FTD vs. ProFlowers
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steve
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PhillyPhlorist
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- Feb 7, 2004
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All I can say is...
IT'S ABOUT FRIGGIN' TIME!!!!
I have been pounding this in the local media of Philly - mainly any radio station I listen to - and WHATEVER I say falls onto deaf ears.
Why???
'Cause it's all about the MONEY man! Well, I think ANY radio station, on air Personality, and web ad provider should be named in the suit as well. These guys HAVE to be held accountable as well.
Hey- I like those personalities (Hannity, Glen Beck, Michael Smirconish in Philly etc.) but they are promoting something that is NOT true, and when confronted about it, upper management takes over....
With regards to FTD - they get a brownie point for this one. Teleflora should be ASHAMED of itself for not jumping on board...
ALSO... FTD states that, "...make ProFlowers compensate FTD for ProFlowers' act of unfair competition."
HEY!!! I want a piece of that too! WEEE florists have been hurt MORE than FTD!!! OK - take your legal fees out of whatever you get (if anything) and spread the rest among the memebers of FTD. So what if it's 10 bucks....it's the principle of the matter!!!
- H.
IT'S ABOUT FRIGGIN' TIME!!!!
I have been pounding this in the local media of Philly - mainly any radio station I listen to - and WHATEVER I say falls onto deaf ears.
Why???
'Cause it's all about the MONEY man! Well, I think ANY radio station, on air Personality, and web ad provider should be named in the suit as well. These guys HAVE to be held accountable as well.
Hey- I like those personalities (Hannity, Glen Beck, Michael Smirconish in Philly etc.) but they are promoting something that is NOT true, and when confronted about it, upper management takes over....
With regards to FTD - they get a brownie point for this one. Teleflora should be ASHAMED of itself for not jumping on board...
ALSO... FTD states that, "...make ProFlowers compensate FTD for ProFlowers' act of unfair competition."
HEY!!! I want a piece of that too! WEEE florists have been hurt MORE than FTD!!! OK - take your legal fees out of whatever you get (if anything) and spread the rest among the memebers of FTD. So what if it's 10 bucks....it's the principle of the matter!!!
- H.
How could they Steve, didn't TF sign them up for "profl same day delivery".
When dogs sleep together they can not bite, only kiss and make up.
When dogs sleep together they can not bite, only kiss and make up.
PhillyPhlorist said:
1. I think every talk show personality who has continued to personally broadcast the Pro Flowers ads AFTER being made aware of the falsehoods by a bombardment of e-mails and letters from florists should be made a CO-DEFENDANT in this lawsuit. They need to be held accountable for their actions.
2. Same goes for any radio stations and other media that knowingly allowed the broadcast of these falsehoods after being made aware of them by any documentable method such as letters or e-mails from florists.
3. I'm not a lawyer, but I think that the courts should be asked to turn this into a Class Action suit and allow each and every florist in each and every town in America to become party to it. After all, a Discovery action ordering Pro Flowers to produce shipping records could become the documentable basis for assessing damages for each and every town.
If offended florists could be added to the mix and those who made money from the advertising could be made defendants, this thing has the potential for straightening out a HUGE part of what is wrong this industry and threatening to destroy it. Like the famous Super Bowl halftime fiasco, it sure could get some people's attention and put the fear in them.
Big deal , why was this not done years ago when we the florists 1st started complaining, why because pro flowers wasn't big enough to get much of a market share , now that they are large , and cutting into the dot.com orders that FTD loves , sue sue, sue! Will all ftd member shops get a cut of any punitive damages ? I'm taking bets , I say nadda, any takers.
Was at in their Miami warehouse
Last Val Day I was in their Miami warehouse. I saw first hand what they do and how they do it. They buy on the open market just like everyone else. Not gower direct like they claim. Also, they have a bus that they use to go to the day worker area in Miami. There they select the workers that they need to fill that days orders. They pay them a days wages and lunch. Then they return them to Miami where they found them. No employees on the books, no workers comp, no unemployment, no benefits, etc. All outside labor and none of the hassels. Whats unbelievable is the govt. lets them get away with it.......for now! Should we get in on the law suit?????
