Name: Pure Cremation Ltd
Address: Charlton Park Crematorium Charlton Down, Charlton Park Crematorium Charlton Down, Hampshire
Rating: 4.82

“My mum wanted pure cremation and it went ok, took a while to pick my mum up from hospital. Pure cremation kept me updated with phone calls etc, only thing they couldn't tell me the time my mum was cremated. It's what my mum wanted but you can't say goodbye properly really.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Dear Mr Severns, Thank you for these great comments about our team, they are truly valued. At the time of need, we always ask the chosen representative if they wish to be informed of the cremation date. However, we cannot confirm the time of the cremation as too many variants can occur and we feel this would be unfair to confirm if we cannot guarantee it. Kind regards, Mia

Posted 1 year ago

“not proffesional did not expect my mother in law to be returned in a shopping tote bag,or by a driver dressed in work trousers and t shirt,he was very pleasant,but handed me tote bag saying yvonne,sign here please,my wife went into shock,no way would l be using bag with your logo on it to go get my shopping,this needs vast improvemnet,it could be thick re cyclable paper bag with just your flower logo on,as for the urn,it is the image of the box we keep our cats treats in,with peeling off picture,we may have been unlucky,”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Dear Peter, We are very sorry to hear these comments which do not reflect Pure Cremation policy nor the standards we expect to deliver to each bereaved family we are privileged to serve. While our staff do not wear the formal attire of traditional funeral homes, they are in a branded uniform, and we expect them to be smartly presented at all times. We do not allow our staff to wear jeans or trainers. We have carefully selected a container that is both environmentally responsible and designed to protect each set of ashes. We use stunning photo wrappers and, taken all together, we believe that our presentation is significantly better than that offered by other crematoria. We have had many positive comments from other families but we are sorry that the container did not meet your expectations. I can see that my colleague has been speaking with the applicant for your mother-in-law’s arrangements, and we have been able to provide the reassurances above. However, we will continue to follow up on the points raised to make sure we are comfortable all correct practices have been followed. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any further questions. Kind regards, Mia

Posted 1 year ago

“The good old age off you get what you pay for this service is for anyone who wishes to save money stress to family/friends of there loved one & scatter there loved 1s ashes in there own time. Unfortunately you don't get a guarantee off when your loved one will be cremated & the communication wasn't always good. I was informed my wife would be cremated on the Friday but in fact she was cremated on Saturday unable to supply time. Apart from this the return off ashes was very good my wife arrived back to me safely by hand delivery and in a lovely urne with a beach picture very touching. My wife had the over 50s plan for reference . I would recommend pure cremation to anyone as long as they are 100% aware off full details”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Dear Mr Wright, Thank you for your review noting your experience with Pure Cremation. I am sorry to hear that this did not meet our usual high standards, and I have had a look at the detailed notes on your wife’s record to understand what happened on this occasion. I can see that we were made aware of a discrepancy on the paperwork the coroner provided that conflicted with information we had on our records. Although you were made aware of this and the paperwork was rectified in time for the cremation date, we were then awaiting the final legal paperwork for cremation from the Medical Referee at the crematorium. The committal took place on Friday 21st October, but the cremation took place within the 72 hour period that is used at the discretion of the crematorium. I am glad to hear that the rest of the process went smoothly. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any other questions. Kind regards, Harriet

Posted 1 year ago

“Waited almost 8 weeks for my father-in-law to be collected from the hospital to be cremated, it was postponed 3 times for different reasons, was told we would be kept up to date with every step of the way which we was I can’t fault that, then to receive a phone call telling us that my father-in-law was cremated that morning which we wasn’t told about so was quite upsetting as we wanted to do something as a family on the day of his cremation to then get a phone call a while later saying that he had not been cremated and that he was still at the hospital and hadn’t yet been collected, once he had eventually been collected from the hospital it didn’t take too long for him to finally be at rest, then his ashes returned back home within a few days by a lovely lady who was very professional and so lovely”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Please accept our sincere apologies for the misinformation about your father’s cremation. Please be assured that we take the accurate recording and sharing of information extremely seriously and will raise this error with the individual responsible immediately. We understand that our colleague reached out to you directly after this error, and you have been happy with communications after this. Kind regards, Chloe

