FUNERAL 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.

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.

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 )

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

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

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 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!

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’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

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.

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.

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.
.

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.

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 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.

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 ....

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.

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

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.

@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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 .