumer Affairs’ role is to provide a free non-binding conciliation service between parties in dispute, however this involves the voluntary participation of all parties. To date, (the business) have been unresponsive to all communication from NT Consumer Affairs and as such we are unable to conciliate this matter.”

A Consumer Affairs NT spokeswoman confirmed they were aware of a complaint against the company.

“I am aware of Ms Lee’s complaint but I am not at liberty to discuss that or any investigation that we may be undertaking at this time,” she said.

The NT News attended the workshop where the business is based and could not locate the owner, but observed that it was being emptied of all machinery and materials.

It is understood that the business did not re-open after Christmas 2019.

The NT News made a number of attempts to contact the business owner for comment.