AIBU To Feel Ripped off by a florist?

[Blankfluff]

My partner had arranged to collect my Valentine’s Day flowers on Saturday morning, which he’d ordered and paid £80 for earlier that week for collection.

However, when he went to collect them, he couldn’t believe what he was presented with. He complained at the time that he didn’t believe the bouquet was worth anywhere near what he’d paid for, others in the store collecting flowers agreed with him but the florists dealing with the collection just gave him a snooty response and carried on serving other customers. He called me to explain, but I had assumed he’d been dramatic, however, when he presented me with them, I was equally shocked, I can’t have thought these would be more than £40 from a good florist or maybe £25 from M&S.

Looking to get some other opinions, would you be happy with these flowers for £80? Personally, I think he should have been offered a partial refund if he wasn’t happy, or that they could have added a little to the bouquet to fill it out a tad. But equally very happy to be told this is what flowers cost and we should adjust our expectations accordingly

YABU - this is good value for money
YANBU - they have had his pants down

Wow that’s pretty shocking. I got some roses from tesco home delivery for £3 that were better than those. I do think florists rip people off on Valentine’s / mother’s day. I’d rather have a voucher if someone was insisting on spending money on me.

We have several family birthdays and anniversaries in the first few months of the year. For flowers I use Scilly Flowers or Cornish Blooms. SB have gorgeous scented narcissi this time of year. You bunch looks like something left over from last week.

Yeah those are shit, they look like he stole them off someone's grave they look so messy and old.

This is one of the reasons that I tell my OH to NOT buy flowers for Valentines Day!
They are certainly not worth £80 and I would be making a formal complaint, in writing, plus a very uncomplimentary review!

That’s terrible they’re all curled up. I stopped buying from florists as they mostly rip you off. Which is a shame as I support small businesses even if cost a bit more. I hope you get your money back.

On the subject of recommendations, good old M&S are my go-to - never been let down by them and the arrangements genuinely look like the pictures on the website, always a good variety of blooms and foliage 'supporting' the 'headline' flowers' (sorry, don't know what the correct floristry terms are).

My DH now always buys me flowers from Bloom & Wild, they're great quality and very reasonably priced too.

When you first open them (they come flat packed in a box!) you do think they look a bit sad but they always perk up when put in water and last a good week at least.

You can change your vote. I just tried it. You cannot "unselect it" by clicking on "how you voted" (the 1%), instead click on the one you did NOT vote for (the 99%) and then it will change it.

Hope you get somewhere by talking. If not, online review

Wow, what looks like 12 wilting roses and a few eucalyptus leaves? I would have refused to take them. Hopefully you can speak to whoever is in charge

OP, you mention you're in a village? Look on a website called Flowers from the Farm and see if there's a flower farmer in your area. You'll get a whole bucket of fresh, long lasting, locally grown flowers for £80! Valentine's Day flowers are imported from Africa, Asia, South America, all over. They come into the UK via a huge hub in The Netherlands. By the time you get them, they are days old, anything but fresh, loaded with pesticides. and absolutely not organic in any way.
So sorry you were disappointed, OP.

Tbh if they were fresh, big head, long stem beautiful roses then £80 is probably about right from a high street florist (I used to be one years ago and that’s not far off what we used to have to charge back then as prices for roses is ridiculous at VDay) but the state of the roses is absolutely dreadful - they’re clearly not fresh. I would absolutely go back to the florist and complain.

A quick Google reckons dozen white roses from florist range from £50 to £80.

The price isn't beyond what he asked for. I would complain about the quality of the flowers

Well, yes, but I did mean while they are alive they are like Tesco! :-)

Some florists are shocking. Partner was sent a bunch on a box from work, when his dad died. They arrived dead. I complained to them because, well, sympathy flowers arriving dead was even more hurtful somehow.
They wouldn't refund the buyer because it wasn't the buyer asking for a refund, funny that.

Fingers crossed he does get a refund. If he doesn't get anywhere maybe worth mentioning that you could always drop a line to trading standards (or similar) about their actions......

What adult in their right mind celebrates valentines never mind spends £80 on flowers?!!!! Give the money to charity where it'll do a bit of good rather than rotting in a vase!

You must be fun at a party.

Who died and made you queen on what people can spend their money on ?

This thread has prompted me to treat myself to a nice bunch of flowers from the Bunches adverts.

Hopefully a nicer experience than the OP had at her local florists. 34 stems for £50 seemed reasonable

Yawn. Bore off but do take a certificate for the most self-righteous post of the day.

They honestly look like they've come out of the reduced bucket in the supermarket. Yellow stickered as nearly dead, reduced from £30 to £15.

I wonder when we are going to end this flower tradition. I can’t imagine why anyone would spend money like this. I mean I know it’s people’s own choice, but I can never square in my mind the fact that millions are struggling with col, but then millions are also buying useless shite. From con artists.

Can you raise a dispute on payment if he paid via his credit card?

Yeah, formal complaint letter to the shop with photos attached and threaten legal action - depends how angry he is.

But def put reviews up everywhere with photos, just say you paid £80 in advance and this is what you got - let the photos do the talking!