|
Flowers ain't Shoes"
As a consumer, when you buy flowers on-line, remember that Flowers are
not like shoes.... One size does not fit all......and the picture is not always accurate!
Here's a few things to remember
when you place a flower order:
1. Flowers are seasonal.
2. Prices will vary from town to town.
3. Real florists
don't charge "Service Fees" for their own town.
(You should only pay for product, delivery and tax).
4. Florists are
Artists -- not cookie cutters!
5. Flower arrangements are not shipped by a florist from a warehouse.
6. Most catalogue
pictured arrangements are not shown to or with actual dimensions.
7. "Flowers shipped straight from the grower" are probably
in a warehouse in or near to your city. (for instance, most roses are grown in South america and are shipped in bulk to depots
near US airports).
8. Florists are allowed to substitute in your order -- with similar flowers or a similar container.
If there is a question about the availability of product, for instance, the "Real Florist" will contact you.
The
"Lingo" you need to Know:
1. "Broker florists" will list in the town that you need to send something to.....that does
not mean that they actually have a store there.
2. Internet orders are a transfer of money, not products!
3. You pay
a "broker" to push the "send" button....Is it really worth an extra $15.00 convenience fee to you?
4. Wire service (such
as FTD, Teleflora, 1-800-flowers
or Bloomnet) charge member florists monthly membership fees; they charge you a "service fee" for placing your order
with them, and then keep a percentage of the order value as their fee for providing the transfer of the orderfrom you to the
actual florist.
5. "Broker Florists" have been known to short the money relayed to a "real" florist -- this is called skimming.
6.
"Service fees" do not go into the product or delivery charge. They go into the pockets of the corporation as a convenience
fee.
What you can do as a consumer when placing a flower order:
1. If you are searching for a florist on
the internet, scroll down and find a florist with an actual physical address in the town you have selected.
2. If
you are paying a "service fee" for a local delivery, then you have not found a "local" florist -- keep looking!!
3. Double
check the amount of the order with the florist who delivered the product for you. You should receive a confirmation email
or an actual receipt in the mail.
4. The Name of the "ordering florist" should match the business name on the deliver envelope.
5.
All wire services (FTD, Teleflora, etc) have a very small "find a florist" icon on their websites -- use it! This will take
you and your order directly to the florist who will actual fill your order.
After All, You work hard for your money....
Why
spend $10 to $15 dollars ---money that doesn't go into your gift, and is directly out of your pocket, for the "convenience"
of placing an order?
PS.....This will not take as much time as your think...and in the end, will actually Save Your
Money!!! And today, isn't that what we all want to do?
Tips to Avoid Being Fooled by Flower Order Gatherers
- Check the Home and About Us pages for the physical address of the business.
- Ask 'What is Your Address?' when you call on the phone. If they decline to provide
it, consider calling another florist.
- Check the Contact Us page for a local phone number. It should match the area
code of the location to where your flowers are being delivered. If the contact information consists of an email address only,
be suspicious.
- Call the local phone number. If it is answered 'Flower Shop' without providing the
name of the florist, ask which shop you've called. If they provide a different answer than the one you've dialed, you may
have reached a gatherer/broker.
- On the phone, ask for the business' location and driving directions. If they fail
to provide these details, consider calling a different florist.
- Ask the florist to itemize all charges. Be especially cautious about companies that charge relay fees, same-day fees, service fees, shipping
fees and handling fees. Local florists generally charge for delivery (which you also pay through a broker) but the other
surcharges are completely avoidable when ordering direct from the florist who will actually make your arrangement.
- Google the phone number. If it appears under many different business names with different
locations, be suspicious.
- Be aware that just because an ad or website name says "City Name Florist", it doesn't
mean the company is located in or actually delivers to that city.
- If following a link from a search engine ad, find the site's home page. Order gatherer sites often contain directory-like links named after states, provinces and cities. Each page will appear
virtually the same except for the city name.
Consumer Reports
The February issue of Consumer Reports covers boxed, shipped roses from ProFlowers, Hallmark, Organic Bouquet and
Jungle Roses. CR's recommendation:
"Consider ordering from a florist near the recipient (check the Web)."
Now there's some good advice, although we do caution Valentines to beware of the tactics used by some order gatherers to mislead consumers about their locations. Make sure your local florist is really local.
Phony Florists: National Flower Fraud
Investigative reporter Hank Phillipi Ryan of WHDH-TV Channel 7 in Boston covered phony florists posing as local flower shops using local city names and fake addresses. Orders placed through the phone numbers are forwarded to out-of-state call centers where consumers'
dollars are skimmed and the values of their flowers are substantially reduced. (Video of Hank's consumer report
can be viewed by following the phony florist link above.)
The segment included an interview with Donna McGuire of Abigail's Roses of Quincy, MA, who had received a skimmed order sent to her store via 1-800-Flowers Bloomnet Network (BMT) by a Waukesha, WI affiliate. The Waukesha
affiliate had purchased local phone numbers in Massachusetts, named them to appear to be local flower shops, added
fake addresses and arranged with the phone company for the calls to be forwarded to their Wisconsin operation.
Consumers didn't know they'd called a not-local-florist until they saw their purchases and complained about being disappointed with the values. In
each case, the call centers had removed undisclosed fees before forwarding the orders to unsuspecting real local florists to make and deliver.
Barabara Anthony of the Federal Trade Commission said, "Taking consumers money when they are unaware of it, through deception, that's against the
law."
|
