Daniel bought two FTD Groupons, using one to send flowers to his wife and the other to send a bouquet from himself and his sister to their mother. He was able to schedule the deliveries for Valentine’s Day, but actually getting Valentine’s Day delivery…that was another matter. [More]
valentine’s day
ProFlowers Reaches Out Before I Complain About Missed Valentine’s Day Delivery
By 2.19.14 — Updated: 2.14.17
We’ve criticized ProFlowers a lot over the years, even dedicating an entire post to the company’s screwups last Valentine’s Day and inflicting the classic Margaret Saga on the world. It’s only fair that we give the company credit when they do well, though, and this year they captured at least one customer’s heart by apologizing before customers spent an hour on hold or tweeted the company. [More]
1-800-Flowers Botches Valentine’s Day Delivery, Sends $20 Apology Vouchers
By 2.18.14 — Updated: 2.14.17
The sheer volume of orders of gifts delivered on Valentine’s Day means that someone will inevitably be unhappy with what they receive…or don’t receive. 1-800-Flowers customers were upset about the non-delivery, late delivery, or utter crappiness of their orders. [More]
Money Can’t Buy You Love, But It Can Buy You This Weird Pillow To Make Out With
By 2.14.14 — Updated: 2.14.17
Listen, we’re not here to judge you on your kissing skills or lack thereof. And we know not everyone has a special someone to lock lips with on Valentine’s Day. So for those folks finding themselves bereft today, you could at least get some practice time in with these — how shall we say it? — unique pillows. [More]
Most Americans Eat Chocolate, Fewer Americans Are Making It
By 2.14.14
Yes, we might all be buying a lot of chocolate today (and a lot of half-priced heart-shaped chocolates tomorrow.) While Americans still eat about the same amount of chocolate as we always have, there are fewer people employed in the candy-making industry thanks to overseas production and advances in chocolate-making technology. [CNN Money] [More]
The Best Chocolate Bars For Valentine’s Day (Or Any Day, For That Matter)
By 2.14.14
There is one part of Valentine’s Day that even the loneliest of single hearts can’t be mad about: Candy. Specifically, glorious, melt-in-your-mouth-if-not-your-frozen-heart chocolate. But not all chocolate bars are made the same, so it’s important today (and any darn day you feel like eating chocolate) to suss out the best from the rest. [More]
Attention, Ladies: You Don’t Have To Buy The Same Trendy, Sexy Underwear Everyone Else Buys
By 2.14.14
We know, we know — all of you women out there (yours truly included because chromosomes) always feel like you’ve got to buy whatever trendy underthings are currently deemed “sexy.” Or at least, a study that seeks to bust that myth says we might feel that pressure. Anyway, it’s not true. You don’t have to buy in to consumer trends, the researchers say. What a relief. [More]
Yes, Your Valentine’s Day Flowers Might Be Late Because Of The Weather
By 2.13.14
Florists have a rare convergence of crappy conditions for this Valentine’s Day, typically their busiest day of the year. As snow and ice smack the East Coast, many businesses have concluded that they’d rather send their employees home safe to their loved ones than deliver dead plants to their customers’ loved ones. [More]
Lawyer Brings Back Free Divorce Contest For Yet Another Valentine’s Day
By 2.13.14
If there’s one day that’s even more painful than all the rest when you’re in a bad relationship, it’s Valentine’s Day. Everyone around you is smooching under flowery bowers of love with little birds chirping and singing and you’re arguing under a freeway underpass about who bought toilet paper last and besides, it was the wrong kind of toilet paper and I don’t love you anymore. Here’s where a free divorce might be nice. [More]
Blame Nature, Not Your Lover, If Valentine’s Day Flowers Don’t Show
By 2.12.14
Friday is Valentine’s Day, the annual Festival of Pink and Red Dead Plants and Sometimes Chocolate. This year, the timing of the holiday poses a special challenge to florists and other gift-deliverers: The 14th falls on a Friday, and the next business day is a federal holiday when many workplaces close. That’s tricky enough, but what about the blast of ice and snow currently threatening much of the country? [More]
