FTD.com Sucks
I’ve never used one of the online flower delivery services before and after Valentine’s Day I know why. FTD, which is one of the larger flower sites, dropped the ball for me in a big way and basically left me with no options on getting the women in my family flowers.
So on Valentine’s morning, being the nice guy that I am and all, I decided to get online and order some flowers for my mom and both of my sisters. I checked around on all the different sites to see who could guarantee delivery on the same day I placed the order. I ended up placing four very large orders (flowers on Valentine’s Day aren’t cheap) with FTD since they were the ones that promised delivery on that same day. Yes, they promised even on Valentine’s Day. I had placed my order around 8:30 AM and had been waiting anxiously all day for that call from my mom telling me what a wonderful son I am. It never came. Instead, around 3:30 that afternoon and the emails from FTD start rolling in, one after another…
Unfortunately, at this time we do not have a florist available in your recipient’s delivery area who can deliver your product on 2/14.
Ok, so getting an email like that at 3:30 does nothing to help my cause of getting flowers to my family members on that day. By that time all the florists where way to buys to accept new orders and being hundreds of miles away from family I couldn’t just run down and get them. If FTD didn’t have the florist available in my area they should have never taken my order in the first place. Why offer something you know isn’t available in the first place. Second, they shouldn’t have waited until 3:30 in the afternoon to let me know. By that time I was basically out of options like I mentioned.
All-in-all I had placed four separate orders on Valentine’s day with FTD and not a single one of the made it to their destination. The fourth order showed up on Tuesday the 19th and the three others suffered the fate of no florists in the area. By the way, they never did alert me that the fourth order wouldn’t make it that day.
In conclusion I just want to reiterate the fact that FTD sucks and never in my life will I do business with them. If getting flowers to your loved ones on time is important to you I’d recommend you don’t use them either. I’m not one to complain about companies that screw me over, but I just can’t let this one go.
That sucks bigtime. Did you contact them about not living up to their promises? What did they say and did they compensate you in any way?
Yeah, they did refund my money but that’s besides the point.
You obviously have no experience ordering flowers for Valentines. Florists are swamped with orders and most stop taking orders for delivery 2-3 days before the 14th. I’m sure FTD really tried to find a florist to fill your order but since it was so late in the game they just couldn’t locate one. If you want the flowers delivered you should order several days in advance. You just waited too late.
Will the public ever figure this out? F T D is not a florist or a flower shop. They are only an automatic web site and call center. They have no flowers, no designers and have never delivered a bouquet themselves. But what they are is an order gatherer, a flower order broker, a third party who automatically sends the order to a local florist who is accepting orders. Do they add value to the process………doubtful….. and they charge $14.95 for that “service” as well as retaining a near 30% commission. On a $100 Valentines order….that is $44.95 to F T D out of the $100. What a fantasic gross profit margin!!
But why would they stop taking / sending orders at any time. Do they really care? They probably got half of the orders taken on Feb 14 delivered on Feb 14 as they eventualy would find a florist with their FTD electronic order terminal still turned or one who was still answering phones. The FTD system is automatic……..look…. no overheads…….no inventory…… just automatic software and big profits.
Why is it so hard to figure out that the order has to be delivered by the local florist ?? How could an office in Chicago with a web site in Toronto deliver flowers? All of their orders are sent to third parties to be filled……….either by real local florists or from a warehouse by fedex who leave the flowers at the door no matter what.
The public usually catches on to most dubious business scemes but they are not even close to figuring this out. FTD handled over 4 milion orders last year. And the other big order gatherers handled millions more teleflora.com 1-800-flowers.com just flowers.com just to name 3 more out of hundredes or maybe thousands. All operated out of
offices, homes, basements, garages who knows where.
Order Local. Pretty simple. If it looks too good to be true……..it very much probably is not true. It is very doubtful if you or anyone else could have found a real local florist in that town to take an order on Feb 14. So whose fault is it? Yours or FTD?
Let the buyer beware!! That caveat will always be true! Why blame FTD? At least they tried……some thing you did not do.
Ken
@Joe – understandable, but if that is the case FTD should have never guaranteed they would be delivered. Remember, I’m just the dumb consumer here.
@Ken – fair enough and I’ve learned my lesson. I guess the reason I used FTD and others do to is the convenience.