Last Val Day I was in their Miami warehouse. I saw first hand what they do and how they do it. They buy on the open market just like everyone else. Not gower direct like they claim. Also, they have a bus that they use to go to the day worker area in Miami. There they select the workers that they need to fill that days orders. They pay them a days wages and lunch. Then they return them to Miami where they found them. No employees on the books, no workers comp, no unemployment, no benefits, etc. All outside labor and none of the hassels. Whats unbelievable is the govt. lets them get away with it.......for now! Should we get in on the law suit?????
PhillyPhlorist said:
12BucksFor2Dozon
New Member
I dunno...just sounds like a bunch of free publicity for BOTH those floral rackets, FTD and ProFlowers...I can't help but chuckle when the FTD "members" get angry about the idea of a company "stealing" orders when the IRONY is that there own parent is doing it them/the rest of us...
et tu, brutus?
et tu, brutus?
Guff,
You made my jaw drop with that story. Got any pictures cuz they could some in read handy?.
You made my jaw drop with that story. Got any pictures cuz they could some in read handy?.
PhillyPhlorist
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If you can ACTUALLY get PAST the FTD.COM "stealing your business" stuff, you may actually see that this is a GOOD thing!
I am a bit taken back that ANYONE would put some SPIN on this and call it a ploy of some kind.
Let's face it - FTD has the $$$ to take a big company to court (and, I mean Proflowers parent company) - WEEE don't. NOR do we have the organizational structure to do something like this - unless SOMEONE here knows a high-profile lawer who would take the case.
Anyway, at least it was done. As for any $$$ florist could see out of this - yea, probably won't happen. BUT if the the false ads STOP, that's a start for me... I really don't think many florists KNOW how many orders PF are taking from the retail florists. And, how they are changing the FACE of ordering flowers: buy in stem bunches and throw in a vase for "free". If you don't believe me, read M. Soenan's spin on the latest FTD newsletter...
GUFF - Have seen the PF assembly line at work too in Philly....
- H.
I am a bit taken back that ANYONE would put some SPIN on this and call it a ploy of some kind.
Let's face it - FTD has the $$$ to take a big company to court (and, I mean Proflowers parent company) - WEEE don't. NOR do we have the organizational structure to do something like this - unless SOMEONE here knows a high-profile lawer who would take the case.
Anyway, at least it was done. As for any $$$ florist could see out of this - yea, probably won't happen. BUT if the the false ads STOP, that's a start for me... I really don't think many florists KNOW how many orders PF are taking from the retail florists. And, how they are changing the FACE of ordering flowers: buy in stem bunches and throw in a vase for "free". If you don't believe me, read M. Soenan's spin on the latest FTD newsletter...
GUFF - Have seen the PF assembly line at work too in Philly....
- H.
First - sorry for the bad typing two posts back. Too late to edit now.
The stock market doesn't seem to know what to make of this. PRVD dropped almost a buck before the opening bell but has already recovered to the level where it closed yesterday. FTD is down .25/share. 1-800, not involved the suit, is down slightly, too.
Interesting comments about the suit on Yahoo's PRVD message board - http://finance.yahoo.com/q/mb?s=PRVD
The stock market doesn't seem to know what to make of this. PRVD dropped almost a buck before the opening bell but has already recovered to the level where it closed yesterday. FTD is down .25/share. 1-800, not involved the suit, is down slightly, too.
Interesting comments about the suit on Yahoo's PRVD message board - http://finance.yahoo.com/q/mb?s=PRVD
Side trip but this is rich - that finance page has a overstock.com link with a pic of flowers in it, I clicked and started an order and you get this
1009445Simply Roses Special Bouquet (18 stem) (Multi-Color)1$39.99 Ground 5-10 Business Days Optionally enter a gift message (150 letters or less) to be sent along with the following products:
Simply Roses Special Bouquet (18 stem)
But hey - shipping is only $1!!!
1009445Simply Roses Special Bouquet (18 stem) (Multi-Color)1$39.99 Ground 5-10 Business Days Optionally enter a gift message (150 letters or less) to be sent along with the following products:
Simply Roses Special Bouquet (18 stem)
Bet those be looking good with 5-10 business days shipping huh???
I didn't figure out what company it was coming from But hey - shipping is only $1!!!
They wouldn't allow camera's, didn't have one anyhow. I was taken there prior to Val Day by one of my reps when I was down there buying for the holiday. Seems that they were a customer of his as well. Hmmm..... He gave me the nickel tour and explained their process. All the farms were kissing there #$%& for business.
