Checklist of questions to ask a grave-care contractor

Before signing a grave-care contract, ask the right questions. This article: a 20-point checklist to filter out unreliable contractors.

Legal (6 questions). 1. What legal entity provides the service (name, Uzbek INN)? 2. Where registered (verify in open registry)? 3. Years in market? 4. Reviews/Trustpilot/Google reviews? 5. Will you sign a contract with an individual client from abroad? 6. Can you provide a contract in my language before signing?

Pricing (5 questions). 7. Are all tariffs public on the site or are there «from» / «by request»? 8. What's NOT included in base tariff (transport, materials, parking)? 9. Are there seasonal/rush surcharges and how much exactly? 10. What if actual work is simpler than estimated — is there a refund? 11. Annual price indexation rate and notification?

Operational (5 questions). 12. Communication channel (email, cabinet, WhatsApp) and SLA on responses? 13. Manager's languages? 14. Response time for critical vs ordinary questions? 15. What's in the post-visit report — photos, video, text, EXIF? 16. How many photos per visit and how delivered?

Cemetery (4 questions). 17. Do you work with specific cemeteries (Botkin, Domabad, Textile, etc.)? 18. Working relationships with cemetery administrations? 19. What for tasks needing admin approval (new monument, fence)? 20. How do you coordinate visits with religious calendar (yahrzeit, parental Saturdays, memorial days)?

What you should hear. Transparency («yes, all online, can send the contract today»). Confidence with numbers («email response 24h business»). Verifiable facts («operated since 2018, INN such-and-such, Google Maps reviews»). No pressure («take your time»).

Warning signs. «I'll tell you at payment», «depends on case», «we'll clarify on-site». Negotiated price without publication. Manager «doesn't know» the answer. Pressure to sign today.