I’m going to have to go with Cameron on this one – being the dumb consumer, I shouldn’t have to know that FTD isn’t the actual flower company, etc. I should assume that if they don’t have flowers “in stock” and deliverable that day, they wouldn’t have that option available for me to choose.
I worked for ProFlowers.com for a short while over last Valentine’s holiday and it was NUTS. However, they don’t try to falsely advertise that they can deliver flowers the day of. I think FTD just lied and ripped you off.
My point? Use proflowers and order at least a day earlier
Watch out for Mother’s Day coming up – it’s actually the biggest holiday for flower sales.
Cameron — you’re spot on — and I learned that their competition sucks just as hard. Check this email out that I had to send out to them…
= = = = = =
Please provide an immediate refund to order #W00552501589662.
The order was clearly stated to be delivered on 02/14 — but was not. When I called the evening of 02/14 to check the order, your phone support let me hear one recording (stating to go online) and then disconnected on me.
That is unacceptable customer support.
Furthermore, your web site clearly stated throughout the order process that my order of 6 roses and 6 balloons would be delivered ON 02/14.
Today (02/15) at 12:30, the flowers were delivered. The delivery person stated to my wife that while she was sorry, “there was no way they could deliver the flowers on time because we were too busy”.
Again, the order was for six roses and six balloons. Delivered were one dozen roses, which of course no longer represented the Valentine’s Day theme.
Again, that is unacceptable.
To confirm, your business advertised an ability to deliver on 02/14. In fact, I clearly paid a premium for that service. The order was not delivered on time.
The order was for a Valentine’s themed product of six roses and six balloons. The delivered arrangement was not representative of the product ordered, and lacked all theming of Valentine’s Day.
Finally — your automated service informed me at 1:08PM ET on 02/15 that the arrangement was delivered on 02/14/08 — which is an absolute lie.
Again, I am requesting a full and immediate refund on this order. Your customer service to date has been unacceptable, and I can assure you that my business will be taken elsewhere unless this matter is immediately rectified.
= = = = = =
..Thankfully, I fought to the point that I could get a full refund on my order, but it says something about the industry.
Really quite humorous that we both got hosed by these slackers.
See you next week?
@Eric – doubtful that I’ll see you next week, don’t think I’ll make it. Sorry that you got hosed too
Hello I work for FTD.com personally I understand where you come from. We are just the online company that represent what we can supply you with you with. We have alot of customers that are happy and dissappointed. I am a Network Engineer for the company, being in technology that you maybe know that some situations that may come up at the last minute may not always come out perfect. That’s pretty much anything. I can tell you that we try our best to satisfy the customer and you also got your money back. I order flowers two weeks before hand for my girlfriend and showed up on Valentines day. She was happy but I had to test this out myself to see how reliable the company I worked at as well.
So before you say that FTD sucks make sure that you presenting you situation correctly.
I ordered two arrangements from Teleflora a week ago for my mother and grandmother for Mothers Day. I received them today and they do not look nothing like the arrangements that I ordered online. When I called Teleflora’s customer service I was told they would give me a 20% discount and send the flowers out on Monday. What’s the point that is the day AFTER Mothers Day. I will have to settle for the 20% discount but never, never again will I ever order flowers from an online service I will go and personally pick them out myself.
They take your money from( paypal)and wont refund it or refund the flowers.The only thing I can do is make a comlaint with the BBB.If everyone did that,this wouldnt happen.
Yes. I’m a former worker and supervisor for FTD.com. The reps are the worst I’ve ever had seen in my life. The company is deceitful. Supervisors are trained to lie to the customers as well as reps. Want your money back? Keep escalating the call up as far as you can. Trust me. you will be compensated. As far as flowers or items delivered by fed ex, ups, or dhl. Even if the package and arrangement comes in nice, if you want your money back all you have to do is call in and tell the rep there is a bad quality issue within 7 days of receiving your item. They will either give you a full refund, or send out another at your request. Also, here is a list of managers and ect. if you wish to go the email route and skip the phone call crap.
