FTD.com rip-off artists

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
I got suckered into that Groupon deal with FTD.com last week. I thought I'd do something nice for my wife and get her a flower arrangement delivered for Valentine's Day. She loves tulips, so I picked up a $60 tulip arrangement, added chocolates and a card, and it came out to $100 after the discount.

The thing arrived yesterday, and it was a freakin' cheap looking 8" tall bouquet stuffed in a cheesy looking vase. It literally looked like something that you pick up for $12.99 at a grocery store. I was so embarrassed that I ran to the flowershop and got 2 dozen beautiful roses (for only $39.95 I might add).

I wrote an old man nasty-gram to their customer service, but I doubt I'll hear anything back. Just wanted to vent.
 

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
36,410
616
126
yup couldnt not agree more. when i need flowers for something i go to the grocery store. cheaper and in my opinion look just as good as paying a premium for deliverd flowers.

PLUS the flower green houses around my area all grow for proflowers.com, the same greenhouses that supply the local grocery stores.
 

Harrod

Golden Member
Apr 3, 2010
1,900
21
81
No kidding, I ordered some flowers yesterday, and got a call at 7:30 pm that they were running late. I ended up running down to the florist and picking them up and hand delivering them literally minutes before my girlfriend showed up. Next year, I'm going to do the same thing.
 

Cal166

Diamond Member
May 6, 2000
5,081
8
81
I would rather get my girlfriend/wife some nice flowers on any random day than this BS v-day.

$140 for vday? real nice.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Most any flowers delivered on or around valentines day is a rip off. But I do it anyway. Paid 100 bucks for a nice arrangement of roses and lilies. The 20 or 30 dollar service fee was what got me.
 
Jun 19, 2004
10,860
1
81
I'm normally not a fan of Whole Foods (mainly because I hate following the crowd that 'isn't following the crowd') but I picked up two dozen red roses for $20 plus tax. They were top notch too. They even had a booth set up inside where an employee would arrange them, wrap them, and tie a big ribbon on them free of charge. Can't beat that with a stick.
 

drebo

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
7,034
1
81
I use a local florist that I've used for years. They don't advertise, it's all word-of-mouth, but they do the best work I've seen.

Although, the last two years, I've done Edible Arrangements, and my wife really likes that. They're pretty and we get to have shenanigans with chocolate covered fruit.
 

Aharami

Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
21,205
165
106
phew, i almost pulled the trigger on that groupon deal also. but I forgot about it and when I checked back, the deal was over. glad I didn't. Went with a local florist - 2 doz roses for $25!
 

silverpig

Lifer
Jul 29, 2001
27,703
12
81
Apparently if you let groupon know that the company is being douchenozzles, they'll do something about it.

There's a hair salon (or nails, or massage... something like that) here that sent out some groupons for whatever it is they do. Normally it'd be $100, but the groupon was for $50. Good deal right? A few people I know bought the groupon, then went to the salon only to find a big sign that said "Groupon customers are charged a mandatory $40 tip".
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,741
456
126
flowers are kinda predictable and lame for valentines day.

predictable and lame... most likely, but predictable and EXPECTED is the key

doesn't matter how lame they may be, most girls enjoy them even if they try and claim they're "not that kind of girl"
 

preslove

Lifer
Sep 10, 2003
16,754
64
91
You also got ripped off. FTD was charging more to groupon customers than normal customers, so you didn't actually save anything. Look into getting a refund.

http://www.walletpop.com/2011/02/15/groupon-and-ftd-offer-refunds/
http://www.suntimes.com/business/38...funds-after-complaints-about-flower-deal.html

If you're local, there's no reason to use a service like FTD. A local shop will be cheaper, better, and allow you to actually see what you're getting. The national services usually go through local suppliers anyway. The only reason to use a service is if you're far away from the recipient (I used a service for my sick niece, 2 years ago).
 

rivan

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2003
9,677
3
81
If you MUST order online, I've had excellent luck with Proflowers.
 

paulney

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2003
6,909
1
0
If you MUST order online, I've had excellent luck with Proflowers.

Yeah, proflowers were not bad when I used them. I do remember news in Chicago or some other eastern town where they delivered flowers on the porch in freezing temperatures, and the recipients got a great ice cylinder with flowers sticking out of it.
 

Arik5405

Platinum Member
May 9, 2005
2,044
1
81
I got suckered into that Groupon deal with FTD.com last week. I thought I'd do something nice for my wife and get her a flower arrangement delivered for Valentine's Day. She loves tulips, so I picked up a $60 tulip arrangement, added chocolates and a card, and it came out to $100 after the discount.

The thing arrived yesterday, and it was a freakin' cheap looking 8" tall bouquet stuffed in a cheesy looking vase. It literally looked like something that you pick up for $12.99 at a grocery store. I was so embarrassed that I ran to the flowershop and got 2 dozen beautiful roses (for only $39.95 I might add).

I wrote an old man nasty-gram to their customer service, but I doubt I'll hear anything back. Just wanted to vent.


You do realize that FTD does not design the flowers your wife received right? FTD is just a wire service. You place your order with them, they wire the order to a local florist. You would be better off finding a local florist (google, phonebook, etc...) and ordering from them direct then you would be to place an order through a wire service like FTD. FTD takes a huge commission of that $100. The flower shop probably gets about $70 of that (if they're lucky). Then there is usually a delivery fee attached to that somewhere (about $5-$10). Then of course the florist has to make a profit, and the vendors the local florist uses increases the prices of flowers significantly during the week of Valentine's day. The vendor my dad uses charges a $1 premium per rose (plus the normal cost) during the week. You aren't going to get a $100 arrangement from a floral shop when you use a service like FTD.

Even if you live in Cincinnati, Ohio and you want to send flowers to your mom in Cleveland, it's going to be much cheaper looking on google for a florist in Cleveland and calling them yourself then it would be to use a wire service.
 
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drebo

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
7,034
1
81
I've never understood why anyone uses groupon. Huge scam, imo, and a place for disreputable businesses to pander their wares to idiots.
 

MagickMan

Diamond Member
Aug 11, 2008
7,460
3
76
Glad my aunt owns a flower shop, I don't deal with that shit. I bought two dozen roses for my GF, one red and one white, for $22 delivered. Which reminds me, I still need to pay my aunt for those, oops.
 

Arik5405

Platinum Member
May 9, 2005
2,044
1
81
Glad my aunt owns a flower shop, I don't deal with that shit. I bought two dozen roses for my GF, one red and one white, for $22 delivered. Which reminds me, I still need to pay my aunt for those, oops.

My dad asked me if I wanted some roses for my fiance on Valentine's Day, and I said no because it would make me look cheap as hell to give her free flowers from my dad's store. I also wouldn't buy any for her, because how can I justify purchasing flowers when I can get them for free? I told her about this and she agreed. Thanks dad for ruining the easiest gift I could have given her.
 

Kelemvor

Lifer
May 23, 2002
16,928
8
81
I've never understood why anyone uses groupon. Huge scam, imo, and a place for disreputable businesses to pander their wares to idiots.

That's not true. We use them all the time but only when we get something for a place we know. Great way to save money. There are lots of sites doing the same thing too.