A grieving Arizona family says they were shocked after an urn they ordered from Amazon arrived with ashes already inside.
The family from Mesa had been preparing to honor their grandmother, Dorothy Kuspis, who died on May 27 at the age of 98. Kuspis, lovingly known as “Nanny” by her family, was being remembered by loved ones who wanted to keep small portions of her cremated remains in keepsake urns.
Her granddaughter, Ashleigh Wegner, ordered a small brass heart-shaped urn from Amazon. At first, the item appeared normal, though Wegner said it looked a little dusty. But when she opened the back of the urn, she discovered what appeared to be cremated remains inside.
Wegner said the ashes did not belong to her grandmother. The discovery left her shocked, uncomfortable and confused about how such a sensitive item could have been shipped that way.
The family said the urn appeared to be new, but the inside was covered with ashes. Wegner later contacted Amazon and said she was told she would receive a refund. She also reached out to the third-party seller, but said she did not receive a response.
Rather than returning the urn and risking the ashes being placed back into circulation, Wegner said she and her husband plan to respectfully spread the ashes near Flagstaff, Arizona.
The incident has raised questions about how online retailers and third-party sellers handle memorial products, especially items connected to human remains. For grieving families, receiving an urn with someone else’s ashes inside can add emotional distress during an already painful time.
Wegner said she has since received a replacement urn that arrived as expected. Still, the experience has left the family wanting better care and accountability when it comes to products used for memorial and funeral purposes.