Kelly Wood (manager) — kwood@ftdi.com
Tracie Lucas (manager) — tlucas@ftdi.com
Erin Reigle (manager) ereigle@ftdi.com
Jimmy Herndon (Asst Director) jherndon@ftdi.com
Carey Howington (Flowers all hours director) chowington@ftdi.com
Scott Sanders (Director) ssanders@ftdi.com
Michael Soenen (Pres. and CEO) msoenen@ftdi.com
Yes, FTD does suck. After rave reviews from my brother, who always uses this service to send flowers, I decided to try it. Friday, Sept 19th 10A.M. I ordered flowers which stated they would be delivered today. At 3 p.m. I get a call saying 2 florists they contacted would not accept the order. (also they had the recipent listed as myself, which was not the case). Finally they had the correct address and told me the flowers would be sent out on Saturday. Called Saturday to check on the order and was told they definitely would be delivered today. Called Monday Sept. 23rd no the flowers hadn’t been delivered the florist they contacted refused the order. (was anyone going to let me know?) I asked that my account be credited but she couldn’t do that until she spoke to the florist on Tuesday. I was told I would receive an email confirming my order cancellation, which I didn’t. So I called once again and spoke to someone who said yes they would cancel the order and that it may take 4-5 days for the credit to appear.(it didn’t take that long for the charge to appear).
i placed an order with ftd, called it in, and found that FTD sucks. after getting of the ph with a rep i did a google search on FTD sucks. says, 10,000 hits. i quit looking after scanning the 1st 30 complaints.
bottom line: FTD sucks. i placed a birth day order, the wrong one showed, floweres my wife is deathly allergic to. called ftd, they rescheduled new delivery with right product 4 days later. end of that day . . . no flowers. i called and cancelled order and the service rep had to “get permission” to refund my $$.
i recommmend – take your business elsewhere.
dan b – seattle wa – dec 2008
Dan, thanks for your comment. I am sorry to hear that. That does suck
Unfortunately, I have heard bad things about 1800 flowers too. How about this… If anyone knows one of these services that don’t suck, let us all know.
JUST FLOWERS SUCKS TOO! Ordered flowers for my fathers ONE day funeral showing.
Flowers nevered showed up and then they tried to blame it on the funeral home. Their answer – we will give you your money back. Nice of them since we never received the item!
My advice – order directly from local florist – you save money & it will probably get there!
MY EMAIL TO FTD.COM: This is the 3rd attempt to get you people to respond to YOUR failure to deliver my wifes anniversary flowers on 12/31/08!! I have posted a dispute with paypal to get my money back since YOU wouldn’t respond. Your 800 customer service is useless. WOW, what happened to FTD? My fault for not checking for complaints before I ordered, hundreds of them on the net. So anyway just refund my money quickly( I’m sure with your track record an apology is asking to much, LOL!!).
http://www.prlog.org/10162263-ftd-and-ftdcom-dont-deliver-as-promised.html
Guys -
FTD, 1-800-Flowers, Just Flowers and all the ‘national’ companies use local florists so why not bypass them and their $15 and up service charges and order direct?
Here’s how to easily find a good local flower shop:
1. Go to Google Maps and type in the recipient’s address.
2. Select ‘Search nearby’ and enter ‘florist’ in the text box. You’ll be presented with a list of the closest shops.
3. Go to the top of the left column and refine the search by ‘User Rating’ – choose a minimum of 3 stars.
4. Viola! Check out a few of the top listings and buy from one who meets your look, feel & price range. (Be sure to pay attention to the distance indicated from you delivery location. If it’s more than 15 miles, the shop may not actually service that area themselves.) Unsure? Pick up the phone and call them.
5. You’ll know who is actually handling your order so if there are any questions or changes, they can be handled quickly.
6. If the florist does a great job, return to the listing and write a nice user review.
All local florists aren’t perfect, but the communication and savings are well worth the little bit of effort it takes to go direct.
Hi, I own a flower shop. And yes, it’s about time that people realize that flower brokers ARE NOT Florists. Also know that most REAL Florists have websites and you need only to seach for a LOCAL Florist in the city you are sending flowers or use a florist search site. Because we receive 100% of the payment when you deal directly with us, you will be treated as if you were walking through our door. Best Wishes in the future . Remember to order DIRECTLY from a REAL FLORIST…
You are a doll! How lucky your Mother and Sisters are to have a brother that would go through this trouble and stress for them. It is not a consumers responsibility to know the methods and procedures that a business must practice to deliver a product guaranteed. Especially carrying the brand of “FTD.” This was a most unfortunate transaction for you, last minute yes, but do not give up on FTD. They have been in the business for a long time with many satisfied customers. And in this day and age for the people with busy lives, net shopping is more convenient. One day, give it another shot, you and your recepient will be left smiling:)
As a florist I am as frustrated with FTD, Teleflora, and all the other order gatherers as the consumer. They once served an important function but they are no longer necessary and in their desparation to stay in business they have become deceptive and unethical. Please call a real florist in the town you want the flowers delivered. Be aware that the scam artists will advertise in the phone books and on line as your local florist. Ask if you can pick up your order and if they say they only deliver then you know they do not actually have a shop and are just a call center stealing orders from the real florist. In my town they advertise as Florist in Concord with a phone number 1 digit off from my shop’s phone number. Unbelievable that this is legal!