12BucksFor2Dozon
New Member
Well then perhaps you are also the type of chess player who only sees one level deep...don't get me wrong I don't believe that the only reason for this lawsuit is to get free pub but I can tell you one thing, if this thing hits the mass media it will be worth millions in brand awareness for both of these companies...remember rule #1 in marketing "there is almost NO such thing as bad publicity"PhillyPhlorist said:
And, really, what do you think the long term effect of this lawsuit could be? That PF changes a couple of words in its commercials? I know you don't believe that will stop *their* marketing juggernaut, do you? Those of us not "blessed" with a kissy-kissy relationship with the wires see ALL of it as threats...perhaps you don't care to understand that because, hey, FTD is paying *your* bills, but to me and others who struggle to recapture the local order business, this is at the forefront of my concern.
I *am* glad that PF is being exposed as lying scum suckers, like I would be for any company that misleads its customers, and would like to see an end to the marketing BS that so many national companies like to spout...
Maybe it's time to start my own phpBB, where only REAL "Real Florists" (those who have NO wire affiliations at all) can go to discuss how to whip ALL of ya...<roar!> <chuckle>
TOTO
New Member
Re: What's the DIFFERENCE?
Looks as if Mike made a visit to our website to get the facts on his BIGGEST FARM DIRECT COMPETITOR!
But then again, they insist on USING FARM DIRECT TOO, right? So WHAT'S DA DIFFERENCE?
http://www.cascadeflorist.com/site/content.cfm?id=F3B1F496-F5AD-000F-B8756A0CBD422BC7
I exposed them for EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE just before VALENTINE'S WEEK of 2005. It was right after someone had posted on this board that, DUE TO THE PROBLEM THEY WERE HAVING with SUNDAY thrown into the mix, they made special arrangements with FedEx to provide a SATURDAY NIGHT shipping option from MIAMI to GEORGIA which would enable them to SHIP from GEORGIA to EVERYWHERE else for arrival on that MONDAY.
YUP! Pacco and Maria patiently wait in the office at the farms in either Equador or Columbia for the one customer's order to PRINT OUT. Then, they run out into the FIELDS and HAND PICK every flower for that customer's ONE ORDER.
Then, they rush back to the office and personally pack it so that, IT REMAINS FARM FRESH. Next, they jump into THE TRUCK and drive it over to the AIRPORT to pop it on the plane. Next, it arrives at YOUR HOMETOWN AIRPORT and IMMEDIATELY GOES ON A FedEx TRUCK and gets delivered RIGHT TO YOUR FRONT DOOR.
One of those ONCE UPON A TIME bedtime stories, only in this case, they DON'T LIVE happily EVER AFTER.
__________________
FORE! TOTO and TAKING CARE of OUR REAL FLORIST BUSINESS!
Looks as if Mike made a visit to our website to get the facts on his BIGGEST FARM DIRECT COMPETITOR!
But then again, they insist on USING FARM DIRECT TOO, right? So WHAT'S DA DIFFERENCE?
http://www.cascadeflorist.com/site/content.cfm?id=F3B1F496-F5AD-000F-B8756A0CBD422BC7
I exposed them for EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE just before VALENTINE'S WEEK of 2005. It was right after someone had posted on this board that, DUE TO THE PROBLEM THEY WERE HAVING with SUNDAY thrown into the mix, they made special arrangements with FedEx to provide a SATURDAY NIGHT shipping option from MIAMI to GEORGIA which would enable them to SHIP from GEORGIA to EVERYWHERE else for arrival on that MONDAY.
YUP! Pacco and Maria patiently wait in the office at the farms in either Equador or Columbia for the one customer's order to PRINT OUT. Then, they run out into the FIELDS and HAND PICK every flower for that customer's ONE ORDER.
Then, they rush back to the office and personally pack it so that, IT REMAINS FARM FRESH. Next, they jump into THE TRUCK and drive it over to the AIRPORT to pop it on the plane. Next, it arrives at YOUR HOMETOWN AIRPORT and IMMEDIATELY GOES ON A FedEx TRUCK and gets delivered RIGHT TO YOUR FRONT DOOR.
