Echovita 2024 Reports & Reviews

Echovita Reports & Reviews (104)

Scrapes data from real obituaries in order to recreate them on their website

Usually their data scraping software misses key details, making a mockery of the original obituary.
For instance, it doesn't mention my grandfather's two surviving sons, but it mentions his daughters.

This comes off as a disgusting way to trick people into paying for "memorial trees" and "lit candles" without any consent from the family of the deceased.

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Hi Eric,
Our sincere apologies for the error that arose. If you've already contacted us directly, I'm sure this has been resolved. If you haven't contacted us directly, please do. I would like to point out that you mentioned we "usually miss key details", which is incorrect. To make such a statement, you would need to review all obituaries on our website. I can confirm, that we do NOT usually miss key details. Refer to our other responses on this website for the truth of what we do and why.

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FAKE!!!!

My mother’s “obituary” somehow showed up on echovita.com
Details were inaccurate, and a FAKE burial date with the opportunity to “purchase” flowers for the burial is also on the page.

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Hi,
You reached out to us directly and the obituary was removed immediately as requested.

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A Total Waste

It was quite evident an obituary on Echovita was not placed there by family...but made up of odds and ends Echovita swiped from the need and created themselves. Beware. Don't give money or plant a tree from this site. If you want to create a memorial and don't know where to begin there r legit sites online like "forever missed." You can also donate to your favorite charity in memory of a special someone. But don't give money to Echovita.

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Hi Steve,
Our website is perfectly clear that obituaries on Echovita are either created by the family or funeral home for free, or we further share basic facts of publicly available obituaries. For obituaries that have been further shared using basic facts only, families can provide their consent to post the original obituary for their loved one via the obituary page, and they can also claim the obituary by clicking "Solidarity program" and providing the necessary information, so that we can share any commission we received via sales with them or a charity of their choice. Furthermore, if a family mentioned a charity where donations could be made, then we do provide that information, so visitors to the obituary page can make a donation to the suggested charity or organization. Echovita does not accept any donations, we only sell memorial products and split the commission with the family. You advertised for a company in your review that charges families money to create obituaries on their website, when in fact, we do NOT charge families AND give back to them.

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Scammer's website www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.echovita.com/us/obituaries/ca/richmond/urschel-wickliff-13719793&ved=2ahUKEwjBy6Kpu6D1AhWdFjQIHThVCkUQFnoECCAQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0ukaeESHHHixpPJDF4nF2-
Country United States
Type of a scam Family/Friend Emergency
Initial means of contact Not applicable

Requested information pertaining to Urschel Wickliff to be deleted,,,the link hasn't been deleted...do to person scamming, we want the information deleted

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Hi, the obituary of Urschel Wickliff was removed from our website on December 20, 2021. Therefore, the obituary was removed well before your "review" was made.

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Scammer's phone Unknown
Scammer's website Unknown
Scammer's address Unknown
Scammer's email Unknown
Country United States
Type of a scam Family/Friend Emergency
Initial means of contact Social media (e.g., Facebook)

Kimberly Pozniak

This person is responsible for my girlfriend breaking up with me, because she claimed to be a friend and coworker of my girlfriend and she message requested me on Facebook messenger awhile ago and she sent me an obituary and afterwards I blocked her and I googled echovita and sure enough it’s a scam website

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Hi Kimberly Pozniak,
Your comment has absolutely nothing to do with Echovita. We have reported your review.

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Not only did they steal my fathers obituary but there are a lot of inconsistencies. So fake they can't even copy it right. TAKE IT OFF YOUR WEBSITE! NOW!

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Could you please contact Echovita directly via our website? If you have already contacted us, then this has already been dealt with.

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Scammer's phone 1-581-684-7856
Scammer's website www.echovita.com/us
Scammer's address Quebec. Can USA
Scammer's email www echovita.com/us
Country United States
Type of a scam Identity Theft
Initial means of contact Not applicable

Unlawful use of Death Notices

Echovita is publishing unauthorized death notices. This is a shameful thing to do when so many families are already grieving the loss of their loved ones. They need to be held accountable for there actions, and no longer allowed to operate. They need to take down these unauthorized Death Notices as they have no right putting them out there. It's a disgrace. They also write in as they please there own obituary when none of it is accurate creating more family stress than is needed in this sensitive time.

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As I just stated on your previous comment, please contact us directly with questions or concerns you may have. We do not publish unauthorized death notices. We do 3 things. We post obituaries created on our website for free directly by families; we post complete original obituaries provided to us from funeral homes who wish to use our services for families they serve; and we further share basic facts only of publicly available obituaries to inform society of who has passed away. Our website allows families to authorize their loved ones original obituary to be posted on our website to replace a pre-existing death notice, as well as, make any edits, or they can submit a removal request to have the death notice removed. Our website is designed to help families. Mistakes can happen, just like anywhere else, and many original obituaries on funeral home websites have mistakes as well. We have never purposely shared inaccurate information, so saying that post our own information when none of it is accurate is not true. Did you know that Echovita puts aside 50% of the commission we receive from sales for the family, which they can claim or donate to a charity of their choosing? Did you know that if an obituary stated that the family would like donations to a certain charity or cause, we state that as well, and ensure that all visitors to the obituary page are aware before they attempt to proceed in making a purchase? Did you know that the majority of funeral homes charge families to post an obituary, and although it may not be written down anywhere, they automatically implement the cost of an obituary into funeral costs whether you want one or not? Echovita is free for all users of any kind. We only charge for the sales of products. Echovita has strong core values and we want families to know that our platform is designed for them.

