FUNERAL FLOWERS

So sorry this has happened to you. Losing your friend is hard enough without this happening. I’ve had the same problem too. After the last disaster, I decided to ring a florist in the area where the recipient lives. It’s never happened again! I understand this is probably much more difficult when sending abroad though. Sending you a virtual hug. ?

I had the same thing at my mums funeral - her sister went through inter flora and sent and paid for a lovely display that cost a fortune. As her sister wasn’t at the funeral I sent her a picture and she was mortified as it Wasn’t the one she had chosen and paid for - it was with half of what she paid. It upset her and me. I got in touch with inter flora who blames it on the florists - I phoned them both up - the one who took the order from my auntie swore that she had sent on the right order and the florist swore blind she delivered the correct one

Will never use them again

I was disappointed on numerous times so I decided best to find a local florist near to the recipient and ask them to arrange and deliver - hasn’t failed yet - the bonus is that because it’s local they have the incentive to get local business as they then have a relationship with the recipient to either use themselves or recommend to friends and neighbours. You normally get better flowers and more bang for your buck !

I had a similar experience with Moonpig, but fortunately for me, with a happier ending.

A work colleague moved into her new home and I sent a card and flowers to them. The flowers I chose were rainbow daisies and a few days after she had taken delivery she showed me a photograph of how the flowers had opened out.

There wasn't a rainbow flower in sight! But whether by luck or oversight, my friend received a much more expensive bunch of flowers than I had ordered.

I can understand your frustration and upset, Paddyanne, especially when the flowers you chose were for a sensitive occasion. It's not the money, per se, but what you see as a disservice to your friend.

I hope that Moonpig can offer you an acceptable form of compensation.

Personally I would send the photo to the company and say this was not what you ordered or paid for. Insist on a refund at least. I know it might be difficult for you to communicate with a florist in Croatia but if it's at all possible you could then ask for a house plant to be sent.

My cousins son died in November. The family live in America and I looked up a local florist and sent emails explaining the situation and when I wanted the display delivered. I paid by PayPal and it couldn’t have been easier. A China bowl with six lovely plants, ribbon decoration and a proper card with my chosen message inside. The family were delighted, as was I and was sent a picture at the time and one recently. The cost to me was £40 which was really excellent value.

Yes do complain, these companies assume customers wont say anything for fear of upsetting people!
Some many years ago I sent my mothers an interflora bouquet for Mothering Sunday which was of such poor quality (and much less than I had paid for!) my mother rang to tell me as she knew it was not what I would have sent! I complained and got a full refund.

A few times my daughters have sent me flowers and a couple of times they have been awful. They were so bad last time (broken off flower heads etc.) that I told my daughters and they got a replacement bunch sent. They have stopped buying me flowers thank heaven.

A couple of years ago, my boyfriend sent me a dozen red roses for Valentine's Day. The following weekend he came to stay, was admiring the bouquet only to notice there were 11 and not 12! I thought this was funny and out of mischief said that sending me 11 roses sent an entirely different message than the traditional one. He was annoyed that he'd been overcharged twice - an inflated price because it was 14 February and the missing rose. How could the florist be so careless when checking the number? Interflora made excuses about being busy blah, blah, blah and offered him a voucher for the normal price of a rose not the 14 February price. After a lot of negotiation, he accepted a refund on his credit card for the inflated price of the missing rose instead of a voucher. So always check you've actually got the dozen roses charged for!

Same happened to me here in the UK ...I paid for a full length cross of purple and white for my dad;s funeral, to go on top of the coffin .what arrived was a very small arrangement of purple and white flowers ........I was offered a refund, but that wasn't the problem !! felt awful that those who came thought I was mean ......there again, I ordered a floral arrangement in the shape of a steam engine for my late brother's funeral, it was enormous and covered the coffin, but as a lifelong steam enthusiast I think he would have approved ! His enthusiast friends were amazed and even named the type of steam engine it was .......so funny ...they said AH that is what used to run at Ipswich docks (where we originally came from ) and its a type d....something or other ! I was delighted with that ....that funeral was arranged by a small independant funeral operator in the North East ...whereas my dad's was a large well known company !

Our freind loved his garden and was always eager to show what new flowers he had and how well they had done.I'm torn about telling the family they aren't what was sent as I dont want them to be upset about me being ripped off or their lovely husband ,dad and grandfather not getting the flowers we wanted him to.Stupid .I know.I rarely send flowers to funerals anyway always donate but its difficult this year,we've lost a lot of folk to covid and had to stand outside the crematorium because of limited numbers more times than I like to remember.I just needed them to know that although we couldn't be there they are in my heart
Thank you all for your kind words ,I'm still crying buckets but hopefully it will help .My OH says put it behind me and send some nice Scottish stuff to them a tartan blanket some nice smellies and sweets for the GC ....maybe he's right .

barbiann57

When my dear friend died I could not get to her funeral. I had a tree planted in her name at a woodland that she knew. This was through 'The Woodland trust' . I sent her family the certificate and details of location etc. of the tree.

