Had this happen once, last year actually. They (finally, 3 days later) sent the intended party a free bouquet and a hand written and signed apology explaining it was their fault, on company letterhead, and one to me, and gave me a 25 dollar credit with the refund. After that apology, I use them to this day, but don't quite trust them for the last minute/crunch time flowers.

I gotta say I'd do the same thing this guy did. I'd be pissed off if I dropped 75 dollars on some flowers and they didn't show up and still got charged. He probably shouldn't have taunted the guy but I'd have done it too. I hope everything gets straightened out for him.

Carey is right, the only way to gurantee anything in this day and age is to have it in your own two hands.

Too many people in the delivery chain now offering too many opertunities to pass the buck.

I hope you get taken care of Tip, but goading the CEO might not be the best route.

He does not have to be afraid of the company. It's his right to say what's on his mind as long as it's civil. But they should give him his money back. And paying to a local flower business is way better than online. It's cheaper as well. Flowers, bottle of wine, and a box of chocolates can be about 75$ compared to only one item the flowers from the net.

Wow, this guy sounds to have a tad bit "wealth envy." For some reason it's bad for him to sell his shares and get money from the company he's invested in?

LOVE THE PIC! 5/5 FOR CUTE!

big deal. a flower company overbooked on valentines day and they couldnt deliver. an automated computer system that billed the customer (probably ahead of time) for a service that wasnt rendered.

customer is OUTRAGED that he couldnt get an immediate resolution from a company on a friday afternoon, after their busiest day of the year.

these are the same people that order a present on xmas on dec 22nd for overnight shipping and are incredibly outraged when the company or shipping method fails them. it baffles me that people expect flawless service during these holiday times. why does he need a resolution about his $75 this day or week? why not wait a week or two, perhaps when their business has slowed a little, as ask for the resolution needed?

some understanding, patience, and common sense here would have been a better way to pursue this matter, rather than 'allowing your blood pressure to shoot through the roof".

@snazz: i agree. businesses have flaws too. i bet if this guy was working for the flower company, he'd send an outraged response to the customer along the lines of 'omg....do you KNOW how busy it gets this time of year? wait a week'

seriously, who orders flowers online anyway? go to the supermarket. they're probably fresher, local, and you don't have to worry about shipping.

The same thing (almost) actually happened to my husband and I just yesterday, when I received flowers for our anniversary. I dislike red and pink flowers - so he ordered purple. What showed up but a skimpy pink bouquet. When I was made to sign a form stating that I received a purple bouquet, and questioned it, I was informed "Oh, yeah, yesterday (V-Day) was busy, I didn't buy any new flowers today. Come down and buy more flowers and I'll give you a discount," and he laughed.

Further investigation showed that not only was the bouquet the wrong color, but FTD.com clearly stated the number of stems that were to be included, and we were shorted by three. And minor but just more flame on the fire was the fact that the hand-written card (I've always received type-written from FTD...) was in all caps and a word near the end was misspelled - and instead of rewriting the card, they just wrote over the wrong letter and delivered it that way.

A note to the OP, I finally got through to Customer Service at FTD's phone number (as I kept getting my calls dropped too) by going through to order, and explaining my problem and requesting that the rep actually get a CS rep on the line before handing me over. That worked out just fine.

That rep I eventually spoke to contacted the local florist, who was incredibly rude to her and refused to pick up and correct their incorrect/shortchanged order. They offered a 20% refund as compensation, which my husband emphatically refused, demanding either redelivery of a nicer bouquet from a different florist or a full refund. We're still waiting on their response after directing them to photos we posted on my husband's website. Check out the pics of my substandard bouquet here: [www.onetakedesigns.com] and what I should have received here:[www.ftd.com]

@jaya9581: Oh, and this wasn't a last-minute order, either, he ordered it a week ahead of time.

No flowers...no booty. That's just the way it is! ;-)

If they can't deliver the order as promised, they shouldn't have taken it in the first place. If the website says a customer can place an order on the 12th and it will be delivered on the 14th, it's not the fault of the customer for believing the claim.

