To be annoyed that my sister has sent me postal flowers and....

[Overseasmom100]

Every year for my birthday my sister sends me postal flowers from a high street shop and every year they turn up either half dead, or nothing like the pictures online. Every time she ends up complaining and every year makes me feel bad shes wasted her money usually £35-40.

Last week she said I'll send you some flowers and we had a conversation that not to bother as they arent great usually...and a card would be lovely etc...

So today a box turns up flowers stuffed inside...mainly dried up and very poor in fact I dont think they will last 2 days. I thank her by text... she asks if they were lovely and for photos...I send her photos ...she goes all funny and annoyed that they arent good...and so it starts again...this has been going on for ar least 5 years.

@WagnerTheWehrWolf

That sounds tiring. Tell her to send you some nice letterbox flowers via Bloom and Wild next time.

This, fab flowers every time.

Can you take them back yourself. You may not get a refund but an exchange instead. For something else.

@November2018

Maybe she struggles for money and uses Next vouchers she gets given for her birthday to buy them for you. Or, needs to buy them on credit and that’s the only store account she has. Or, she gets a discount via a work reward scheme. I think the problem lies with Next’s customer care team and not your sister. Try contacting them because they’re letting your sister down. Nobody wants to waste precious money on rubbish flowers for manipulative reasons.

Next sell other things! If the flowers are always crap, why doesnt she buy OP chocolates (next stock hotel chocolat), bath stuff, new slippers...?

Next time she does this, and if once again the flowers are half dead when they arrive just refuse to communicate on the matter.

Tell her you want something else. Look on Amazon or hotel chocolate/godiva website and choose from there. Otherwise it's never going to end with the flowers.

Don't the ones in a box liven up in water? I had letterbox flowers that looked dead, but they fill out in water.

If she does it again, refuse to engage with the request for a photograph, and tell her it's because you really don't want to engage in this ridiculous game any more.

Also stop sending her flowers - it seems to make her think she has to reciprocate.

@Ledkr

Bloom and wild have also turned up half dead for me twice

I don’t rate bloom and wild either.

Any local florists op? Ours are brilliant.

I’d find a good one that delivers...and send her some.

But then, I do love the drama Mick

I regularly use bunches and they last 10-14 days typically (depends on flower variety). Only time I had a problem was when I bought a pot plant which had obviously been thrown around by the courier, the earth wasn't in the pot.

I've never had an issue with M&S flowers. Always very fresh.

Well if she's skint and has to resort to sending dead weeds from Next because they offer credit, she'd be better off listening to the OP and saving her money or getting something cheaper.

Not persisting with wasting her money on what is almost certainly overpriced crap from Next.

Just sent flowers from Next. Recipient was really pleased with them.

If you know her budget could you not ask gently for a mail order gift of that value instead? Like a magazine subscription or similar?

I would tell her they never arrived!

I've used Moonpig for gifts and flowers and never had that problem, the recipient usually sends a pic and they look decent enough.

Take a photo and complain to next.

I think it’s really hit and miss with flowers. I’m always shocked when people recommend M&S as every bunch I’ve ever sent or been sent from there has been crap and dead but other PPs swear by them so it must just be luck!

That's so crackers it can only be deliberate. Next year, one text a week before the birthday saying you don't want postal flowers. If they still arrive, one text to say thanks and then zero engagement. Cut it dead.
Horrible though it is to be having to deal with this for your birthday I bet like the pp who suggested it was all about her refund that's her motive so no pictures for proof etc, no refund, no more flowers

oh yeah I'd rather have 40 quids worth of chocolate!

My dm’s flowers from Bloom n Wild were a week late. We think they’d been put through the wrong letterbox of an empty house nearby by Royal Mail.
Completely dead when she received them.
Not sure if dn got a refund from anywhere.

My mother and brother are similar. It is draining and only serves to add disappointment to a day that could be that little bit nicer without this experience. I finally got mine to stop. Good luck OP!

I've had great flowers from Bloom and Wild. However, they arrive in bud, looking somewhat dead, but are actually sleeping. They seem to take over a week to open up. So if you want a big impact on the actual day, they're not for you.

@grannyinapram

oh yeah I'd rather have 40 quids worth of chocolate!

I'd rather have the 3 for £10 hotel chocolate mini packs or a bottle of supermarket fizz rather than something overpriced that she can't afford if it's money that's an issue.

Pits lovely she wants to send you flowers. Can you help her find a good supplier. M&S and next are usually quite reliable or can you suggest a good local florist.