FUNERAL FLOWERS

The Woodland Trust, and plant a tree, sounds a wonderful idea.. I do hope some of us here remember this , in the awful event....

I guess it is sending flowers outside of the country? ie. the UK

I have sent flowers to friends in the USof A in the past and always used a local florist to the recipient..

so sad to hear of this

That is awful spending that money on a bouquet that you weren't happy with. I know it's the thought that counts, but even so companies are getting away with it. I've had so many deliveries of damaged items it drives me mad. Go on Trustpilot and leave a review about the service you received cos the company sometimes then will contact you about the problem.

Not abroad but I wonder if there will be difficulties getting fresh flowers here in the UK now that Brexit has happened??
I’m eagerly awaiting sight of daffodils ....

I understand your anger and I don’t think it is unreasonable. I would definitely pursue the complaint. I do wonder if florists sometimes use their ‘leftover flowers ‘ for funeral tributes as they know they are going to be outside and spoiled by the weather. I say this because the flowers provided for my dear Dad’s funeral , one from me and the other from my Mum to her husband were abysmal. Half dead chrysanthemums and a few roses that were losing their petals. My brothers who used different florists had tributes that were beautiful. I know how embarrassed and upset we were, so I feel for you. Perhaps a small bouquet in a couple of weeks time, saying that you are thinking of the family, would be a nice gesture.

What a shame. You must feel very let down but, as others have said, your friends won’t have thought you were responsible for the quality of the flowers received through a third party,. I am sure they would have been horrified more by the cost! People have suggested plenty of lovely tips of what you may wish to do now but do complain and hopefully get a refund and then you can decide what to do to ease your pain and make you feel better about what has happened.
I received flowers from my son in Australia from one of the well known “arrive in a box” firms. I was so disappointed and complained to the firm. They did offer a refund back to the payee but I didn’t want to upset them so agreed to receive a replacement. It did come the next day (a Sunday) it was exactly the same flowers but far fresher and better quality specimens.
In the end I did tell my son, only to ensure that he did not see that firm again.
When I wanted to send flowers to Australia, I found a local florist there and emailed them to arrange a delivery, also asking them to ensure they were left in the shade in some water if no one was at home! I never heard back from the recipient, and ended up contacting the florist to ask if they’d actually been delivered! I was assured that they had personally handed them over to the recipient! I never did get thanked for them, which hurt at the time.
Take care

I’ve used Serenata a few times both in England, and Southern Ireland and they’ve always been excellent.
Often, Roses, Irises and some greenery.
The boxes they send them make them arrive in good condition.
They also include a card and a email from them to let you know that they have been delivered.
Highly recommended.

As you were sending to Croatia the fault was at that end. I wouldn’t think that the service you used had any control over what was supplied. Sad and embarrassing for you. You had good intentions which the son will have appreciated.
.

My husband bought me flowers at Christmas - they were pretty awful and I could see how disappointed he was when they arrived. He got in touch with the florist he ordered them from and got half his money refunded. However, I was happy that he'd thought of doing it. I can imagine how disappointed you are but you sent them which is what counts.

When my uncle died in Australia I contacted a local florist who were very good. The funeral was to be very early in the morning so I emailed to check they could deliver in time. They were so helpful. My cousin sent a photo of the flowers and they were exactly as ordered.

I’ve had this problem before and when my DH passed away last year I requested family flowers only and a donation to British Heart Foundation. That raised £750 for a great cause

I looked up florists in the local area of where the family lived then went to there online site that was for my brothers funeral which I couldn't attend due to distant.

I used Interflora for my mother’s 90th birthday and it looked like Wreath! The horrible fir tree sprigs with a few carnations stuck in the centre. We were both upset. Never use again!

Sorry - forgot to add that Serenata Flowers have an international service. I’ve not used them myself but I know a couple of people who have, and they were very happy with the quality and service.

I agree with the wise words of some previous posters. I lost my husband a couple of years ago and grief was always under the surface - I tried to control it and present a calm face to the outside world, but even the smallest act of kindness would be my undoing and the tears would flow no matter where I was.

There are many triggers for grief and the issue over the flowers was just one of them - and one I can relate to from experience. Don’t bottle your feelings up, let them out - talk about your friend and express your grief. Try not to worry about the flowers, your friends’ family will understand the difficulty and they will appreciate the sincerity of the gesture. I’m so sorry for your loss. Be kind to yourself and I hope that good memories of your friend will soon replace the ache of grieving. xxx

Not Spaghetti's idea is excellent. Don't let the robbing baskets get away with it.

Isn't this disgusting ? I too would weep buckets. It just isn't good enough at all and very upsetting at such a time too.

Sad to say but I won't be ordering flowers from this country to send to D in Oz. I'll be dealing directly with those in Australia.
Far cheaper and better too ! AUD75 will buy a beautiful bouquet ( just over £42 )

I would point out that I know of a family in London who had great difficulty in finding a florist who could supply the flowers that they wanted for a family funeral. The florists were are helpful and suggested other numbers to ring, but they just didn’t have the flowers.

You have to remember that when you send orders for things like flowers overseas, you are at the mercy of the florist local to the recipient.
Even in this country things can go wrong if ordering online, as I found when I ordered flowers to an aunt's 90th birthday. They sent the flowers and apparently were very nice but put no card in with them and refused to tell my aunt who had sent them !
At least you have a photo as proof, so get a refund from the company that your order went via as the contract was with them. They can then be responsible for the Croatian end.
Perhaps send flowers later - on the anniversary of their death or on their birthday perhaps.

It is the thought that counts. My daughter sent me some flowers and I was pleased to receive them and sent her a photo with a thank you. Her reply was that they were not what she had ordered but the fact that she had sent them was what mattered to me.

These people really do get away with dreadful products.
A kind friend sent me some flowers at Christmas, really droopy tulips with a crooked lumpy branch of some gold painted foliage that couldn't fit straight up in the vase and roses past their best. I thanked her and she asked me to send her a photo then returned a photo of what they should have been like: same type of flowers but twice as many of them and larger in her photo, and there were more individual pieces of usable "greenery" too. Almost £30 for what would have been two small bunches of supermarket flowers - though they would have been fresher from the supermarket!
If I'm sending flowers to people now I try to find a florist in their area and order direct from them, which has worked well.

This has happened twice to me recently, both companies refunded the money.
Send another small bouquet from a different company.

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.

forget your embarrassment about what your friend may think. They may not have even noticed what each person sent!
I had to send flowers to a funeral some miles away and chose online florist. Lovely picture and cost £82 I was worried what would arrive but relieved to here that they were as shown.

I would leave a review saying what you think on the site!

I have got so fed up with using 'flower' companies (e.g. Interflora) for sending flowers, particularly funerals, that I now search online for a local florist and order the flowers that way. I also make a point of saying 'I shall be at the funeral so will be pleased to be able to see the flowers'. This usually ensures that the flowers are good and worth the money paid.

When my father-in-law died I asked the funeral director for the name of a nearby florist. I gave this to those who were attending the funeral - the orders totalled over £500 - and the flowers were all delivered in one van. I was appalled when I discovered that the florist had charged extra for delivery on every order. When I complained, the florist sent me a cheque to pay into a charity of my choice - I divided it between those who had bought flowers.

I’m sorry Paddyanne , that must have been the last straw at a terrible time! My mother and I had a similar experience sending flowers abroad to my uncles funeral, and it makes you feel as if you have been unable to do properly the very last thing you do for someone. I’m sorry for your loss.