What a lovely tribute. I’ll remember that for the future.

paddyanne

Thanks ,I'm really peed off because I tried three other companoes who said they couldn't deliver on time and this one said it wasn't a problem and now to see what they sent .My heart sank and I feel like shit.I send flowers to them two or three times a year and have never had this before .I'll see what the company says and go from there .I know its not the worst problem in the world but I'm crying buckets over it ....small things sometimes hit hardest

This reaction may have more to do with the loss of your dear friend than the bad quality of the flowers
let the family how upset you are about the flowers and send a message to the flower company and dont't use them again but
then grieve about your friend gustily and openly and loudly
then buy a simple rose light a single candle and talk to her about the funny side of how awful her flowers were. Bless you.

I think this probably happens more than we know. I have twice sent flowers that were disappointing but would never had known if the person had not sent me a photo to say thank you. Both times complained and refunded but as you say the moment for replacement had passed.
Complain to the company but I wouldn't get them to resend.
Maybe as someone suggested get a relative in Croatia to place flowers on your behalf

Sorry posted too soon- paddyanne very sad situation for you but I think MawBe is right , a catalyst for your grief . Complain vehemently and perhaps send some more in a while . It was the thought that counts however .

Not your fault

Perhaps in Croatia, the flowers would have been considered acceptable but it might make you feel a little better.

I don't think they would; it is mainly a Catholic country and flowers might well be a part of traditional funeral services, more so than here where we tend to give donations to charity now.
Flowers may be in short supply with it being winter too.

I hope you can get a refund, paddyanne and ask your friend's son what he would like to do with the money.
It's upsetting but it wasn't your default.

My local flower company is lovely and regularly sends flowers to her parents in Switzerland. Not sure how expensive it would be but maybe look for a local company you trust to send abroad. I would definitely complain and demand a refund. Just remember it's not your fault so dont beat yourself up about it .. you did the best you could and were let down.

How I agree biba70 my DH’s funeral was last January and we had just one floral tribute of beautiful greenery and berries , I took it home after the funeral and it lasted ages . My Mum’s was the previous year in February and we had just daffodils and greenery from the Scilly isles .

Oh, paddyanne, the thought of you in tears over this gives me quite a pang. I don't know you but your posts always give me the impression of someone who is robust and completely capable of giving the florists a good talking to. The fact that this has upset you so much is awful.
Personally, I would complain to the company and let the son know you will be doing so. Maybe ask him if there is a charity his mother would have liked a donation made to in her memory with the refund. That will speak volumes to him. Perhaps in Croatia, the flowers would have been considered acceptable but it might make you feel a little better.
I may be a terrible English woman with very different views to you but please accept a virtual hug and my wishes that you can sort this out to some satisfaction.

flowers are in the eyes of the beholder. I really do not like formal flowers, formal arrangements. Strict instructions to my family for them to go and pick meadow flowers and flowers from my garden - and if winter - none at all- but a few plants that can be planted at their homes later.

thank goodness we are all different- and yes, chosen charity always- money to do good rather than rot on a grave- for me. And all the plastic and polystirene bases that all end up in landfill. NOT for me.

I’m sorry to hear about your flowers Paddyanne
I have used Interflora in the past but their prices have gone up so much that this year I used 123 flowers. They arrived in a box looking a bit sad, but when they had been in water for an hour looked absolutely beautiful and they have lasted over a week! Oh and they were as shown on their website.

In general we are not very good at complaining in the UK, but I personally have found that companies will refund the money or better still send replacement flowers if you are dissatisfied.

@Aepgirl Now everyone's experience is different. I did exactly as you have suggested and rang a local (to her) florist to send flowers to a friend for her birthday. No problem they said, took down my message which naturally included the words "Happy Birthday" and I duly paid over the phone with card.
The following day was her birthday and I rang to wish her many happy returns and she said nothing about the flowers but it was around lunchtime so plenty of time for them to arrive still. I said nothing.
The day after her birthday I had heard nothing from her and it's most unlike her to not ring or text to say thank you, the last time I'd sent flowers she messaged a lovely photo of them with her thanks so I begin to think things were rather strange.
The following day I had a bereavement and it was very unexpected so it threw me slightly and I forgot everything else for a day or two.
Two days after that, so FOUR DAYS LATE for what they clearly knew was a birthday, I got a text from the florist at three thirty in the afternoon, they were sorry, they were unable to fulfill my order and would I like a refund!
Yesterday was my birthday and I received the most beautiful bunch of flowers from my DS via Interflora. Mind you, our local florists are second to none. Interflora is as good as the florists on the receiving end of the orders I find.

When my son was a teenager and had his first girlfriend, he used all of his money to order a bouquet from Moonpig. Luckily he had it delivered to our home to give her on their next date. They were awful, all dead, and I remember the look of devastation on his little face. As he had no money left to buy replacements, I took him to Tesco and we got equally nice flowers, and a vase to put them in, for about the same money as the Moonpig rubbish. Which of course doesn't remedy the upset for the OP, to whom I echo all of the support from everyone on here, but just wanted to add a warning about another bad online floral experience.