It’s time to shower your valentine with some love! According to the National Retail Federation, Valentine’s Day spending is expected to reach a record $14. 2 billion this year. And a lot of that money will go toward flowers. But if you’re ordering a flower delivery online, be careful.
We looked at the Better Business Bureau’s Scam tracker to see what has been reported recently so you know how to avoid similar cons. The BBB’s Scam Tracker is a free tool that anyone can use to report suspected scams and it has logged hundreds of complaints regarding florists.
Here are a few:
- One consumer, who was out $80 after ordering online flowers to be delivered, wrote: “Received an email same day stating order for flowers couldn’t be made, and a full refund will be issued in 2-3 days. Six weeks later and four phone calls to customer service, still no refund.”
- “Searched for local florists online and placed an order. The flowers were never delivered. The phone number on the website does not work and I received no response to an email complaint.”
- “Ordered same-day delivery flowers and they never came. The phone number is fake and the live chat they offered doesn’t exist. Unable to get a refund.”
“Unfortunately, it’s very hard to tell a legitimate website from a fake website because they are so good at mirroring websites and creating fake websites,” said Paula Fleming with the BBB Boston. “That’s why it’s extremely important that you do your research in advance and make sure that the URL has an ‘S’ so it’s a secure website. Use a credit card so that you can go through the credit card company if you’re unhappy with the product or don’t receive the flowers.”
Your credit card offers you the best protection when you are ordering online. If your flowers don’t arrive, you can dispute the charge with your credit card company and likely get that charge reversed.
If you are ordering online for delivery, go with trusted well-known companies. If you’re unsure, you can check a company out online at www.BBB.org and type in the business name to find out if the company is reliable, credible and legitimate.
Another tip, try out the posted phone number or online chat of a company before you place your order. Shopping locally for Valentine’s Day flowers is ideal because you can see exactly what you’re getting.
And don’t discount those grocery store flowers. Many of the grocery stores have top-notch floral departments and reasonably priced bouquets.