Posted 1 year ago

“Everything was going great. Had no complaints and was happy. Then things went wrong. The ashes were delayed and this was annoying. But the awful and unforgivable thing to me was the lack of trust and care my so called personal person had with me. She repeatedly stated that she would get in touch….. she didn't. She was told by other staff to contact me ………………she didn't. In fact as soon as my father died she literally turned her nose up at me and had nothing to do with me at all. I know its a lot cheaper than traditional funerals but boy do you not get the treatment as befitting the worse times of someones life. I personally at the onset was going to start a plan for me and my wife. But not now. I would not like my son to feel the way I did over weeks of being left in the dark and not knowing what was going on. Overall I give 3 out of 5 for the period up to my father dying. After that its a resounding 0 out of 5. As you can see Im not happy with my Pure Cremation experience.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Dear Mr Bamforth, I am sorry to hear that your experience with Pure Cremation was not up to the usual high standard that we would expect when trusted with the arrangements of a loved one. Although there was contact at key points in the process and your father’s cremation arrangements progressed as planned, communication could have been better. I note that you didn’t want to be informed of the cremation date, this is normally something that will help us set and manage expectations at these key stages. We will, however, look into why your requests for call backs were not met. I can see that your instructions for your father’s ashes were discussed on a couple of occasions before we arrange their safe return. This confirmed and took place as planned, but again acknowledge that you would have appreciated knowing a more precise time for ahead of the date. Please do not hesitate to contact us on 0800 033 7737 should you wish to discuss this further. Kind regards, Harriet Castle

Posted 1 year ago

“Initially the service was excellent I was told that my father would be looked after whilst in the care of pure cremation but as soon as his body was collected that’s when the service from Amazon was significantly better than that of pure cremation. Each time I called I was held on the phone for over an hour on speaking to the call centre they didn’t show much compassion on occasion referring to the chap who would return my dads ashes as the ashes team. We were told that our dads ashes would be returned on a certain date and that they would ring ahead that morning with an expected time. Instead they only informed us rolling another 90 mins sat on the phone and when they did arrive to my sisters home they asked her to meet them in a pubs car park and handed our dads ashes over in a bag from the back of a van stuffed full of other peoples ashes ( the ashes team I presume ) unfortunately the perception of the service on the website didn’t match the reality for us. And as for our handler as the call centre called them they spoke to me once to make sure the payment went through. We had hoped that Pure Cremation would live up to the suggestion on the tv add but unfortunately they simply lacked compassion for my family in the actual interaction with us. The after cremation service added to the stress and grief that our family was going through instead of being the respectful service we expected. I hope that these comments will help pure cremation to handle families in a more respectful manner in future. M Ridsdale.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Dear Mr Ridsdale, We are really sorry to hear of your experience. We recognise how important returning the ashes of a loved one is and that is why we have ashes delivery specialists whose sole role is to hand deliver peoples loved ones back to them. What you have described falls far short of the standards we set ourselves here at Pure. We will investigate the issues and will be in touch with you as soon as we can. Kind regards, Mia

Posted 1 year ago

“Even though the staff was helpful a say before my partner was cremated I received a phone to say it couldn’t go ahead due to a form missing. This was not a form from me it was the doctor. I was extremely upset but this should of all been checked before date was given.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Did everything that was asked of and promised...”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Thank you for taking the time to review our services. Is there anything you feel we could improve on to receive a higher rating? If you have any feedback for us please send this to customercare@purecremation.co.uk. Kind regards, Chloe

Posted 1 year ago

“Feel let down had to keep ringing for updates on my husband at this difficult time said they would ring back never did then got a very nice lady called Rachel she keep me informed thank you me personally l wouldn't recommend pure cremation but my husband wanted no fuss which l respected his wishes”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Dear Kim, Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts on our service. If you wish to discuss your experience further, please do reach out to us at customercare@purecremation.co.uk Take care, Scott

Posted 1 year ago

“Everything was good except the communications where I had to keep phoning to find out what was occurring after getting numerous voicemails with no idea when they had been left. Maybe if you could leave the date on them we would have known when they were received”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Dear Mr Hanson, Thank you for your comments. We are sorry that you were unable to identify the dates of our voicemails left via your mobile phone. We note that emails were sent to ensure you still received important information. We will review our voicemail policy to see whether we can offer more details in a message without compromising the sensitive information we may be conveying. Kind regards, Chloe

Posted 1 year ago

“The service to begin with wad outstanding. However I was promised a call the day after mums cremation but didn't hear from anyone for over a week. I was also promised a call to arrange the return of the ashes but in the end I had to chase to get them back”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Dear Ms Platt, I agree that communication fell below the standards that we usually deliver, and I offer my sincere apologies for this. Being entrusted with the care of someone's loved one is a privilege and I will speak with the staff involved about the importance of showing this in everything that we do. Kind regards, Mia

Posted 1 year ago

“Customer service prior to the attended committal was fantastic, with the persons in attendance on the day being very professional and helpful. I was extremely disappointed and somewhat annoyed that my mothers ashes were returned (rather attempted to be returned) without prior agreement or even warning. My father who was the recipient wasn’t home and was staying with us 250 miles away. When I reported this to the Andover office it was not dealt with even though I was promised an investigation and response.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Hi Kellie I'm really sorry your experience was affected by the attempted return of your mother's ashes. When arranging this most important part of our service we should be absolutely certain we are expected and that everyone is aware and everything is in place. We will look into this tomorrow and then contact you directly. Thank you for getting in touch.