As an aside, my girlfriend ordered some sugar-free chocolate back in mid-January to be delivered Valentine's Day for us to enjoy. Two days after Valentine's Day and still waiting for that to arrive.

@snazz: I also agree but ... would it kill FTD.com to turn on the "No freaking way are you getting flowers by the 14th." sign a little earlier?

This letter was worthy of a end-of-rope escalation -- not an "I tried to call on the busiest day of the year and didn't want to hold". And criticizing a CEO for exercising a couple of hundred thousand shares worth of options is like criticizing someone for cashing their holiday bonus check. The guy has been with the company for 12 years -- he's allowed to sell stock.

This letter should've been about 2 paragraphs shorter. Less a*hole comments would've made it a worth end-of-rope letter

@jaya9581:
a week ahead of time? where did you read that? what i read was "Your site said it would be possible to deliver that day, even when the order was placed on the 12th."

FTD does not sell flowers. they are a go-between between customers and their local flower shops. so to all the people saying that a local grocery would be better, thats actually putting your local flower shop out of business, since the grocery stores order in such bulk that the locals cant compete.

so seeing as how FTD does not sell flowers themselves, they are as reliable as the local store in your area. if the local store tells them they can deliver something, they have to take that at face value.

yes, it sucks that the flowers didnt get delivered. but who the hell orders flowers on the 12th? order at least a few weeks ahead of time. 'look sweetie, i love you so much that i ordered you flowers as an afterthought, when i heard my coworkers talking about what theyre doing for *their* girlfriends for valentines day'.

if you have a valid complaint with a company, be rational with them before resorting to childish attacks like the ones above. trying to call them on the friday after valentines day and expecting an immediate response is not too bright. call back on monday. cool off a little. they said they got flowers somewhere else anyways and it didnt ruin their 'special day', so whats the big deal?

calm down, take a breath, and write an intelligent, brief explanation of what happened, and what results you would like to see. chances are, theyd be more than happy to oblige.

@glass: I think Jaya was referring to her husband, and her prior comment, not the post.

CANCEL THE ACCOUNT! CANCEL THE ACCOUNT! Oh wait, I mean... STAY AWAY FROM ONLINE FLORISTS! STAY AWAY FROM ONLINE FLORISTS!

I bet my fiance is glad I don't have a need for $75 weeds. I'd much rather go to a nice dinner (or THREE...) or a movie or a play, etc. etc. with our hard-earned money than waste it on silly things like perishable flowers.

Unless I need the flowers delivered somewhere I can't be, I prefer to go to the local florist. The staff members are always super helpful and they really know their stuff when it comes to flowers. I've never been disappointed and neither have the recipients.

Happened to me too --- sent a dozen roses to the girlfriend via FTD for Valentine's Day and they still haven't arrived.

Here's the fedex tracking page:

Ship date

Feb 13, 2008

Destination

RUSSELLVILLE, AR

Service type

Standard Overnight

Weight

5.0 lbs.

Status

Package data transmitted to FedEx

Details

Feb 13, 2008 10:57 AM



Package data transmitted to FedEx

I had to order flowers online this year, had a funeral to go to out of state and would not be home for Valentines day. I used proflowers and didn't pay extra for delivery on the 14th instead choose the 13th or 14th delivery. Flowers came late Wednesday and my wife loved them.

@glass: I was talking about my own story, not the OPs....

@snazz: I have to disagree with you. I fell victim to this same type of BS after i paid $17 for a garrunteed V-Day delivery. If they can't do it, then they shouldn't advertise same-day delivery on Valentines day. Plain and simple.

@DAN25: Do you think that the last paragraph in the letter was necessary and civil?

Don't even get us started. We're dealing with bridal bouquets and the price keeps on skyrocketting. We're thinking about just using silk and throwing the damn thing away. No need to worry about a florist.

Can I just call the guy a dumbass for spending $75 on flowers and call it a day?

@Altdotweb: No, I don't think that comment was necessary. I do think that that comment was crossing the line, but I can deffinately understand his frustration.