One of those ONCE UPON A TIME bedtime stories, only in this case, they DON'T LIVE happily EVER AFTER.
__________________
FORE! TOTO and TAKING CARE of OUR REAL FLORIST BUSINESS!
I mentioned this to Mark - Look what searchers get when they google for "FTD vs Proflowers" - http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=ftd+vs+proflowers.com . Maybe this suit will bring a wider audience to the entire story of deceptive flower biz advertising.
I'm with $12bucks on this one and he is right.
Here's the deal.. I own epicflowers.com I used the same people IN Miami who do business with FTD's butterfieldblooms.com and a lot of other "direct of grower" businesses. They are not a grower, but a bouquet maker. I'm about to have news about epic probably this Friday, they I'll share with everyone, but my counsel has told me to be quiet... which is quite a task for me. I have many many many many places that I can post here proving that FTD makes the same claims of "Fresh from the Grower", in which PF lawyers will point out and this will all go away. I agree with 12bucks, that this is all smoke and mirrors and FTD wanted all there florists to know about it, by sending them a link on how FTD is in their corner. Hey here's an idea, maybe FTD should wire out on their mercury machines this links too:
Right off butterfieldbloom's site under the "about"
or -
found at - http://www.butterfieldblooms.com/8855/catalog/product.epl?product_id=103F
Ahhh heck... just type in grower in their search function and you'll see how many are on their own page.
Just got off the phone at Butterfieldblooms.com and talked to the girl and she said "Our flowers are shipped from our growers overnight Fed-Ex". Don’t believe me? Call em for yourself - 1-888-8-BBLOOM) I'm sure PF is going to eat this stuff up!!! Hey listen PF or FTD aren’t stupid, 12bucks is right.. to hurt their stock, advertisement, and to make them look sooo sweet over their mercury machines. I KNOW FOR FACT, the flowers shipped out of Miami, at the same place I order flowers from for epicflowers.com is NOT a grower, and is a bouquet makers.
And butterfieldblooms has an affiliate program through linkshare, which means ANY moron out there can sell flowers on their website, filled by FTD or butterfieldblooms and compete against you... and the worse part is, they don't pay fees, like a FTD florist, but rather only MAKE money fro each sell. Did they wire that out too over mercury? When will you guys quit supporting FTD and get real?
AND THANKYOU Boss for adding butterfieldblooms to floristdetectives.com!!! WOOOHOOOO!!! The squeaky wheel was oiled!!
And Guff? I don't get your point? They pick up people in Miami to work for them and bus them back? So? It's called temp work or in our town there is a place where people wait at to work for a day for someone who needs them to do blue collar work. No they don't get bennies, but they know it. Do the mistreat these workers? Give em breaks? Pay them $1 an hour? Mountains out of molehills I think.
*Watches while the little FTD loyalist scuttle off to tell their overlords to remove the word "grower" before PF sees it* *ROFL!!!!!!!!* What a joke!
The sad thing is 99% of the FTD members who read that little mercury letter truly believe FTD is all behind them. And doe anyone else see the correlation with what we are told by our government administration? Yes, anything they say is correct! *walks like a robot*
Hey Philly, I love ya man and salute your passion, but always be skeptical when money is involved.
*sits by his phone waiting for the calls and the red light on his chest peering through the window.*
Here's the deal.. I own epicflowers.com I used the same people IN Miami who do business with FTD's butterfieldblooms.com and a lot of other "direct of grower" businesses. They are not a grower, but a bouquet maker. I'm about to have news about epic probably this Friday, they I'll share with everyone, but my counsel has told me to be quiet... which is quite a task for me. I have many many many many places that I can post here proving that FTD makes the same claims of "Fresh from the Grower", in which PF lawyers will point out and this will all go away. I agree with 12bucks, that this is all smoke and mirrors and FTD wanted all there florists to know about it, by sending them a link on how FTD is in their corner. Hey here's an idea, maybe FTD should wire out on their mercury machines this links too:
Right off butterfieldbloom's site under the "about"
or -
found at - http://www.butterfieldblooms.com/8855/catalog/product.epl?product_id=103F
Ahhh heck... just type in grower in their search function and you'll see how many are on their own page.
