Florist refuses direct order?????

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NPFloral

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Feb 23, 2005
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North Port
www.northportfloral.com
State / Prov
Florida
I had an interesting thing happen this morning. As most of you know, we have been WS free for over a year. I do all outbound orders via phone with CC. Well, I had a customer come in this morning for an outgoing order. Funeral piece, 65 bux, all red/white carnations.

So, I look up a florist in Perkasie, PA and choose Claire's Flower Shop. Bob answers the phone, I ask if he could do a funeral piece for tomorrow. He asks that I send it over the Merc. I explain that I am paying by CC. He tells me "We can't accept that". I think, "huh?"

I try to explain that I am giving them 100% of the $65 PLUS delivery and wouldn't that be better than sharing the profit with a WS?

The schmuck HANGS UP ON ME. Da noive ! What a friggin idiot. :hammer:

Anyone else try to call out a direct order and get this kind of treatment or have to actuall CONVINCE the filling florist that they'll MAKE MORE $$ with your direct order?


Tim - North Port Floral
 
Maybe they don't take credit cards?
 
We've been wire service free for 3 years and phone orders all over the country using a cc. Just a very few times have I had this sort of thing happen. I suspect the florists in question have listened to a wire service rep and want to penalize us for this. That is the only thing that would explain this behavior as they make a lot more money on a direct order. My big complaint is when the filling florist tries to tack on sales tax because in the US that is wrong or just being lazy or punitive on their part. Most florists are highly receptive to these orders and you wouldn't believe when we start to talk how many are considering dropping one or all wire services. Just phone the order elsewhere and find some florist who will take good care of the order for you.
 
briparke said:
We've been wire service free for 3 years and phone orders all over the country using a cc. Just a very few times have I had this sort of thing happen. I suspect the florists in question have listened to a wire service rep and want to penalize us for this. That is the only thing that would explain this behavior as they make a lot more money on a direct order. My big complaint is when the filling florist tries to tack on sales tax because in the US that is wrong or just being lazy or punitive on their part. Most florists are highly receptive to these orders and you wouldn't believe when we start to talk how many are considering dropping one or all wire services. Just phone the order elsewhere and find some florist who will take good care of the order for you.
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It isn't necessarily wrong for him to add sales tax. The "sending florist" rule only applies when an order is sent through a wire service.
 
Considering on their website (through their paid link), the sympathy section shows even their cubes starting at like $76.99 - you probably wouldn't have gotten much for your $65.00..........
sheesh.........do the PA reps blackmail or hypnotize their clients??
:poke:
 
I think a florist to florist falls under the "resale" exempt rule. The sending florist already collected tax on the sale from the customer. As the receiving florist I do not tax direct orders. But I do ask for the florists tax exempt number.
 
NPFloral said:
Anyone else try to call out a direct order and get this kind of treatment or have to actuall CONVINCE the filling florist that they'll MAKE MORE $$ with your direct order?
Click to expand...

I recall back in the late 80's, early 90's FTD threatened to suspend any member who bypassed the system and sent orders direct. Before the internet, the wire service directories were the only efficient way to find an out of town florist. This was their attempt at filling this loophole.

Perhaps this is a carry over from back in the day?
 
Would'nt it been funny, if you place the order on their online site and give them your cc and they accepted it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Try that next time.

L is for looser

Luc
 
I would have called the guy right back and said 'my aunt just died, I'd like to send flowers to her funeral' and given him the order that way. He'd know it was you, and then he'd feel like a real dope.
Unbelievable, but the sad thing is, it happens all the time.
 
Bigted said:
It isn't necessarily wrong for him to add sales tax. The "sending florist" rule only applies when an order is sent through a wire service.
Click to expand...
Not in California. The state tax law say "from another florist" via "association" and does not stipulate orders be sent via WSs.

We can choose to associate with one another, can we not?

No state nor government should dictate for-profit entities as the sole channel by which florists exchange orders.
 
Bigted said:
It isn't necessarily wrong for him to add sales tax. The "sending florist" rule only applies when an order is sent through a wire service.
Click to expand...

inferno63 said:
I think a florist to florist falls under the "resale" exempt rule. The sending florist already collected tax on the sale from the customer. As the receiving florist I do not tax direct orders. But I do ask for the florists tax exempt number.
Click to expand...

And why should a receiving florist need to go thru filing exempt stuff so the sender can avoid paying?

If we had sales tax, on orders like this I would still charge sales tax.

But we don't, tho I completely understand why a florist would charge it.
 
CHR said:
Not in California. The state tax law say "from another florist" via "association" and does not stipulate orders be sent via WSs.

We can choose to associate with one another, can we not?

No state nor government should dictate for-profit entities as the sole channel by which florists exchange orders.
Click to expand...

Well, you may need to talk to my sales tax auditor. To her a wire service order was the only one that qualified.
 
You got plenty of time to fight it in court so you can take these orders don't you Ted?

I mean, think of the poor florists that don't have to pay wire service fees.
 
Ditto

briparke said:
Most florists are highly receptive to these orders and you wouldn't believe when we start to talk how many are considering dropping one or all wire services.
Click to expand...

Amen, I hear that on every order once we start talking, but I wonder if they ever do it....
 
Used to be WS Free

And this is why I rejoined Teleflora. So many florists had to know:

why I didn't use a WS?
what does florist direct mean?
why they shouldn't charge sales tax?
and the list goes on.

As long as I have payroll scheduled, a designer is getting paid whether they fill a wire order or not, so they might as well do tomorrow's wire orders late the afternoon before.

It is working out just fine.

When a shop drops a wire service and does not eliminate some payroll, they could be adversely affecting their payroll to sales ratio.
 
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I send orders direct all the time. I start by asking if they can deliver...etc.
It is amazing how many florists will ask me if I am a florist, even though I didn't
mention that...I must "sound" like a florist....and "which wire service will I be using?"

I tell them that I will not be using a wire service, that I will be giving them 100%
of the order, plus their delivery plus their tax and paying with a cc., and yes, I am a florist.
Then, all is well. They treat me like a customer and some don't want to charge me
tax or some will offer a discount.
I don't take a discount and I pay the tax, which I then charge my customer the
amount of their tax.
My accountant says that I should collect the tax, but the tax should be at the rate of where the delivery is made.
I make a flat fee for sending the order which is currently 12.95, which in not taxed.
 
bloomz said:
You got plenty of time to fight it in court so you can take these orders don't you Ted?
Click to expand...
Wow. The contrarian advocating we all just roll over and submit?

I mean, think of the poor florists that don't have to pay wire service fees.
Click to expand...
My opinion is clouded with the knowledge that WS rebates have utterly distorted the selling of flowers as a gift. So we need to pay them Mafiaesque protection fees to keep state sales tax auditors at bay? Talk about twisted......
 
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