FTD's newest mythical flower shop

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Tom

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Dec 26, 2003
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www.garrisonhill.com
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New Hampshire
Perhaps this has come up before, but if it did, I missed it.
About an hour ago, we received a phone call from "Cindy at FTD.com", asking if we could fill a fairly generic order for today. Yes, we could, and the order was transmitted over the Mercury. When it arrived, it was from "Digital Flowers.com" in Iowa City, Iowa. Neither the name nor code number come up in our search. The original order appeared to have been placed via FTD Florists On Line. We then checked the Digital Flowers.com website. It is one of the typical FTD FOL websites. Nowhere does it say where they are located. They can be contacted (24 hours a day, of course) by an 800 number or email. Everything makes the site look like your regular hometown florist. What reinforces that is that typing in a delivery city brings up information specific to that city. For example, type in Rochester, New Hampshire. You'll be shown information and a photograph about Rochester's population, location, nickname, etc. Further, a link is provided that will take you to the official Rochester, NH website.
 
Has not come up as I remember.

I do not think it is an FTD site though, as the site is hosted in Houston TX, and all (most?) of FTD's sites are hosted by Novator in Canada. But it could be as a few of the "related sites" are suspicious like 800Florals.com, FTD.com and FTDfloristonline.com.

Far as I know, DigitalFlowers is located at
1592 Union St Ste 201 San Francisco CA 94123 USBut this could just be a mail address or nothing at all.

The site has a low SEO Score of 62, with 1900 US visitors a month. I would think if it was a bonified OG Site it would have a higher ranking. More investigation needed...anyone else have anything?
 
If you haven't, be sure to take a look at their website, entering a delivery city for the full effect.
Tom
 
I found this
Registrant:
James Hagans
210 South Clinton St
Apt 506
Iowa City IA 52240
US
+1.5742290387
Domain Name: DIGITALFLOWERS.COM
Administrative & Technical Contact:
Andy Hagans
1306 Paxton Ave Apt. B
Cincinnati OH 45208
US
[email protected]

Keith
 
Once upon a time, I think FTD had a rule that member advertising, specifically Yellow Pages advertising, had to contain the city and state that the member was actually located in. Should that not also apply to websites? I'm not convinced that this isn't similar to FTD's mythical "Butterfield's Florist", which had a street address of 3113 Woodcreek Drive, Downers Grove, IL. Gee... it's been a long time since I've been to FTD headquarters, but I didn't see any flower shop there, and I was on every floor at some point.

Tom
 
Membership Rule #2

"e. No member shall use the licensed FTD Mark or marks confusingly similar thereto in any advertisement, including any website or web advertisement, that circulates substantially in areas outside of his or her shop's normal delivery area unless the advertisement contains a clear, conspicuous and prominent statement of the shop's name and actual city and state location."

In other words, if a shop is advertising on the internet as being in MY town and does not specifically give their actual location AND is using an FTD logo in the same said advertising on the web, they are violating FTD's Rule #2.

Since when has this rule been policed????
 
Rhonda at work said:
In other words, if a shop is advertising on the internet as being in MY town and does not specifically give their actual location AND is using an FTD logo in the same said advertising on the web, they are violating FTD's Rule #2.

Since when has this rule been policed????
Click to expand...

Rule #999 Rules will no longer be enforced

Rule #1000 There are no rules

Sorry, but alas, thats the way it is these days.
 
How does that go? "He who has the gold makes the rules"?
He who makes the rules gets the gold? He who makes the rules obeys no rules? Some combination thereof??
 
CHR said:
I'm with Mark. The rule book went out the window long ago.

So who's behind the new FTD OG, Cindyflorist.com? Whois data is masked, no local phone number or address. Operator says they're in Houston but won't say where.
Click to expand...

Cathy,
They are located at 3703 Telephone Road...

I'ld have to look at my key map to give you their zip code if you want it...

.
 
And another one pops up this afternoon, also from Houston. This one IS and FTD site, hosted by Novator.

allstateflorist.com

Registered to a name that for some reason I have seen before nut not sure where... Chi-Hung Nguyen

And I would say they are skimming, received an order for a Spath for $51.00 and the only one on the site is $61.00
 
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