Shop ghosts woman who pays $278 to turn dad's ashes into trinkets
A woman entrusted a portion of her late father’s ashes to a shop to create keepsake jewellery, only to be heartbroken when the shop failed to deliver and the owner became uncontactable.
“All I want now is to get my father’s ashes back,” Ms Guo, a 29-year-old shipping executive, told Shin Min Daily News.
Her father died in September last year, and the family decided to have a portion of his ashes made into keepsakes so he could always remain close to them.
“I found a company called Keepsake By Ryo, which offers services to turn ashes and even breastmilk into jewellery."
"The business had been running for 10 years and received many positive reviews.
"I ordered three pieces of jewellery — one for myself and two for my mother — for a total of $278.”
Ms Guo handed over a portion of her father’s ashes on Oct 1 and was promised that the items would be completed within four to 14 weeks.
“The jewellery required only a few grams of ashes," said Ms Guo.
"After handing it over, I received little to no updates. In mid-December, I was told the business founder had been hospitalised and that updates would only come after his recovery.”
The shop eventually stopped responding to her queries.
“I messaged them, saying I understood the slow process but needed to know the status of my father’s ashes. I even said it was okay if they couldn’t complete the jewellery. But I received no reply.”
Ms Guo, who initially hoped for a refund, now only wants her father’s ashes returned.
“Nothing else matters. These are the remains of our beloved family member, and it is incredibly precious. The lack of responsibility is deeply concerning,” she said.
As at 28 Jan, the shop’s online website appears to have ceased operations and seems to be closed.
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