Want to Save $10 - $15 on Flowers Today?
Here’s How:
The smart money at the Wall Street Journal recommends shoppers buy from a florist who will actually deliver their flowers rather than using an online broker who "will typically take a sizable cut and charge an excessive service fee". Shop local, get what you really want, and save. It's really that simple.
How can I tell if I’m ordering from a local florist in the community in which I want my flowers delivered? Unfortunately, the web and the yellow pages are full of companies posing as local florists. They use phrases such as ‘serving your city name’ or ‘servicing your city name.’ In some cases, they have your city name on their website or ad but are actually located hundreds if not thousands of miles away. Legitimate local sites will include their physical addresses as well as local phone numbers. On the web, check out their ‘About Us’ sections. Here is ours!
Hint: If a site or ad doesn’t contain a local address and local phone number, you can be 99.9% sure it’s not located in the city in which you’re sending your flowers. Why else would they not want you to know where they are?
How much can I save? The vast majority of ‘flower broker’ web sites charge you from $9.95 to $15.95 for the convenience of transferring your order to a real local flower shop. Some even tack on an additional surcharge if you want to place your order over the phone! (Not us. We’re happy to talk to you and give you free professional advice!) Ordering a fresh flower arrangement from us as your local full-service florist will typically save you from $10.00 to $15.00 for the very same flowers.
How to spot the ‘FREE Delivery’ ruse. Many order brokers show a pricing system quite different from your local flower shop. Their prices shown generally bundle the cost of the item with a ‘pad’ of $5 – $7 for delivery by the local flower shop. An additional fee of $11.95 to $14.95, a ‘service/handling/shipping fee’, is also charged for the convenience of placing the order through them. It’s not a delivery fee. The local delivering florist, per wire service rules, is absolutely permitted to deduct their local delivery fee from the total order. In reality, unless a company is delivering the flowers themselves, they cannot claim free delivery – it’s just simply included in the total price. Deceptive? Yes. Illegal? Maybe. Savvy shoppers also often notice that the ‘free delivery’ sites actually cost more than the ones that clearly state their delivery prices. For more information on these deceptive practices check out Florist Detective.com
Need something special? Your local florist knows what’s in season, knows what’s available and can suggest ideas that can be custom-made, affordably, on short notice. We are not just ‘banks of sales associates’ sitting in front of computer screens. We are real, professionally trained florists.
Hey, doesn’t your shop send flowers to other cities, states and countries, too?
Absolutely! We are members of several professional networks and can have flowers sent virtually anywhere in the world. We offer this convenience for our LOCAL customers who want us to ensure that the flowers they send out-of-area are as thoughtful, prompt and fresh as the ones we deliver locally. Since we are in the top 500 out of 20,000 florists that network with thousands of florists, we know whom to trust with your special needs. Whether in the U.S. or Internationally, we feel confident that your flower-buying experience with us will be a very satisfying one. Our #1 source of new customers is from referrals by our current customers. Because we do send a fair number of orders for our customers, we know the flower shops who are the top quality in their cities.
TIPS TO AVOID BEING FOOLED BY FLOWER ORDER GATHERERS
• Check the Home and About Us pages for the physical address of the business.
• Ask 'What is Your Address?' when you call on the phone. If they decline to provide it, hang up and call another florist.
• Check the Contact Us page for a local phone number. It should match the area code of the location to where your flowers are being delivered. If the contact information consists of an email address only, be suspicious.
• Call the local phone number. If it is answered 'Flower Shop' without providing the name of the florist, ask which shop you've called. If they provide a different answer than the one you've dialed, you may have reached a gatherer/broker.
• On the phone, ask for the business' location and driving directions. If they fail to provide these details, consider calling a different florist.
• Ask the florist to itemize all charges. Be especially cautious about companies that charge relay fees, same-day fees, service fees, shipping fees and handling fees. Local florists generally charge for delivery (which you also pay through a broker) but the other surcharges are completely avoidable when ordering direct from the florist who will actually make your arrangement.
• Google the phone number. If it appears under many different business names with different locations, be suspicious.
• Be aware that just because an ad or website name says "Indianapolis Florist", it doesn't mean the company is located in or actually delivers to Indianapolis.
• If following a link from a search engine ad, find the site's home page. Order gatherer sites often contain directory-like links named after states, provinces and cities. Each page will appear virtually the same except for the city name.
• Look at what their URL name is. It is often very different than what the name they advertise on google or other search engines.
Supporting Local Florists helps ensure you a near-by quality, artistic, thoughtful resource for all your flower needs. We Hope you will choose George Thomas Florist for all your floral and gift needs.
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