Posted 1 year ago

“The whole process up to the return of my Dad’s ashes was very good.. however how I was treated following his cremation and the arrangement to get him back to me was very distressing. My husband and I took a short holiday following Dad’s cremation and the re- homing of his pets. During said holiday I was contacted (on my mobile) by pure cremation to confirm delivery of his ashes, the next day, I had not been contacted prior to this call, other than the notification that his cremation had taken place. I explained I was out of the country and although I would be home the next day, it would be early evening, and could we reschedule as I’d not been previously notified, this was agreed. I was in the airport, awaiting return flight when I was contacted by Emma, who informed me that she would be delivering Dad’s ashes within the hour.. I explained what I’d already told Pure cremation the day before. I asked, as she informed me that Dad would go back with her and it may be a while before he was returned, I asked if I could contact her later in the day to arrange meeting as our flight was imminent. She then went on to tell me how her day was arranged, how many deliveries she had and whether I could just arrange for a neighbour to take possession! I declined and told her I would be in touch later that day… I did contact her again but she was unable to arrange to meet as she was now moving on to Carlisle. She told me the office would be in touch to rearrange. I was left with the awful feeling that I had let Dad down as I couldn’t be home when she wanted. I have made a formal complaint. I am disappointed for my Dad, as this service was his idea, as he didn’t want any fuss, I feel that he would have been angry at how he was treated. The moral of this is that you should NEVER rely on leaving an answer phone message for something so important.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Dear Marion, We are sorry to hear of your experience around the return of your Dad’s ashes. We will investigate your complaint and get back in touch with you. Kind regards, Olivia

Posted 1 year ago

“Deceased collected but needed post mortem. Delayed communication between Pure Cremation and hospital resulted in later cremation but ashes returned quickly. Ceramic disc broken but immaterial.”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Thank you for your comments, Mr Medlam, which have been noted. While a post mortem after we have brought someone into care is unusual our staff should be able to offer the same care and timely service - we are addressing this. I hope that the contact from Harriet and the subsequent close oversight by Rebecca were helpful in moving things forward and in reassuring you. The ceramic identity discs that we place on the coffin prior to cremation occasionally fracture, but as they represent tangible proof of the identity of the ashes we still include it within the container for the ultimate reassurance that your loved one has returned safely home. Kindest regards Catherine Powell

Posted 1 year ago

“My dad past recently and he choose Pure Cremation I however wouldnt have mase it my choice .I am disappointed in that they dont dress your loved ones but wil lay clothes on top of the body then the box the ashes are placed in is a plastic box that looks like something council gives you for your food waste for compost heap then when they return your loved ones ashes the bag as pure cremation on and the person is wearing a pure cremation shirt not dignified at all”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

Dear Maxine, I’m sorry to hear that you were unaware of the service Pure Cremation provides. As a direct cremation provider, we bring people’s loved ones into our care in Andover from all over the country, and following the cremation we arrange for the hand delivery of the ashes back to the family to allow them to arrange their final goodbye. We have carefully considered the presentation of the ashes and selected a robust, cellulose (biodegradable) container that also allows us to present the ceramic disc that we offer as tangible reassurance of identity. We include this high-quality container in our great value price and we believe that it is a considerable improvement on the traditional "sweetie jar" container or newer cardboard boxes used by other crematoria. Crematoria or funeral directors are usually happy to place ashes in any suitable container that the family purchases. Kind regards, Olivia

Posted 1 year ago

“Pure cremation give an okish experience. They’re not good, but they’re not bad. I guess you get what you pay for as they are cheap. Communication is not great, could definitely do with improving especially as they are dealing with a difficult time.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Dear Amber, Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry that you did not receive the seamless service we are known for and please be assured that we will be looking into this to understand what happened. We will be in contact to discuss this with you. Kind regards, Mia