Just got off the phone at Butterfieldblooms.com and talked to the girl and she said "Our flowers are shipped from our growers overnight Fed-Ex". Don’t believe me? Call em for yourself - 1-888-8-BBLOOM) I'm sure PF is going to eat this stuff up!!! Hey listen PF or FTD aren’t stupid, 12bucks is right.. to hurt their stock, advertisement, and to make them look sooo sweet over their mercury machines. I KNOW FOR FACT, the flowers shipped out of Miami, at the same place I order flowers from for epicflowers.com is NOT a grower, and is a bouquet makers.
And butterfieldblooms has an affiliate program through linkshare, which means ANY moron out there can sell flowers on their website, filled by FTD or butterfieldblooms and compete against you... and the worse part is, they don't pay fees, like a FTD florist, but rather only MAKE money fro each sell. Did they wire that out too over mercury? When will you guys quit supporting FTD and get real?
AND THANKYOU Boss for adding butterfieldblooms to floristdetectives.com!!! WOOOHOOOO!!! The squeaky wheel was oiled!!
And Guff? I don't get your point? They pick up people in Miami to work for them and bus them back? So? It's called temp work or in our town there is a place where people wait at to work for a day for someone who needs them to do blue collar work. No they don't get bennies, but they know it. Do the mistreat these workers? Give em breaks? Pay them $1 an hour? Mountains out of molehills I think.
*Watches while the little FTD loyalist scuttle off to tell their overlords to remove the word "grower" before PF sees it* *ROFL!!!!!!!!* What a joke!
The sad thing is 99% of the FTD members who read that little mercury letter truly believe FTD is all behind them. And doe anyone else see the correlation with what we are told by our government administration? Yes, anything they say is correct! *walks like a robot*
Hey Philly, I love ya man and salute your passion, but always be skeptical when money is involved.
*sits by his phone waiting for the calls and the red light on his chest peering through the window.*
Cathy, also do a search in Google for - butterfieldblooms grower and butterfiedlbloom affilate
The whole thing is an FTD spin. Come on people, before you take sides with FTD, look at their record. To be a good judge, is to be neutral and look at all sides and all the facts and never make an emotional decision.
The whole thing is an FTD spin. Come on people, before you take sides with FTD, look at their record. To be a good judge, is to be neutral and look at all sides and all the facts and never make an emotional decision.
Also.. form what I know from being on the inside, PF has a lot more farms they work from, than FTD.
The whole reason for Miami is, besides JFK, it's the only place flowers can be brought into on the east coast. 90% come into Miami. Now with that said, knowing that most of the population is east of the Mississippi, and overnight shipping by FedEx is determined by zones away from where it is being shipped, you understand why so many "fresh from the farm" businesses are in Miami. Logistics are a VERY important thing when ROI is on the line.
Now on the west coast, where there are LOTS of flower farms, you'll only find flowers being shipped, by PF, from farms. Last I heard from "the inside" PF is buying up growers south of the border quickly and within a couple years, all the PF flowers will be from their own growers.
Does PF ship direct from their farms always? No. Does BFB? No.
The people I work with in Miami, who also fill for BFB, told me they tried to get the PF account, but they have their own employees and warehouse.
Gunna be in Miami and want to go spy on PF? 1720 NW 96TH AVE, MIAMI, FL 33172
Good luck getting in though. The floral business in Miami is very dog eat dog.
Have fun!
*closes the window shade*
The whole reason for Miami is, besides JFK, it's the only place flowers can be brought into on the east coast. 90% come into Miami. Now with that said, knowing that most of the population is east of the Mississippi, and overnight shipping by FedEx is determined by zones away from where it is being shipped, you understand why so many "fresh from the farm" businesses are in Miami. Logistics are a VERY important thing when ROI is on the line.
Now on the west coast, where there are LOTS of flower farms, you'll only find flowers being shipped, by PF, from farms. Last I heard from "the inside" PF is buying up growers south of the border quickly and within a couple years, all the PF flowers will be from their own growers.
Does PF ship direct from their farms always? No. Does BFB? No.
The people I work with in Miami, who also fill for BFB, told me they tried to get the PF account, but they have their own employees and warehouse.
Gunna be in Miami and want to go spy on PF? 1720 NW 96TH AVE, MIAMI, FL 33172
Good luck getting in though. The floral business in Miami is very dog eat dog.
Have fun!
*closes the window shade*
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