Florist.com....ugh

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Gilliland

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Jan 5, 2004
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gillilandflowers.com
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FTD strikes again, just got my clearing house statement, included in the envelope was a 20 page slick catalog for FLORIST.COM. This program is to "Created to send FTD florist MORE BUSINESS". However the filling florist only get their 73% and FTD get the remaining 27% PLUS a hefty $13.99 service charge on every order.

I called FTD and after 7 transfers I found a lady that knew what FLORIS.COM was, but she was not aware what the $13.99 was for. After several minutes she came back with this: "FLORIST.COM is a seperate company and that is all they get on each transaction". After that she had a very difficult time justifing FTD's %26% and the severice charge.

I told her I wanted to opt out of FLORIST.COM. I don't need anymore help from FTD on lossing money.

Let's all otp out of FTD.com, Florist.com, Roses,com, Progiftbaskets.com and any other FTD on line ripoff.
 
gAG-O-MAGO-

Consumers are ordering flowers online 24/7 –
FTD wants you to get your share of the orders!

Florist.com was created to send FTD Florists MORE BUSINESS!
FTD will aggressively promote Florist.com on Google and via email campaigns.

Florist.com Catalog (20 Pages)
With You on My Arm Bouquet (FL01)
Leading Lady Bouquet (FL02)
Hopeful Daydreams Bouquet (FL03)
Sunny Exuberance Bouquet (FL04)
Luscious Lavender Basket (FL05)
Salsa Celebration Bouquet (FL06)
Basket of Caring Kindness (FL07)
Fiery Fusion Bouquet (FL08)
Touched by Tenderness Bouquet (FL09)
Hold on to Happiness Bouquet (FL10)
Sweet Perfection Basket (FL11)
Romantic's Choice Bouquet (FL12)
Blossoming Abundance Basket (FL13)
Simple Serenade Bouquet (FL14)
Ribboned Rainbow Bouquet (FL15)
Pink Parade Basket (FL16)
Orange Crush Topiary (FL17)
Birthday Bash Basket (FL18)
Made for a Prince Basket (FL19)
Made for a Princess Basket (FL20)
Through the Years Anniversary Bouquet (FL21)
Autumn's Majesty Bouquet (FL22)
Basket of Bliss (FL23)
Golden Days Bouquet (FL24)
Red Rose Bouquet (FL31)
Yellow Rose Bouquet (FL32)
Mixed Roses Bouquet (FL33)
Pink Rose Bouquet (FL34)
Florist Designed Autumn Bouquet (FL35)


Huge Benefits for FTD Florists:ALL products featured will be FTD florist-filled and same day gift
Florist.com products feature flowers and containers shops use everyday
FTD Flower Exchange offers GREAT deals on fresh product including Build-A-Box
Drop-in bouquets are available through FTD Flower Exchange for some arrangements
FTD Marketplace has all of the hard goods you need at SUPER prices
Order the freshest flowers available from world-class growers at competitive pricing at www.FTDFlowerExchange.com or call 1-800-767-4000.

Call your FTD Marketplace Representative at 1-800-767-4000 for all of your supplies such as containers, floral foam and more!

Substitution of flowers or containers (with the exception of greens) is not permitted,
price adjustments will not be accepted. SRPs include delivery.
If you have any questions about Florist.com or to opt out of the program, please call FTD Member Services at 1-800-788-9000.


What a joke.....
S
 
FTD owns Florist.com (bought it for $6-8M from Aaron Benon(sp?) IIRC).

Why do you think they'd remove all references to FTD from the home page and product descriptions? Ummmmmm...............

Why would florists have to opt out? Seems this
Substitution of flowers or containers (with the exception of greens) is not permitted, price adjustments will not be accepted. SRPs include delivery.
Click to expand...
 would demand 'opt in' since its not a part of florists' membership agreements with FTD.
 
We've already received 3 orders from Florist.com.

They came before any information, called headquarters and nobody had any info on it. Looked up the pictures online and....drumroll please....you guessed it....not enough money.