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You have no right

My children and I had the hugest loss ever. We did not authorize anyone other then 2 trusted entities to use this sensitive information. The obituary needs to come down immediately. This whole website should go from the looks of it. All this site does is steal loved ones information for scam gain. Take it down

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We removed the obituary of Jeremiah Jay Kroll today, January 4th. You did not contact us directly via our website. If you have questions or concerns, please contact us directly via our website. I think you'd be surprised of the truth behind our website. The majority of what you've been reading from people with code names on this website are false.

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Lawrence Tisdale

Please remove this obituary. My family was not contacted about displaying his name/likeness on your page. There is only two places with authority to post his obituary and sensitive information.

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The obituary of Lawrence Tisdale was removed immediately on January 2nd, when you contacted us via email directly.

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Scammer's phone 581-684-7856
Scammer's website www.echovita.com/us
Scammer's address quebec. ca
Country United States
Type of a scam Identity Theft
Initial means of contact Email

They stole the obituary information and Personal Information of my Brother

The illegally and without permission posted an obituary on my brother without the family permission and consent and included sensitive personal info in the website. Looking for an attorney to initiate legal action in the meantime. There is virtually not way to contact them

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You stated that we, Echovita, included "sensitive personal information", we do not, nor have the capabilities of including any such information unless it was shared publicly already via the original obituary that was posted online, so that is a false claim. Also, our website has a 'Contact us' section that responds fairly quickly within 24 hours or immediately during hours of operation between 8a.m. and 5p.m. EST.

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Now they took it down - thank you

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They stole the obituary information from the page that we paid for. (Dignity) I have asked them to remove it. I do not want any site to use my mom as a way to con people out of money.
The picture I'm sharing is the fake obituary.
I don't want anyone to order anything from that site.

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Obituaries are removed immediately upon receiving a request depending on the time of day, but all are removed within 12 hours.

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Regarding tree planting: Memorial 'trees' often just seedlings

Similar scam - plant a tree for massive profit on someone’s death … another scam company one has to wonder… Frontrunner charges $39.95 to plant a tree which, Go Public found, is often a seedling that's donated by outside organizations and governments and which are planted by students or volunteers, according to the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF), the non-profit group that co-ordinates the plantings.

Frontrunner wouldn't tell Go Public how much it makes off those sales, or how much it gives to the CIF. But two not-for-profit tree-planting organizations say the cost of planting a seedling ranges from 20 cents to $5.

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Scam upon scams out there… use the info below and be aware of the internet. The below is tangential and may or may not be useful to navigate situations like this. Unwrap the info and use the thinking to apply to this and similar circumstances.

Lastly, keep in mind this company like most of the internet websites now are merely brokers of information designed to make money on that information however they can. The gut punch here is that they do so by exploiting a cherished & sacred human ceremony involving grieving vulnerable people.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/obituary-memorial-trees-funeral-frontrunn...⇄ />
https://plantit2020.org/pdf/Scams_Short_Edited.pdf

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Scammer's phone 581-684-7856
Scammer's website echovita.com
Scammer's address quebec. ca
Country Canada
Type of a scam Identity Theft
Initial means of contact Website

I felt as if his memory was desecrated, his friends and contacts that were coming together in one common place to share experiences and thus honoring his life, have a source of confusion that can cause for all those memories to be scatered in more that one place, we were planning to keep a keepsake volume with all those shared memories as a tribute to his life. Please, remove your website before more confusion is created. Thank you!

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Initial means of contact Not applicable

Please remove my husbandś obituary that you created without our permission.
You have no right to publish about someone elseś life, no right to publicly announce his birthdate, and to modify the write up to your liking,
. Please cease and desist with lee chesneau's obituary, you are not authorized.

Thank you!

Toni Chesneau
please, do not confuse people with multiple obituaries...
Respect the memory of the deceased, and also their families.

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Hi Toni Chesneau, your husband's obituary was removed immediately upon receiving your email. We also replied to you on Facebook.

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Echovita is a scam, run by a French-Canadian criminal by the name of Pascal Leclerc. He's been sued, and forced to pay $20,000,000 under his previous company, "Afterlife".

The judge in that case called his action "obituary piracy" and that sounds quite accurate. I'll try to link the story, as well as a picture of Pascal (aka Paco).

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/obituary-memorial-trees-funeral-frontrunn...⇄

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Google "Pascal Leclerc" + "Echovita". He's the director of another company called Funerago, Inc, which advertises cheap funeral services within Quebec. I'm sure he'd love to hear from you about his Echovita services, you can reach him at Funerago phone number 581-684-7856. Tell him Lord Cavendish sent you.

