Online flowers indicate "wilting" economy...who knew??

[margotb822]

OK, that's not my joke, but this article has a good point:

http://redtape.msnbc.com/2009/02/companies-often.html

<snip>

This tactic is most clear in the world of online florists, and most prevalent during Valentine’s Day. A quick survey of the top online florists shows that consumers using the two top sites typically pay at least 50 percent -- and often as much as 100 percent -- higher than the advertised price.

<snip>

Some might argue this is simply capitalism at work. In fact, the opposite is true. If this were a free market, all information about the transaction would be transparent, and the best product with the best price would win. Instead, the most convincing advertiser wins. Ultimately, this economic system -- which is not capitalism -- will put honest companies out of business and reward deceivers. The current list of troubled banks, home builders, mortgage brokers and retailers is a “Who's Who” of well-marketed companies that had unsustainable profits built on false advertising. Their business models were a house of cards destined to eventually fail.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

1. I plan on saving money by giving my gf flowerrs I dug up myself.

From her garden. Shh. ;-)

[mitchum]

6. I just steal them from the graveyard

[NMDemDist2]

2. I used pro flowers last year and half the flowers arrived dead

I paid over $100 for a special birthday bouquet and she got dead flowers

I'll go through FTD from now on, although I ordered a XMAS centerpiece this past holiday and spent the extra $20 for an extra dozen flowers, my MiL loved it and sent pics, the pic were the smaller bunch, I got a refund

customer service sux these days

[emilyg]

I just got 2 deliveries from them and

they look good.

[TahitiNut]

3. I think giving flours makes more sense.

:shrug:

[sandnsea]

4. Yep. They created a mortgage investment vehicle

and then sold the hell out of it. They knew exactly what they were doing and were just too stupid to realize people would not be able to make the payments when the interest rates went up because they think it's tough to live on $500,000 a year.

[RoyGBiv]

5. I worked for one of these companies ...

... for one day, well, most of a day.

Years ago I took a temp job while waiting for the interview process of the job I actually wanted to finish. I had asked for office or computer work, and what I got was a call center job for a florist. It was around Mother's Day, and they were gearing up.

My one day there was for the training. It was supposed to be a 2-4 week gig.

The whole thing was absurd. Those of us in the training were essentially told that the prices in the ads that caused people to call in meant nothing. One of the trainers called them "suggestions" not actual products, and if all you managed to sell a customer was what was on the ad that prompted their calling in, this was considered a failed sales call.

In the afternoon we were taken to "live" training where we jacked in to live sales calls with the top salespeople. I sat there for about half an hour listening to this absurdity, decided I'd had enough, unjacked, and walked out. Before I walked out I asked for the copy of my SS card back they'd made.

After seeing all this, I made the determination never to do business with these companies.

[SoCalDem]

7. Sending flowers to loved ones... What we have always done..

I go online, and look for the website of the town/city where they live, and under "local businesses", I find the florists...and then I CALL one of them directly..

A local florist will ALWAYS do a better job, for LESS money, and if the flowers are not "up to snuff", the recipient cam easily deal with it , with one phone call to them..

When my son has sent me flowers..(which I always have to give away)..I photograph them, and send hin the picture, to show him how nice they looked.. On more occasions than not, they have NOT been the ones he "ordered"..

I finally got through to him, that although the gesture was appreciated, with our cats, we could not even put the flowers out, because they are "nibblers".. I always gave them to a friend..