Sorry, back to headquarters they flew on golden winged toe!
 
I posted about the removal of FTD's brand from Florist.com on the blog.

Quite a change in the products and look over the last couple days:

Before:
im-sorry_small.jpg



As of today:

new-florist.jpg



Seriously - Does FTD management believe they’ll sell more flowers with their brand removed from the site? If so, what does that say about the power of the brand?

Or - most everything on this site us cheap. Is this a way to got the PF cheap route and separate the low-cost stuff from the mother site?
 
What jacked me up was the crud about no subs for flowers or containers and no asking for more money...like wtf...now you want to dictate to independant florists what we can charge or be paid for...I had a call today from a really nice lady coming to town to demo the FTD tech..explained to her that once I am over being able to use my Advantage system, I will never use another WS system again...she was somewhat surprised and wanted me to listen to all of the "Good reason", like less cost etc.....Told her we can talk when they stop competing with me using my own money and that they are my biggest competitors...somewhere along the chat she mentioned how successful the codified items were...I laughed so hard I wanted to cry...told her I would be glad to bring her a bevy of local, really angry florists to this meeting if she was brave enough...
"she'll get back to me"...now in fairness to her, I was busy as all get out and wanted nothing to do with her or the three calls from TF either.... this is another foot in mouth situation from ftd...will they ever learn...will we???
Sher
 
CHR said:
Or - most everything on this site us cheap. Is this a way to got the PF cheap route and separate the low-cost stuff from the mother site?
Click to expand...

My wife said this weekend she was noticing more sites lookig just like this one.

Whats very eye catching is exactly what you are pointing our. Price points and a very stream like look to it.

Is more or less better? The lean look of the site with it consentration on simmular looking products and easly designed arrangements with a lush and full look to it. Sorry to say it but if they have the right fillers for the job this could do very well.

But again it would be at the expense of the filler!!!
 
This flyer came in my (hopefully) last statement from FTD today. The first item I priced was selling for "$44.99 delivered". My pricing without delivery or labor was $47.40.......so glad I'm no longer FTD. And guess what, again, they put it in a newsletter that members have to "opt out". They know how many members actually read their blathering..........
Again, they want you to buy from their flower market to drop the wholesale price of the flowers. I think they are trying to push their fresh flowers.......again.
But it certainly is telling, no MercuryMan logo. Sad
 
CHR said:
Or - most everything on this site us cheap. Is this a way to got the PF cheap route and separate the low-cost stuff from the mother site?
Click to expand...

Din-ding-ding!!! Give that lady a cigar! You got it...a Mr. Mike el-cheap-o gotta compete with PF special...

Sher said:
What jacked me up was the crud about no subs for flowers or containers and no asking for more money...like wtf...now you want to dictate to independant florists what we can charge or be paid for...
Sher
Click to expand...

They can pound sand on that one...heck - I'll reject that order so fast...and...some unsuspecting florist will fill it...sad.

BTW, at the end of every month, I make a call to some folks and get all the REJ $$$ credited back to me. Yea, a small pain in the rump, but it's the principle of the thing. Besides, Advantage reconciles those dang statements so fast, I have the time!

- H.
 
Hum

Well from reading everyones post I am glad I didn't sign up with a wire service as of yet. I just opened a month ago and I have been in the biz 16yrs and worked for other people, BUT I seriously thought about both major wire services and never could determine which I wanted to go with. As I read the stories on here I think I will stick with using my CC and sending them directly to a florist. Any good words of advice for me???? Remember I have only been open a month, so be kind, LOL. :hug:
 
CHR said:
Seriously - Does FTD management believe they’ll sell more flowers with their brand removed from the site? If so, what does that say about the power of the brand?
Click to expand...
Or maybe they're trying to distance themselves....FROM THEMSELVES LOL:bangles:

To get florists to think the orders are not stolen from them !!
 