Let’s Go Ahead And Call “Pre-Valentine’s Day” What It Is: Any Calendar Day Before Feb. 14
By 2.12.14
Nice try, businesses attempting to create something out of nothing that people will nevertheless spend money on, but “Pre-Valentine’s Day” is not a thing. Or at least it shouldn’t be, unless you’re simply referring to say, Feb. 13, Feb. 12 or even Jan. 17. Or heck, any of the 44 days that fall before Valentine’s Day on the calendar. But don’t think that means we need to rush out for a romantic dinner under the pretense of yet another so-called occasion. [More]
How To Not Suck… At Valentine’s Day Gifts
By 2.11.14
Heads-up to everyone in a couple: Valentine’s Day is Friday and some of you will be expected to give some sort of gift to your loved ones. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with chocolates, jewelry, or flowers, but that special someone in your life is probably worth a little creativity and planning… right? [More]
This McDonald’s Hosts Candlelit Valentine’s Dinners, With “Musical Selections By Ron”
By 2.6.14
If you’re looking for a relatively cheap and brief Valentine’s Day dinner and also happen to live near Southport, NC, then there’s a McDonald’s that is calling your name. [More]
CVS Valentine’s Display “Keeps It Sweet” With Candy, Flowers, Condoms, Plan B, Toy Handcuffs
By 1.8.14
It surfaced on Twitter: a “romantic Valentine’s display” at a CVS store somewhere in southern New Jersey with a very pragmatic take on what customers might need for a special evening. On the shelf: cupcake-shaped bath bombs, roses, picture frames, condoms, a variety of personal lubricants, a dose of Plan B, some “male enhancement” supplements, and toy handcuffs. Hmm, some of those things don’t seem appropriate. [More]
I Ordered Directly From A Local Florist, And It Was Awesome
By 3.12.13 — Updated: 2.14.17
Why are we still yammering about Valentine’s Day flowers? The holiday itself is long gone, but as birthdays, funerals, hospitalizations, and other occasions come and go, the problems with using national Big Flower websites remain. As another major flower-sending holiday, Mother’s Day, approaches, we’re sharing this story from reader Josh about how wonderfully his order from a local florist turned out. [More]
FTD Thinks ‘A Different Vase Is OK’ And ‘Change The Flowers Entirely’ Mean The Same Thing
By 2.25.13
At high-volume times like Valentine’s Day, and at any other time, really, flower-delivery services like FTD reserve the right to substitute something similar if they don’t have the exact item in stock that you want. Mark was upset shortly after Valentine’s Day because he ordered an arrangement that had a purple container, purple flowers, and some white lilies in it. Purple is her favorite color, you see, and lilies are her favorite flower. Isn’t Mark thoughtful? Speaking for the ladies of America, he is. He’s also really mad. [More]
Thief Dressed As Deliveryman Walks Out Of Florist With 21 Bouquets On Valentine’s Day
By 2.21.13
Valentine’s Day is a chaotic time for florists, with temporary help mixing with regular staff to get everything delivered on time and to the right recipient. (Well, mostly.) In Chicago, one busy florist claims that a man took advantage of the floral fracas to walk off with 21 flower arrangements worth a total of $2,000. [More]
The 2013 Valentine’s Day Garden Of Discontent
By 2.15.13
This year, the major national flower-distribution networks were just as busy as usual on Valentine’s Day. Busy being terrible at their jobs. Maybe the vast majority of flower arrangements ended up where they were supposed to and looked more or less correct, but it’s the outliers that make both senders and recipients feel like crap. When the vast floral-industrial complex markets to us with the message that the quality of the flowers we send or receive is a proxy for the quality of our love, then they should go out of their way not to screw that up for us. Right? [More]