Don’t be fooled by the order gatherers.
Agreed – not a good service. I just blogged about my own very poor experience with them. I will not be using them again.
DO NOT USE THIER SERVICE IT SUCKS!
Look at the pictures on the websites and call the florist! The florist, the real live person arranging your flowers & delivering your flowers will be able to tell you if they have what your want -and when you want it. I’m a florist…how many times have I spoken to people asking me if I’m in the town they are sending the flowers to?!? -yes,folks–a real live bricks & mortar store for over 50 years…not someone at a desk saying “sure we’ll get your order to that town” but first we want to wring some of your hard earned cash out of it before we even forward it to the professional doing the real work……..REMEMBER- use a florist directly!! phone or internet to the town you are sending your flowers or use your local florist to forward your flowers to another town (they will at least know what you’re talking about & availability)…….also, these are perishable products, they get put together not taken off a shelf, please order EARLY, it doesn’t mean it won’t be fresh, it means it will be put together just for your order. Think of the mechanics, why put a middleman in there, taking some of your money? call the guy who’s going to do the work! And please, order early, you’ll get the better stuff instead of the last minute slobs or the faceless order gatherers.
next time don’t wait until the morning of the holiday to order. your fault for being so stupid…..
As a flower shop owner I have become very frustrated myself with the deceptive advertising practices of order gathers and wire services. By misleading the public they give the whole floral industry a black eye and fewer people will send and enjoy flowers because of bad experiences. Unfortunately many small local shops don’t have an advertising budget to compete for consumers attention. I can certainly understand searching for a local shop can be a tough task. Even googling for local florists can be tricky. What’s a well intentioned flower lover to do? Here are a few suggestions.
Contact the Chamber of Commerce in the town in which you wish to send flowers for the names and numbers of local florists. Check with funeral homes in the area you want to send flowers. Call them and ask them to recomend a quality local florist and ask them for the number. Good florists work closely with their local funeral homes and the funeral directors see their work regularly and can speak of the reliability and design abilities of the florists in the area they service. The Chamber offices and funeral homes can be easily searched online and may even have websites with links to local florists.
Busy holidays should not be an excuse for low quality designs, even on last minute orders, particularly from wire service members who should be held to a higher standard of quality and service according to their own advertising.
Not all flower shops are created equal. Just like any other industry there are good and bad businesses. It takes using those business to know which ones perform to to a high standard. Reputable florists understand that sending flowers out of your area can be a confusing thing to do for a consumer who is unfamiliar with the way the service works and try their best to make the purchase an enjoyable one.
Visit the local shops in your own area occasionally to get a feel for the work they do and the standards of service they maintain. Getting to know your own local florist can go a long way into having a better experience in sending flowers locally or across the country. We do our best to accomodate all of our customers but a good regular customer can sometimes get a little extra pampering in a pinch situation. Ordering early if you can is always a good idea especially during a holiday season or when sending to a small town. Often in a small shop the selection may be smaller than that of shops in larger areas but if we have a day or two notice we can order in the specific flowers you need. We have two sayings in our shop-
1. Given enough time and money we can do just about anything.
2. Don’t wait for an occasion to send flowers, send flowers and make it an occasion!
I’m sorry to anyone who has ever had a bad experience with any florist but urge you to not let that stop you from enjoying the wonderful and
positive benefits of flowers! There truly is something to be said about stopping to smell the roses.
FTD messed up my Mother’s Day order! I ordered one of their advertised items. The rep verified that the shop it was coming from had the item. What was delivered was completly different and not at all what I wanted to send. The 1-800 rep was not at all helpful when I called the problem in. I was overcharged on top of it. I will NEVER use FTD again.