Well... I think it was Erlene that brought this to everyone's attention about 2 months ago.. and I opted out at that time.sure it should be 'opt in' but it just isn't worth the fight so I called and politely opted out.
B>U>T... everyone.... look at these designs...they are nice, they are fairly easy and since I am a FTD member I am allowed to use their photo's right??

So.. although I can not fill for these products and make money (due to the 28% $1. merc fee & that $13?? service fee which will come back to haunt us since the customer will lump it in with the price of the arrang. and since the listed price "includes" the delivery fee) I CAN MAKE MONEY ON THESE PIECES AS IN STORE SPECIALS.. and I am allowed to subst. for my own specials.
What I am saying is that these pictures are good and priced at the point where people feel they are worth it.. they are doable and profitable as long as I do not have to share $$ with anyone else. So I picked out the 12 best items and they are now in my Fall lineup as instore specials.
Thanks to FTD for doing the photo shoot, the original design and price points.. I am using FTd as a VENDOR of information .. I like them and you will see them or a close subst. in my display refrigerator. I suppose I can not use the pictures in marketing or on my website.. but they are a nice surprise gift from FTD as reciped arrangements for my designers and me.

What is the comment.. if served lemons make lemonade???
 
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Carol, you make a good point about the attractiveness of the designs.

FTD will possibly loose sales in markets where there's no filler agreeing to their prices. They do offer items for drop ship, but will miss out on same-day, late next-day and Saturday orders.

With all the technical wizards and resources there, wouldn't it make sense for them to show the product and a price range, ask for the delivery zip code and then provide the price quoted by the local florist for product & delivery? Florists would be getting their asking prices (especially in rural areas) and might actually want the orders.

To me, the current scheme seems to leave a lot of their customers (both consumers & florists) unserved.
 
Quote "Florists would be getting their asking prices (especially in rural areas) and might actually want the orders."

In a rural area we might be able to get the flowers a little cheaper and labor might be a little cheaper, but a single delivery 15-20 miles in the middle of no where will kill you. Since we don't get any of the $13.99 service charge, it is still a no win.
 
Rod - I meant that rural florists could include an appropriate delivery fee (by zip code served) for same-day. If you need $15-20 for that 30 mile round-trip and $5 more to make the design 'as pictured' then let the customer decide if they feel the value is there to get the service they want.

Right now, FTD is telling consumers a product isn't available - but that's only partially true since it's just not available 'at that price'. The hitch is that members must agree to FTD's price fixing.
 
CHR said:
Right now, FTD is telling consumers a product isn't available - but that's only partially true since it's just not available 'at that price'. The hitch is that members must agree to FTD's price fixing.
Click to expand...
That was the term I was "looking" for in my head the other day...Price fixing is exactly what they are doing since we are not franchises....now, is that really legal?Curious,
Sher
 
carol said:
So.. although I can not fill for these products and make money (due to the 28% $1. merc fee & that $13?? service fee which will come back to haunt us since the customer will lump it in with the price of the arrang. and since the listed price "includes" the delivery fee) I CAN MAKE MONEY ON THESE PIECES AS IN STORE SPECIALS.. and I am allowed to subst. for my own specials.
What I am saying is that these pictures are good and priced at the point where people feel they are worth it.. they are doable and profitable as long as I do not have to share $$ with anyone else. So I picked out the 12 best items and they are now in my Fall lineup as instore specials.
Thanks to FTD for doing the photo shoot, the original design and price points.. I am using FTd as a VENDOR of information .. I like them and you will see them or a close subst. in my display refrigerator. I suppose I can not use the pictures in marketing or on my website.. but they are a nice surprise gift from FTD as reciped arrangements for my designers and me.

What is the comment.. if served lemons make lemonade???
Click to expand...

Oh hell yeah, smart Girl and smart move.

I love to see someone smart enough to work them like they try to work us.

Thanks for the idea.


PS - but what do you tell those anti-cookie cutter folks here on flowerchat? Isn't everything done and shot by wire services labeled cookie cutter by default?
PPS - I like cookies :headbang:

opinions vary
 
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