Posted 2 years ago

“Fine as long as you don't mind waiting! By waiting, I mean waiting for them to pick up your loved one (8.5 hrs in our case!), so we got a local undertaker to collect and Pure Cremations collected from them (only after trying to collect from us at 11.30pm at night, even though we'd told them what was happening). And by waiting, I also mean waiting for them to deliver your loved one's ashes back to you. They aim to do this within 21 days and refuse to be drawn on a date despite several requests for one. This makes planning difficult, so I would recommend paying extra for express delivery if you can afford it. Staff are friendly and try to be helpful, so I have no complaints there. But beware that the details matter when going through this process, so they may not be a good fit for you.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Dear Mark, Sorry to hear of the issues over the arrangements for bringing your loved one into care. On the rare occasion of the arranged time of the transfer not working for a family then usually it would be us, with the family’s permission, who would arrange for a local funeral director to attend on our behalf. I’m not sure why that didn’t happen. Additionally, we aim to return ashes back to families within 21 days of the committal date and contact families to arrange that date beforehand. We will look into both issues and be back in touch. Kind regards, Mia

Posted 2 years ago

“Overall fairly happy with the service. I do have some feedback though. When the gentlemen came to collect my father from the property, in order to get out of the door, they put my father upright. Thankfully I did not see this, nor did my immediate family, my husband saw this and commented he was glad I did not witness this. Ideally, the gentleman would have warned my husband that this was happening and ensured we were not in view of this. Secondly, when a member of the team contacted me to either tell me the cremation took place or to try to arrange delivery of the ashes, the lady was so happy and delighted to share this with me. I was quite taken aback by this positivity. A little more compassion would have been appreciated. Lastly, after informing your team not to deliver the ashes to my father's address as my mother has Alzheimer's, I was told the driver would call me an hour beforehand. I was called 30mins beforehand and my mother was on her own as my brother had not reached the property. The ashes were given to my mother (who was accepting of this I will add) and the driver said he will wait until my brother arrived, but it really was not ideal.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Dear Clair, We are sorry to read of your issues around the transfer of your father, and the subsequent return of his ashes. We will look into the issues and be in touch with you. Kind regards, Mia

Posted 2 years ago

“When speaking with people on the phone I couldn't fault their understanding and support to book their service. However after booking, the communication was very poor and I had to chase information. I told them on 3 occasions not to ring me as I work but to ring my mother instead which they said they would but never did. I was also told we would be informed every step of the way regarding when my father had been taken into their care, when they had the right documents etc but we weren't. I also received a phone call saying the Cremation was due to take place even though it'd already happened. I appreciate this is a cheaper option than a normal cremation but communication was poor I found at what is already a very difficult time.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Dear Zoe, Thank you for your valued feedback, we are sorry to hear that our communication with you fell short of our usual high standard. Please accept our sincere apologies and our assurance that this will be looked into so that we can prevent this in the future. Kind regards, Chloe

Posted 2 years ago

“On the whole the service was good although when I phoned for advice I was informed it was documented in the pack, as a bereaved relative I had so much to sort out and to be honest I didn’t want to read the information pack I was grieving for my mum. I spoke to someone regarding the delivery of my mums ashes as I was due back to work the day I should’ve received the ashes I wanted to give an alternative address. I was informed that my Mum was already out for delivery ( which was untrue) when asked if she could contact the driver I was informed that they were all volunteers and she did not have their phone numbers , which I found odd as any company should have employees phone numbers volunteers or not. I phoned again 2 days after my mum should have been delivered to me and spoke to the manager of the crematorium who informed me that my mum was still there, I also spoke to a driver these two gentlemen were amazing and actually filled me with hope that the company does actually know what they are doing up until this point I was beginning to wonder. Paul the driver took an alternative address down for me and explained fully the process of his job, as did Steve the crematorium manager( I think) If it wasn’t for the lady who answered the phone to me that day I am sure I would still be waiting for my mum to come home. My mum thought she was doing the right thing by arranging this at times I’m not so sure”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Thank you for your frank comments. We sincerely apologise for the confusion about the return of your mother's ashes. This was the result of a well-intentioned effort to reduce the ashes return time for families by temporarily re-deploying staff from a different part of our business, and the recruitment of additional staff to handle incoming calls. Unfortunately, in a few cases, unfamiliarity with our systems and processes affected the quality of both our communication and administration. We are very sorry that you were affected. We swiftly returned to the exclusive use of our specialist personnel to manage client arrangements and we are pleased to report that our call reception team are now fully up to speed. It is good to hear how our most experienced specialists, Paul and Steve, helped ensure that Mum was brought safely home to you, which we hope has brought you comfort.

Posted 2 years ago

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