| Mother's Day: Bouquet Buyers Beware
When you order Mother's Day flowers online, what you see isn't always what Mom gets. Most sites offer the disclaimer that arriving bouquets need immediate watering and a few hours to look their best.
Our first impression out of the box was, where's the rest of it? The 10-stem arrangement filled the vase in site photos, but looked noticeably sparse in person -- and more so as we opened other florist site boxes. As is, though, we think Mom would be mad we spent so much for so little. "We make every effort to deliver each arrangement as shown on the FTD. com Website," says FTD president Robert Apatoff. He says customers who aren't satisfied are encouraged to reach out "so that we can do our best to make things right. The polka-dotted vase -- though nicer than the plain one we'd picked -- arrived cracked. The underlying question: If this showed up at her doorstep, would she be impressed? . " The site provides a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and consumers unhappy with the quality of their offer might receive a refund or replacement, she says. It was nice to see a pop of color after two greener arrangements, but then we took a closer look. It's never too early to begin talking dollars. The tulips seemed smaller and less vibrantly colored than in the photo, too. The site describes the arrangement as "shipped fresh, budding and ready to bloom. " A day later, though, and no new flowers have opened. We're very proud of the freshness and cut stage of the product," he says, noting that new flowers should continue to open for two weeks. By the next morning, nearly a dozen of the lilies were open. com, says the flowers arrive in bud form to allow the customer to enjoy the bouquet for a longer amount of time. But we saw potential. The site promises "at least 20 blooms" on eight stems of white and pink lilies, and we counted at least twice that number of buds in the vase-filling arrangement. And it was already more fragrant than the other bouquets. Ella Orsatti, the general manager for Kabloom, says the substitution was likely the result of a quality issue with the roses, and in those cases the policy is to add extra (and more expensive) blooms rather than greenery. It's a good thing we went for a cheaper clear vase rather than the "garden green glass" version we initially saw pictured. Damaged or late shipments may be eligible for store credit or a replacement. Florists also tend to have signature touches and looks, she says, which may lead to a bouquet that differs from the standard stock photo. The most colorful and freshest of the bunch, Kabloom's bouquet was the only one to arrive with the stems in water. But the flowers weren't precisely what we ordered: the yellow spray roses had been replaced with yellow daisies and green dahlias, which gave it the appearance of a less-expensive bodega bouquet. Problems blooms typically result in a free replacement. With most couples waiting to marry and three quarters of marriage partners living together first, many celebrants are paying at least part of their wedding bill. Jesse Matney, vice president of marketing and ecommerce for OrganicBouquet. |
Saturday 5 May 2012
Mother's Day: Bouquet Buyers Beware
