New York

Online Florists Put to the Test

If you’re thinking of buying flowers for your sweetheart, you may be wondering – will the picture you used to make your order match what they actually receive?

NBC Responds units across the country including Dallas, New York and Los Angeles teamed up to test three popular online flower retailers: FTD, 1-800-Flowers and ProFlowers.

1-800-Flowers

With a $50 budget in mind, the NBC 6 Responds team visited 1800Flowers.com to pick out something nice to send to NBC San Diego. We chose the “Purple Passion Roses” arrangement with an upgraded vase. They were on sale, so we were able to nab a larger arrangement at a discounted price. The San Diego team chose for us the “Hydrangea in a Mosaic Planter”.

A few days later, on February 1st, our plant arrived at the station early in the morning. After a little unpacking and plenty of water, our hydrangea was set. Overall, it seemed similar to what was pictured, but not as full and parts of it still hadn’t fully bloomed yet. 1-800-Flowers told us that’s how the plant is supposed to look. The website notes it will arrive “budding and ready to bloom”.

Our purple roses arrived in San Diego on the day we chose. They, too, were in a box, so it took the team a little bit of work to get them in order. In a statement, 1-800-Flowers said: “At 1-800-Flowers.com, we are very focused on our #1 product, our customer experience. Our caring team is obsessed with world class service and we are committed to delivering smiles for our customers.”

We found the best deals in the middle of January. The closer you get to Valentine’s Day, the fewer options we found. And, if you want your flowers to arrive on the actual holiday, be prepared to pay a delivery surcharge. 1-800-Flowers had one for $7.99.

Proflowers

NBC Connecticut and NBC Los Angeles ordered flowers through Proflowers. NBC Los Angeles reports receiving the same types of flowers as what was pictured, but say they did get a flowerless stem. They also say most of the flowers bloomed after they were prepped. The bouquet lasted about 6 days before starting to dry out and wilt.

NBC Connecticut says their flowers arrived on time, bloomed within the projected 24 hours and lasted about 10 days. They report one of the carnation stems arrived broken and the roses had a significantly shorter life span than the rest of the bunch, lasting about 4 to 5 days before showing significant wear.

In a statement, Proflowers said: “If any ProFlowers customer is unsatisfied with their ProFlowers order for any reason, we will replace it or refund. That is our policy …and what our business and world-class quality reputation is built on.” The statement goes on to say, “With flowers, as with any perishable product, there are occasional issues. We have dedicated customer service representatives in place to resolve any of these issues to our customers’ satisfaction in line with our guarantees. We would be happy to replace or [[issue a]] refund for your bouquet”.

FTD

NBC 5 Dallas and NBC News 4 New York used FTD to place their orders.  NBC DFW reports that compared to the picture of the bouquet they were supposed to receive, they had all the same types of flowers, but there looked to be much less of the actual flowers and more greenery. The flowers, they observed, had lots of buds. But 3 days after their arrival, they said the flowers were starting to die and by the 4th day they were entirely dead.

New York says the arrangement they received was exactly as pictured online but there were a few wilted leaves in the package. The buds took about a day to fully open up.

In a statement, FTD said, in part: “Flowers come in many varied shapes, colors, sizes, forms and textures and are a perishable product. While all floral products have natural variations, FTD florists take the time and care to handcraft and deliver quality floral products.” The company added that they have a 7-day satisfaction guarantee and, “That guarantee means that our floral arrangements will last at least seven days or customers can get their money back or receive a replacement bouquet”.

FTD Statement:

We are pleased that the FTD Precious Heart bouquet was delivered on time and that it was an overall great match to the photo. Flowers come in many varied shapes, colors, sizes, forms and textures and are a perishable product. While all floral products have natural variations, FTD florists take the time and care to handcraft and deliver quality floral products.

Since flowers are a perishable product, our policy is to ensure quality and freshness through our FTD “Good As Gold” 7 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. That guarantee means that our floral arrangements will last at least seven days or customers can get their money back or receive a replacement bouquet. When we hear from our customers with a concern, FTD’s customer service specialists will work to resolve those issues to our customers’ satisfaction. If our customers are not satisfied with the quality of their flowers, we encourage them to contact us at 1-800-SEND-FTD within that our guarantee period for a replacement or refund.

FTD takes pride in making people feel like exceptional gift givers through our artisan-designed, handcrafted flowers.

ProFlowers Statement:

If any ProFlowers customer is unsatisfied with their ProFlowers order for any reason, we will replace it or refund. That is our policy 365 days/year and what our business and world-class quality reputation is built on. All ProFlowers bouquets are backed by a 7-Day Freshness 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.

ProFlowers takes tremendous pride in providing the best service to our valued customers. We are recognized time and time again as having the highest customer satisfaction rates among flower companies. Truly, our mission is to delight our customers – and we do whatever it takes to accomplish that.

With flowers, as with any perishable product, there are occasional issues. We have dedicated customer service representatives in place to resolve any of these issues to our customers’ satisfaction in line with our guarantees. We would be happy to replace or refund for your bouquet.

ProFlowers has delivered more than 60 million bouquets since our inception on Valentine’s Day in 1998, and we will never compromise on your flower's freshness or longevity. Customer service for ProFlowers can be reached at 800-580-2913.

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