Interflora website 'rips off' customers

[CHR]

Interflora website 'rips off' customers

Flower delivery firm Interflora was accused today of ripping off consumers over the internet.

The firm has been reported to the Office of Fair Trading and the Financial Services Authority by website customers who took up an invitation to receive a £10 discount the next time they bought flowers.

Angry customers have bombarded an internet site with their stories. On the blog on geocities.com, one, named Rochelle, said: 'I ordered flowers for Mother's Day and have been charged £8 per month since. I'm a law graduate, so I'm not naive when it comes to contracts.

Webloyalty strikes again. I guess FTD has calculated they make more off the scheme than they lose in PO'd customers.

See this blog post (and its 123 comments from other angry Interflora shoppers) for more. A sample:

i have just spoken to Interflora who quickly try to distant themselves from the SCAM on their web site by passing out an email address for Shoppersdiscount. The loyalty side isn’t introduced until the final payment side on line and apparently only shows the £8 per month in the small print in the terms & conditions.

Interflora know fully well what is happening and are doing nothing!

More negative publicity for the industry. *sigh*

 

[RWK]

Is it Interflora or Fleurop that is the European division of FTD?

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Is it Interflora or Fleurop that is the European division of FTD?

Interflora....

 

[CHR]

I thought Interflora was the UK group and Fleurop was comprised of the different country groups in Europe. AFAIK, Fleurop is still member-owned.

 

[Eric S]

you know this really pisses me off.

I started my project in july and was trying to figure out why my customers haven't been signing up.

It makes perfect sense whhy my customers have been really asking the questions about or program.

You know this business is really starting to get complecated.

 

[BOSS]

Is it Interflora or Fleurop that is the European division of FTD?

FTD purchased Interflora...

It's widely thought that they made this move to get international control of the Mercury Man and the FTD logo, since Interflora held the rights to them outside of North America. Tag this with the theory that they did this to make FTD more marketable internationally for sale to a buyer outside of NA.

IMO... it's unlikely that they will find a buyer no matter how they package the monster, especially with so much published on the web these days, as well as the various Wall Street folk, that monitor various florist blogs and web sites.