# Warning: Avoid Flowers.com **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 8, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-avoid-flowers-com/289024 "2005-02-08T17:03:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-avoid-flowers-com/289024/21 "2005-02-08T22:24:42Z")
> [@Terrorcotta](#): > > I second the idea of calling a local florist directly! I did that for my mom a few times and was always stunned at what she would get. I would call and tell them to do something for $\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ . I try to avoid the pre-designed arrangements. I’ve had much better luck contacting the local florist directly. “I’d like to send an arrangement for about $\_\_\_\_\_. They really like purple/tulips/bears. Can you work that in?” My theory is that the florists are really tired of making the same bouquet, and the flowers in the bouquet are not always the ones that can most easily be gotten at that time. Another tip - lots of local florist will let you bring in a vase that you already own and like, and they will make an arrangement in it for you. No need to always get new vases. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-avoid-flowers-com/289024/22 "2005-02-08T23:12:38Z")
My experience with [flowers.com](http://flowers.com) was two years ago. I wanted to send some tropicals to my husband (I was on vacation on Maui, he was working in the UP) around Valentine’s day. [Flowers.com](http://Flowers.com) wanted to know if they had to be there the 14th and I said no, because they weren’t really for Val. day. Well they didn’t get there for two weeks and they were pretty dismal when they finally did arive according to hubby. Between the day ordered and the day delivered (with many promises of they’ll be there today by 3) [flowers.com](http://flowers.com) said they would credit me for the order and give me a future store credit. Neither happened. I will also never buy flowers from them again. PS ladies; I can tell you from my experience that guys like to receive flowers as much as we do. I once sent flowers to my dad (a WWII vet and construction worker) and he called me up crying, cause no one had ever sent flowers to him before. I routinely send them to my husband when he is working out of town, and he really, really likes it. ---
**Author:** ![Morelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Morelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morelin)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-avoid-flowers-com/289024/23 "2005-02-08T23:55:31Z")
My boyfriend sent me roses, um, four Valentine’s Days ago, from [flowers.com](http://flowers.com). THey came handed delivered, in a vase, beautifully arranged with the card coyly hidden in the colored plastic overwrap. It was very touching. Which is good because he’s not much of a flower person so I’m not likely to receive any more rose bouquets(though I did get some random grocery store flowers last month when I was having a stressful time at work). ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-avoid-flowers-com/289024/24 "2005-02-09T01:30:12Z")
Is [flowers.com](http://flowers.com) substantially cheaper than a regular florist? I don’t understand why anyone would even use them. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-avoid-flowers-com/289024/25 "2005-02-09T15:20:50Z")
> [@missbunny](#): > > Is [flowers.com](http://flowers.com) substantially cheaper than a regular florist? I don’t understand why anyone would even use them. Cheaper? Not that I’ve found. However, the “ease of use” factor (no phone numbers to look up, no phone calls to make to explain things to a real person) plus the ability to “see” what you’re purchasing on line (versus telling someone “send something nice”) may have something to do with why people use them. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-avoid-flowers-com/289024/26 "2005-02-09T15:32:21Z")
> [@Elza B](#): > > My husband (then-boyfriend) sent me flowers from [flower.com](http://flower.com) for our three-month dating anniversary. Came in a box with a vase, just like described. I figured it was because we were long distance and he didn’t know any local florists. Still, I thought that if you ordered from [flowers.com](http://flowers.com), they dispatched it to a local florist, who brought you a nice arrangement in a vase. That’s what I thought too, but my (now ex) girlfriend said it looked like it had travelled quit the distance. She’s in NYC, you’d figure they cold have used any one of a bazillion locals. Instead, a _UPS_ guy dropped off the big ugly box. > [@missbunny](#): > > ``` > Is flowers.com substantially cheaper than a regular florist? I don't understand why anyone would even use them. > > ``` They allow you to view a particular kind of arrangement and order online, so there is convenience and you see exactly what the arrangement will be (once it’s out of the box and put together). It’s particularly handy if you’re out of town. If I was in NYC I just would have used a local florist. As I was ordering from Toronto for a NY delivery, [flowers.com](http://flowers.com) seemed like a good idea. If I ever need to send flowers long distance a gain, I’ll look up the NY yellow pages online. Dammit, I wanted a guy to walk in there with an armful of poseys to put on her desk, not “Brown” dropping off a box at the front desk. ---
**Author:** ![Jaade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@Jaade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaade)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-avoid-flowers-com/289024/27 "2005-02-09T15:32:53Z")
> [@Tastes of Chocolate](#): > > I try to avoid the pre-designed arrangements. I’ve had much better luck contacting the local florist directly. > > “I’d like to send an arrangement for about $\_\_\_\_\_. They really like purple/tulips/bears. Can you work that in?” > > My theory is that the florists are really tired of making the same bouquet, and the flowers in the bouquet are not always the ones that can most easily be gotten at that time. > > Another tip - lots of local florist will let you bring in a vase that you already own and like, and they will make an arrangement in it for you. No need to always get new vases. I used to work for a florist, and this is the BEST way to order flowers. When given just a set dollar amount and general theme, florists get all sorts of creative. You’d be amazed at what they can do with flowers. And almost all local florists belong to some sort of FTD type service. Whenever I send flowers out of town though, I always search around and find a florist in town. That’s so easy these days with this cool Intraweb thingy! You can even generally get a feel for the specific store’s style. ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-avoid-flowers-com/289024/28 "2005-02-09T15:45:00Z")
> [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > That’s what I thought too, but my (now ex) girlfriend said it looked like it had travelled quit the distance. She’s in NYC, you’d figure they cold have used any one of a bazillion locals. Instead, a _UPS_ guy dropped off the big ugly box. Yep, I lived in NYC at the time, too - he thought I’d get pretty flowers in a vase. I got the big ugly box from UPS, too. He was not happy. And there was a florist right across the street, too. E. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warning-avoid-flowers-com/289024.md?page=1)