This Valentine’s Day is set to break records for gift-giving, with the National Retail Federation projecting a whopping $27.5 billion in spending — up more than 6% from last year and surpassing the previous high of $27.4 billion in 2020. While candy remains the top choice for many, flowers are not far behind, with 40% of shoppers planning to gift them this year.
If you’re among those ordering flowers, be sure to plan ahead — waiting too long could mean falling for a fake florist site or a less-than-reputable online vendor.
BBB has received many recent complaints, as well as reports on BBB Scam Tracker, from shoppers who shared their experiences after attempting to order flowers online. BBB Scam Tracker reports show that the issues can follow a few different routes, but in each case, there’s been a disappointing situation where the purchase did not go as planned.
In some cases, reports show that the flowers are delivered, but they don’t arrive on time and are usually damaged or look nothing like the picture on the seller’s site. Several people reported that when dealing with this scenario, their attempts to get a full or partial refund go unanswered, or the company flatly refuses to offer any remedy.
In other cases, the ads for flowers appear to be outright scams, as payment is taken, but the flowers are never delivered. Typically, the online florist shop’s website disappears at that point and they become unreachable.
In other twists, consumers have reported that after paying, they were contacted by the florist shop and forced to upgrade their purchase, paying extra for something they didn’t want. Or, they’ve ordered and paid online for flower delivery but then receive a message that the vendor does not deliver to the requested location. They promise to issue a refund within five days, yet the payment is not returned.
Here’s a recent report shared by a Georgia resident on BBB Scam Tracker: “Online delivery flower business appears to deliver everywhere but does not have an actual address and customer service are non Americans. They cancel orders with a reason like ‘this address is out of our delivery zone, we’ll issue a refund in 5-10 business days.'” This person indicated they lost $81.79.
BBB has received 73 complaints about the company referenced in this post since Nov. 4, 2024, many noting similar concerns that a promised refund has not been received. Some complaints appear to have been resolved after they were filed through BBB.
Another shopper from California shared the following: “Ordered flowers for Valentine’s Day, received order number. Two days later, my order says not found. They wouldn’t answer emails. I contacted through Instagram, they deleted my comments and blocked me.” They reported a loss of $116.36.
Your BBB offers the following tips to help you avoid online florist scams, especially for Valentine’s Day:
Research the seller. Don’t let yourself get pulled in by flash sales and advertised “great deals” without doing your homework. Start by checking if the florist is BBB accredited on BBB.org. BBB accreditation signifies a commitment to ethical business practices and customer satisfaction. Check BBB’s profile for more details on the company and its rating.
Read customer reviews. Feedback matters! Look for customer reviews on BBB.org as well as other sites. Read what previous customers say and see how the business handles complaints. Genuine customer experiences can provide insights into the quality of service and products.
Verify the seller’s contact information. Fraudulent florists often use fake addresses or one that is rented through a virtual services company to make it appear they’re local. Verify the florist’s listed physical address to make sure it matches up, and verify their contact information, including phone numbers. Legitimate businesses are transparent about their location.
Check for secure websites. Ensure the florist’s website uses secure connections (https://). Look for security badges and verify the website’s authenticity before providing personal and payment information. You can also check to see how long a website has been registered by searching on GoDaddy Whois. If it’s brand new, that’s a big red flag.
Get to know the company’s policies. Be wary of exceptionally low prices or deals that seem too good to be true. Review the florist’s pricing structure, understand delivery fees and policies, and read the fine print before making a purchase. Find out the florist’s return policy, whether they have a satisfaction guarantee, how their delivery process works and what additional fees they charge.
Review the seller’s photos and advertisements. Ensure that the seller uses realistic imagery in their photos. Scam florists may use stock images or misrepresent the quality of their products. Look for realistic and varied arrangements, and use services such as Google Lens to see if the pictures belong only to the site you’re visiting or are stock photos.
Use secure payment methods. Legitimate florists accept secure payment methods, such as credit cards. Credit card payments provide additional protection if you need to dispute charges. Avoid making payments through wire transfers, cash apps, gift cards or with your debit card (unless it’s used as a credit card) as these transactions don’t leave a paper trail and are often associated with scams.
Understand order placement and delivery timelines. Understand the florist’s delivery policies, including estimated delivery times and guarantees. Reputable florists provide clear information on delivery processes and address concerns promptly. Be wary of guaranteed delivery times that sound too good to be true, unless you’re paying for expedited services that you can confirm.
You can learn more about other Valentine’s Day tips and alerts from your BBB by visiting BBB.org/Valentine.
Michele Mason is president of the Better Business Bureau in Chattanooga.