Federal Trade
Commission ALERT!!!
"Petal Pushers: Is Your
'Local' Florist Really Long-Distance?"
Flowers are a great way to celebrate a birthday,
cheer up a sick friend, or simply brighten someone's day.
Your local florist is just a phone call away, or
so you think.
Some unscrupulous telemarketing firms are posing as local florists,
charging you higher fees and taking
flower business away from legitimate florists in your town.
Here's how the deception works.
A telemarketer takes out a bogus flower
listing in the yellow pages of your telephone directory or on-line
yellow pages.
When you call, you're forwarded to an out-of-town telemarketing operation.
The telemarketer takes your order and credit card information for payment,
and forwards your flower order to a
LOCAL flower shop!
The telemarketer pockets a processing
fee AND a percentage of the sale!
You don't realize you've been scammed until you get higher than expected
charges
from an out-of town company on your credit card statement,
or learn that the flowers weren't delivered to value because the telemarketer
took a large percentage of your money ...
or your flowers were never delivered at all!
How to Protect Yourself. Follow these tips before
you order your next pot of posies:
* Ask neighbors, family, friends, and co-workers
for florist recommendations.
* Deal only with flower shops that list a street
address with their phone number.
* If you're asking directory assistance for a number, also tell them
you want a LOCAL FLORIST and ask for the street number and address for
the flower shop to be sure.
If there isn't one, consider doing business with another florist.
* Ask the florist for directions to
the flower shop.
If they hesitate or refuse, consider this a red flag and avoid doing
business with that "florist".
When a Rose is a Ruse: What to Do If You've Been
Scammed
If you placed an order through a wire service, a
toll-free number, or a local florist,
call that number and describe the problem.
Find out where your money went!
Did a large percentage of your money come out before the florist who
filled your order received payment?
This may be why your flower arrangement is not what you expected.
If you feel the order-taker skimmed more than his fair share, say so!
Request a portion of those service fees
be refunded to you.
If your flower arrangement was never delivered,
and you paid by credit card,
you can dispute the charges with the card issuer.
But remember, your
best protection comes from dealing directly with the florist who will
be filling your order!
Most local florists have toll free numbers and web sites,
alleviating the need to give your order to an on-line service or telemarketer!
You may also find your local florist can help you send out of town orders.
By dealing with a LOCAL florist, you develop a relationship with that
LOCAL company
who can be your advocate should any problems arise.
To file a complaint or to get free information
on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov
or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.
As a follow
up to the FTC's alert on buying from "800 - order takers"
and on-line "dot.com faux florists" :
We are finding some repeat problems
when we receive these orders from on-line order-takers.
Be sure
you know what you are ordering!
On-line and 800-number "order-takers" often use pictures
that mislead!
They may feature a flower arrangement that is meant to be all-around,
but face ALL the flowers to the front for the photo, giving the impression
of a much larger arrangement!
Sometimes they show a flower arrangement
in a trendy small glass cube.
These are SMALL arrangements ...
as all flowers MUST BE CUT DOWN to fit into the small cube! Long showy
stems will simply fall out!
CALL A LOCAL
FLORIST!
SPEAK TO A REAL PERSON IN A REAL FLOWER
SHOP
WHO WILL ACTUALLY HANDLE YOUR ORDER FROM ORDER TAKING, TO PRODUCTION
,TO DELIVERY!
You will then have a personal relationship with someone who cares about
your order and can track it from start to finish.
You can find local florists in
any city by using on-line yellow pages such as
yellowpages.com
CAUTION! Avoid "florists" who do not list their local
address, but instead list "Serving Your Area".
Alternatively, your own local florist
should also be able to send your flowers OUT of town, as well as IN
town.
They will be your representative should any problem arise.
Discuss
what you really intend to send!
Your local florist will be able to make suggestions for an item that
suits your needs best!
If a small, compact arrangement is what you are looking for, a cube
arrangement may be just what you want!
If you want to make an impression with a larger showier arrangement,
let your florist suggest containers and styles that will really show
off that same amount of flowers ... usually
at the same price!
Your local florist can make suggestions as to style, size, availability,
lasting quality, and more!
. . Did you know ... How to make your 
... Did you know ... 
Did you know ... We offer DISCOUNTS on standing orders?
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