@mbouchard: Second the recommendation for proflowers. I have used them for sending flowers for at least the last decade. Mom buys the stuff she needs or wants, so she appreciates the flowers and the thought that more will be coming in the future. The one time that proflowers did mess up and send wilted flowers, one email produced a free replacement and an apology. As for SO and I on V-Day, he got me a single little box of those conversation hearts and I got him a package of bicycle tire patches (hey, when you've known each other for 18 years and been together for 12, it's the thought that counts).

Another happy customers from ProFlowers.com here. They are inexpensive with coupon codes (search the net) and they usually response to my emails within hours (even at 2am in the morning!). The last time they messed up my order, one email to them and they full refund my purchase with an apology within 12 hour.

They failed to deliver for me 2 years ago. I ordered the flowers 5 days ahead of time. They didn't charge me though. Doesn't help one explain it to the wife who was away on business and didn't get any flowers on Valentines day.

Bottom line, I find a florist in the area and deal with them directly. I stay away from FTD or 1800Flowers or any of those outfits. Way too unreliable.

I used proflowers last year to deliver flowers for Mother's Day and they couldn't get my order right to save their lives! I order 2 bouquets (one for my mom and one for MIL)- one arrived on time (the Saturday before) and the other was never delivered. The most frustrating part was that our mothers live about 1 mile apart -- so how did they manage to deliver 1 on time but not the other? Their customer reps couldn't give me an answer. I waited to see if the flowers would be delivered on Monday but they weren't. They had of course charged my credit card. The only compensation I was offered was to credit the delivery charge. When the flowers had still not been delivered by Wednesday, I cancelled my order and vowed to never use proflowers again and try to not order flowers online again either.

My coworker's fiance ordered flowers for her. The arrived on the 15th, even though he ordered them for Valentines Day.
Hopefully he gets his money back, too.

I hear you Tip.

those 1800 flower guys got me good. $104 for 12 red roses to be delivered on V day.

Nothing was ever delivered.

For all the commenters saying why do you order flowers online... It is nice to get a call from your girl saying... "what did you do? I love the flowers"

That is why we pay the premium, and we expect service.

@morganlh85: Why is your superiority complex over nonsense relevant, at all, to this article? Get over yourself.

Local is the way to go! This V-day my boyfriend got me a bouquet from a place right around the corner. It was not only cheaper, but it was a more unique and beautiful presentation than anything I've ever seen on FTD.com. I've heard "They've gone FTD" used as an insult between small florists, it means that your arrangements are boring and you've become a corporate monster that doesn't care about the quality of the work.

These pricks did the same thing to me. Way to go FTD! Screw a bunch of people over, make yourselves scarce for 2 days, and then be nasty about it. NEVER AGAIN!

My bf didn't even send me flowers.

This sounds a lot like what happened to me. Flowers arrived on the 15th when scheduled for v-day.

I called and complained and they gave me a 40% refund. Tried to get full refund, but the supervisors were "too busy" to talk to me.

Two major notes about my order that made it even more ridiculous:

1) I placed my order on January 24th!

2) The delivery location was CHICAGO and the tracking information shows that they sent the flowers out from MIAMI, FL on the night of the 14th! (why would they send the flowers from Florida when I'm in Chicago?)

That is absolutely unacceptable.

I will not use ftd.com again and I highly recommend against anyone else using them.

PS: I've also had luck w/ proflowers.com in the past.

FTD.com blows. I ordered a large arrangement for my mom via them last year for Mother's Day. I ordered them over a week before I wanted them delivered, which was three days before Mother's Day. The total was just shy of $100, which I didn't mind paying since I couldn't be there in person.

The flowers never arrived. Apparently, the local florist who was supposed to deliver them just forgot. I called FTD and asked what was going on and they assured me they'd deliver them the next day. No flowers then, either. The next promise was that they'd be there on Mother's Day. Apparently, the florists they work through don't deliver on Sundays, though, and no one thought of that (even though I asked if they were positive the flowers could be delivered on a Sunday).

