Flowers Of Winter Park Florist stood us up for our wedding planning and won't honor their coupons Winter Park Florida
This is a story of 3 strikes and you're out. Be careful of winning anything at a bridal show, especially offers from florists, because they end up NOT wanting to honor it and give crappy service besides.
My fiance and I are looking for a florist for our wedding coming up in April 2009. I (as the bride) attended a wedding show (YWTV expo) in Orlando, Florida and WON a $150 gift certificate for a wedding bouquet from Flowers of Winter Park (a part of 1-800 flowers). I scheduled an appointment to meet with the florist for Saturday at 1pm and received confirmation via email that the floral designer, Aaron, would be there. My fiance and I showed up for our appointment and were greeted with "you have an appointment?". Aaron V. didn't even know who we were or didn't seem to remember that he himself confirmed our appointment for that day. Anyways, he sat with us for a half hour or so on that day and took our specifications and promised a written proposal within a week, by the following Saturday.
A week passes, almost 2 weeks go by, and not one phone call or email. I decide to email Flowers of Winter Park and ask where my quote is. I was lied to by the president of the company himself, Jay C., who said that "Aaron tried to email it to you several times but it never went through". How do I know that's a lie? Because my husband-to-be owns the email server we use for our personal email and not ONE email tried to come through from Flowers of Winter Park. Whatever. I asked Jay to please email me the proposal again and AGAIN gave my email address. I received it within the day, looked it over, and decided that we can try to get our wedding flowers there since it will be at least $150 off (for my bouquet), and on top of that there was a coupon in a wedding guide for $100 off a floral order.
NEITHER coupon indicated that the offers could not be combined.
I scheduled a follow up meeting with the florist for another Saturday at 1pm and again received email confirmation from the president, Jay, that HE HIMSELF would be there to help us finalize our order and to take our deposit.
The next appointment comes and my fiance and I show up at the florist. We walk in and are greeted by Julio C., the vice president of this little shop. We ask for Jay, and Julio says, "did you have an appointment"? I was shocked, I couldn't believe they could forget a 2nd time. I said, "Um, yes...and I can confirm it with the emails that he and I sent back and forth and Jay himself said he'd be here". Julio had a look of surprise on his face, was apologetic, but said he couldn't help me because he didn't have any contracts/proposals so we'd have to come back at a later time. Seeing the frustration in our faces, Julio called Jay and asked him if he remembered he had an appointment with us and after some back-and-forth over the phone, Julio hangs up and tells us that he'll honor taking "a couple hundred" off our final bill, to make up for the inconvenience. I said to Julio, "just have Jay or Aaron call or email me when they have a time available" and we left.
That Saturday goes by, Sunday passes, and Monday morning I still hadn't heard from anyone at the florist. Around 10am I emailed Jay C., saying how disappointed I was in that we were stood up and that I was surprised a name like theirs attached to the 1-800 flowers corporation would stand to soil their name by disappointing one couple over wedding flowers. I received a response within an hour or so; it was Aaron trying to schedule our next flower meeting. We scheduled it for the coming Saturday, 1pm.
When that Saturday came Aaron was there, but no one else was around to confirm what Julio had promised us. Not wanting to have the prices jacked up or service skimped because we had coupons, we waited until the final total was calculated to reveal that I should be getting my wedding bouquet for $150 off and that, oh, there is a coupon in a wedding guide for $100 off. We held out and waited for the "inconvenience discount" to be calculated and he only offered $50 and full price on everything. I showed the coupons and he said that I could only use ONE. (Keep in mind, the $150 certificate was a door prize!). Further, I could either take 30% off my bouquet, plus the $50 discount they were offering, or use the $100 coupon, or use the $150 coupon, but not everything could be combined.
I wasn't looking for free wedding flowers, just a fair shake after all they put us through and the lies that we caught them in. To think of it, considering their track record I would not trust them to deliver my wedding flowers. If they could forget about appointments and then lie and not honor a decent "inconvenience" discount (as we were promised "a couple hundred" not $50), it leaves me wondering if they'd show up at all to deliver flowers for the most important day in a couple's life!
