5 Tips for Buying Flowers Online

Card  ✔
Now that we've found the perfect Valentine's Day card.  It's time to shop for flowers. 

Flowers make the perfect Valentine's Day gift.  Shop local if you can but if you need to order online don't worry as many online florists partner with local floral shops.  This partnership is great as you can support local florists while taking advantage of the wider selection and discounted pricing of an online florist.  Win-win! 

There are lots of online florists to choose from so as with any other online purchase, BUYER BEWARE.

Here are a few tips to make your online flower shopping a little easier.

Buy from a reputable company.  Google "Valentine's Day flowers" and a ton of online florists ads immediately pop up all over your screen.  With so many to choose from it may be difficult to separate quality amidst the quantity from the list on your screen.  There are some great companies.  Check out the company  website and Better Business Reviews and online complaints.  I've used theBouqs.com, FTD.com, 1-800Flowers.com and ProFlowers in the past and have been pleased with their product variety, customer service, overall product and delivery.

 Use the category search.

 It's there to help.  These are typically flowers which are in season and therefore the flowers will stay fresher longer and are generally priced lower than other arrangements.  Shopping for Valentine's Day flowers, just click the Valentine's Day selection.

Make sure the company offers a RETURN POLICY.  A reputable company will have a return policy in place and honor it.  I can attest to seeing this work firsthand.  A friend of mine received flowers from her hubby on Valentine's Day and they were bruised and clearly damaged.  She phoned customer service and a fresh replacement bouquet arrived within hours.  

Compare prices.  Be sure to visit a couple of websites to compare prices to find the best deal.  Some will even match or beat a competitor's price when asked.  Frugal shoppers like moi, want to make sure we are getting our money's worth even when it comes to gifting flowers.

Check delivery dates and rates.  Be sure to check the delivery date.  Make sure there is a phone number so you can call in case mom's flowers don't show up on the expected delivery date.  Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday and some vendors may charge a little extra for Sunday delivery.  Consider either having flowers delivered on Saturday or perhaps having them delivered to mom's job a day or two before Valentine's Day.  She'll be the envy of the office. ☺ Plan accordingly so she'll be able to enjoy her flowers on Valentine's Day.

Here are a few of my fave online florists.  

I've used all of these companies and have had positive experiences with each.

I love theBouqs.com because the company is eco-friendly and prices are a flat $40.
Selection is minimal but pricepoint makes up for it. 

FTD is a longstanding trusted florist and ships from local floral shops
A bit pricier than some of the others but consistent 

1-800-Flowers offers a wide selection of products and the website offers easy ordering.
Learned power of social media during Valentines 2015 so the company made a lot of changes to their ordering system.  I think they're eager to gain consumer trust after the Valentine's Day fiasco.

ProFlowers partners with radio syndicate DJs to offer huge discounts on flowers. 
Guarantees your flowers will last 7 days and if not the company honors their Return policy.  I know this from firsthand experience. 

 What are some of your favorite Valentine's florists?