FTD.com didn't want to refund my money because they felt it wasn't their fault. The customer service rep tried to blame me and told me I shouldn't have ordered them "last minute," which we both knew was a lie. I think I had to bounce up two supervisors before I got a full refund and even then she acted like it was some favor she was offering me - that she was only returning my money for the purchased I made but was never received was her way of being kind and not just doing what she should be doing.

It was a debacle. Don't use them.

@snazz: It's pretty simple, if you can't deliver the service, then don't offer the service.

This has happened to a few people I know personally (when dealing with FTD.com and 1800Flowers.com) just in the past year. Neither were due to holiday rush - one was for a pregnant wife in the middle of spring and the other was for a birthday in early November. The online ordering and good coupons/deals make those websites SO tempting, but they generally route their orders to your nearest FTD-licensed florist anyway, so it's typically a better (albeit more inconvenient) idea to just call or go into the local florist and order directly from them.

At least then if they f*** up your order, you have a name, a face, and a place to direct your anger towards instead of an e-mail and an 800 number.

Happened to me with 1800flowers this year. Took my order in early February, then no delivery. Tried calling customer service and can't speak with anyone. No answers, no information on my order, yet my credit card was charged. Filed a complaint with Amex and hopefully they will issue a credit. Not exactly what I expect for $75 on my wife.

Flowers are the lazy man's answer to Valentine's Day anyway. "Honey, I love you so much that I spent 5 minutes on the internet ordering flowers to be delivered to you." I mean, AT LEAST go to the store and get them yourself, and hand write your own note...I mean, is you wife/girlfriend so unimportant to you that you can't write your own note? Geeze.

Or better yet, forget the forget the flowers and do something original...something that actually costs you time. Like making a special dinner, or giving her a massage, writing a poem, singing a song, whatever.

I think a lot of people must be having similar problems. I've been having a lot of hits to an old blog post, presumably from people typing "FTD sucks" in google. I had a similar experience, and it wasn't even Valentine's day or another busy flower day. They didn't deliver the flowers I ordered for my girlfriend on our anniversary. I was really angry because I thought that a.) They would leave the flowers on the porch if they came by and nobody was there, since they say they will do that, or b.) Call if nobody is there to either let ME know that they can't deliver them, or let HER know they're trying to. They ask for a phone number so this is a reasonable thing to believe. The flowers didn't come, trying to contact them failed (they just told me they'd notify me when they arrived), and they came the next day in a box so soggy the delivery lady had to warn me that the bottom was about to fall out. FTD sucks, don't ever buy flowers from them.

FTD did this to us once. We've never used them again, as a result.

Maybe they delivered the flowers to the wrong address. I had this happen when I sent flowers to my mother using FTD.

Luckily, the neighbor called my mother since the correct number AND address were on the outside of the package.

The address they were delivered to was nothing like my mother's address.

Simple call to the credit card company/bank and just tell them that FTD is refusing to resolve the issue and give you the good you paid for. Cancel the charge. Go to florist's shop and buy a bouquet. Yay. :)

I had sort of the opposite experience with proflowers.com - I ordered on the 12th for delivery on the 14th... there was an extra $9.99 charge over the regular $14.99 shipping... the flowers arrived on the 13th.

I wrote their customer service, politely noting that normally getting something you order early is a good thing, but not when it is being delivered for a specific purpose, like Valentine's Day. Noted that I didn't see anything that said "delivery by..." but rather "delivery on Feb 14", and said I wanted to let them know so they could minimize the error again in the future.

I had never used proflowers.com before, and did so based on a commercial on Glenn Beck radio show. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much in return. Maybe an offer for discount on a future order... at best maybe a credit for the extra $9.99 special delivery charge. Imagine my shock when I received a reply back in less than 5 minutes from their customer service, apologizing and letting me know they would be crediting the entire $24.98 shipping charge.

I do use local florist most of the time I need flowers, but if the need to order something comes up again, I'll definitely be using them again.