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Echovita took small amounts of information from my father's obituary and added incorrect and generic words that inaccurately described our feelings. The act of "lighting a candle" is strictly forbidden in our religion. You are grossly abusing the memory of the dead.

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The sale of flowers, memorial trees, and virtual candles can be removed from obituaries if the family does not wish for them. Furthermore, we always state if the family requested donations to a certain charity or cause, so that all visitors are aware. If any visitors were to select to purchase an item via an obituary that stated the family would like donations to go towards a certain cause, a pop-up message will appear to inform them again.

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Incorrect information posted in the obit saying the woman who had passed is survived by her husband, but he also preceded her in death...it had both and it is information that is jumbled up from being copied and pasted from our funeral home website with their own additions that are incorrect. I've never heard of such company nor did they contact myself (funeral provider) or the family for permission to post it on their website.

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When 2 different names are listed for the same person in the obituary, an error as such, could arise. Many people have both a formerspouse and a spouse. We have lists of hundreds of obituaries that funeral homes have posted inaccurately on their websites and if it wasn't for us, Echovita, informing the families of those original inaccuracies in some cases, the family would not have known.

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These people posted an 'obituary' without family permission which contained incorrect information, and caused a huge problem with settling my mom's estate. Why are they allowed to continue doing this without being shut down? Shameful. Echovita has caused our family additional trouble and grief at a time when we are already suffering the loss of our mom.

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I'm sure if you have already contacted us, we dealt with the issue immediately. Obituaries cannot be used to settle estates, as they are not legal documents. We have already apologized for the inaccuracies.

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For years, Echovita has been stealing/poaching our webpage information and pawning it off as if the family of the deceased listed it with them. They often get information wrong and in a recent case, altered an obit language from the original one approved by the family, thus upsetting them. They also mislead people into thinking they are associated with our mortuary and they are not. Not one person from Echovita has contacted me for approval to poach and post our copyright obituary information. We also had a person order flowers through Echovita. The flower order was never placed or received by the funeral home. After the sender finished chewing our [censored] and the flower shop as well, we figured out it was Echovita who took her money and failed to order the flowers. The low life, [censored] sucking [censored] are so reputable that they do not even list a phone number to contact them on the internet. I'm sure the parents of the owners and the employee's of this [censored] sucking organization are proud that their children grew up to be incompetent, scam artists that poach funeral homes hard work from the funeral home webpages and scam the families the funeral homes serve. Profiting on grieving families by scamming them and friends who love them is the lowest thing you can do during a time of grief. I am sure there is a special place in Hell for everyone involved with this piece of crap "Organization".

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Hi Soonerhawk, which funeral home are you? For one, I don't know of any funeral homes who speak the way you do. We do NOT, and have never lied about our operations. If you have an issue, contact us, Echovita, directly. You, nor any funeral home can copyright basic facts that are publicly available. We benefit the family in numerous ways, and if the family does not want their loved one's obituary on our website they remove it. Our new feature also allows families to give their consent to post original obituaries. You funeral homes keep trying to run our name through the mud when the truth is, you are not willing to cooperate with us because you do not monetarily gain from it, the families do. Anyone can search on the internet to find the truth about how funeral homes continue to upsell families and have no transparency regarding funeral costs. If there were any truth in your review, you would use your funeral home's name instead of "Soonerhawk". I hope viewers of your post don't fall for your clout.

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Echovita posts obituaries in two different ways. The first is by sharing publicly available obituaries and death notices. We do not post any original content without the grieving family's permission. The second is by posting obituaries that were created directly on our website by the family for free. We do not charge families to post, modify, or remove obituaries, and we provide the means of doing all of those things simply and efficiently on our platform.
Echovita offers memorial products, such as flowers, memorial trees, and virtual candles. When memorial products are purchased on our website, we put aside a portion of the sale amount for the family, which can be claimed by them or donated to a charity/organization of their choice. To claim any amount that has been set aside for the family, a member of the family must claim the obituary by providing a photo of their loved one's death certificate or other legal proof of death, so that we know they can rightfully do so. If we recognize that an obituary has a significant claim amount for the family, we do our best to get in touch with the family by reaching out to the funeral home and requesting that they notify the family. If the family stated in the original obituary that they preferred memorial donations instead of flowers, we state that on our website, so that visitors are aware of the family's wishes and can make a donation to the correct cause.
Echovita does not share any information that has not already been made public by a funeral home, or information added to our directly website by the grieving family. That said, we take all complaints seriously, and fully understand the importance of accurately posting information. Any complaints we do receive are addressed diligently and in timely manner: we either make the necessary corrections and/or removed the inaccurate obituary or death notice.

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" We do not post any original content without the grieving family's permission."

Liar. You don't contact anyone, and you steal original content.

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You do not contact family prior to posting obituary information. Just because you do not charge a fee does not mean you have the family support to post their love ones on your site. Since families are never contacted prior to posting, any funds received by your organization are always kept as the family never knows to go to your site and claim them. You are a scam, profiting off of grieving family and friends of lost ones.

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