Corporate sux
Orlando, Florida
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Buddee4114
Sanford,Florida,
U.S.A.
Thx for this story
#4Consumer Comment
Thu, February 12, 2009
I was going to book them for my large wedding party and will now stay clear. I am so glad I decieded to google them and this popped up. I have an appt already to meet with someone from there but will now pick someone with a more "clean" record as I want my day to be perfect!!!
Corporate Sux
Orlando,Florida,
U.S.A.
Willing to work with the couple?
#4Author of original report
Sat, December 27, 2008
Hey there, Bride and Groom here again. Oddly, we had to come to the Ripoff Report to find out that the owner of Flowers of Winter Park confirmed that he would be willing to work with us. No, it isn't a case of "something for nothing", it's a matter of a business honoring their promises, and by the way, the owner DID know EXACTLY what we wanted from the 2nd meeting because I have the email to back it up! But he never showed or called to apologize that he missed the appointment. How can you schedule an appointment with someone when you know you have to set up a wedding on that date and time??
So, no phone call or personal email to try to clear this up after we tried to work with Flowers of Winter Park. I had to complain to the wedding show vendor manager in order to get this far. Now I see on Ripoff Report that the owner would be willing to work with us, but I haven't heard word one from the guy.
And how were we not willing to bend?? We gave Flowers of Winter Park 3 TRIES before I finally said "screw it!". Normally, after the very FIRST time an appointment is "forgotten" about or fuddled in any way with any company I give them NO second chances. We even wanted to ADD ON extra flowers for the wedding!! And that comment on "you can attract more bees with honey"...at NO time were we nasty, condescending or whatever would constitute "vinegar". The second appointment I was on the verge of tears because it doesn't say much to a person to forget about them and not be guilty about it at all. Like I said, we came back 3 TIMES; that's gracious in my book. Then on the 3rd appointment we were given kind of crappy options, so of course I was upset.
Don't worry about honoring the prize or anything else, because we've found another flower vendor who jumped on the chance of getting more business in these economic times. My three or four hundred dollars is green enough for them. Though, Winter Park may not be so attuned to the current economic situation as the businesses there live in their own bubble.
Oh, the constructive criticism part for this response...don't try to pat yourself on the back for "other brides" that were helped, or charities...that's just trying to take away from the fact that something was done wrong in this case and the company can't stand to ruin their reputation. Own up to the mistakes personally to the client and a much better image will be portrayed. Unfortunately, reading other sections of Ripoff Report, the 1800-Flowers that this business is tied to is also rated POORLY.
Jay Casiano
Winter Park,Florida,
U.S.A.
owner
#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Sat, December 13, 2008
I agree that this bride contacted us but I must say that if you know me and my company you very well know that you can get more bees with honey. I would give this person or any person, for that matter, anything they wanted if they were nice. I have donated to many causes including a bride with cancer, that wanted, to get married and did not have the resources to pay. I would honor their coupons and their winnings at any time. This couple was not willing to bend from the beginning! I am still willing to honor everything they say they have, and even be willing to give my services for no charge if they asked nicely. We have been a part of about 50 weddings since starting our business in 2007 in central Florida and work very hard to gain the confidence of our brides. They did arrange a second meeting to place a deposit for their wedding flowers and I did not know that they wanted to go over their work order, I do not have to be present for a deposit appointment especially when I am involved in taking care of a current brides wedding. We aim to please and are willing to honor everything this bride and groom wants. Apparently they want something for nothing and unfortunately for them I am not in business to work for free. Nevertheless I am willing to do whatever is necessary to work with this couple. Please contact me on my mobile, which you already have, to work this out. I will personally work with you to make your experience a pleasant one and more importantly, to make your special day extra special with our wonderful flowers!!
Jay Casiano, Owner, Flowers of Winter Park