Online flower scams on the rise as Mother’s Day approaches: What to know
By now, most of us have heard of puppy scams, IRS scams and fake text messages that claim to be from your bank but aren't. Now as we approach Mother's Day it's time for, get ready for it, flower scams.
Last-minute gifts can turn into blooming headaches if you get tripped up by the wrong flash sale or promotion.
Online florist scams can pop up around big holidays such as Mother's Day or Valentine's Day — or even wedding season — as shoppers search for deals, according to an alert earlier this year from the Better Business Bureau.
Flowers are pretty popular for Mother's Day
When it comes to Mother's Day, the estimate is that consumers will spend an average $274 total on those they're buying gifts for this year, up about $28 from last year’s record high, according to an annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. Some buy gifts for Mom — and grandmothers, sisters, daughters, nieces and friends. Total to be spent: $35.7 billion — up $4 billion from 2022.
Some 84% of U.S. adults are expected to celebrate Mother's Day.
The top three gift categories: Get mom a greeting card, flowers and take her on special outings, like brunch. On average, they're looking at spending a bit less than $25 on flowers.
At $25 for flowers, expect to find something small for the garden at Home Depot or a bigger bouquet for the living room at Trader Joe's for less than that. Local floral shops sell some small, special items — like a 4-inch-high wooden planter — priced at $25 for Mother's Day but you're looking at another $15 or so as a charge for local delivery. Wait too long, and you're not getting delivery in time for the holiday sometimes.
Mother's Day shopping can trigger the 'perfect storm'
So-called Hallmark holidays, like Mother's Day, kind of sneak up on you and create what some call the "perfect storm" for online shopping scams.
"When you send somebody flowers, you often don't give that person a heads-up. It's a surprise," said Amy Nofziger, director of victim support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network.
"You also don't say, 'Show me a picture of the flowers because I want to make sure that you got what I ordered.' "
It creates an opportunity for using bait-and-switch tactics to convince you into thinking you're buying two dozen roses for $150 and then someone ends up with two roses. Odds are someone you love isn't going to tell you, 'hey, what's up with that cheap gift?'
"Often, we buy flowers last-minute," Nofziger said. "When you do purchases last-minute, you cannot see the red flags. ... You're doing a quick search."
In some cases, the Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Michigan warned, online sellers will tempt consumers with 50%-off one-day-only deals via an attractive Instagram page or beautiful website. But that pretty arrangement might turn into a real stinker.
Some consumers in Michigan and elsewhere reported problems to the BBB about outfits that promised same-day delivery and appeared to be local but later turned out to be a Florida-based or Nevada-based flower broker. Supposedly, local shops would fill these orders. But flowers never showed up or orders didn't include the chocolates or balloons that were to be delivered with the flowers.
Sure, Miley Cyrus can boldly sing "I can buy myself flowers." Yet, if you're not careful where you shop, you can buy yourself heartache — and be on hold for hours.
Online flower prices can double before you blink
When I did a little test shopping Tuesday, one ad online indicated I could buy a "Cotton Candy" bouquet of pink roses, miniature carnations and white button spray chrysanthemums in a clear glass vase for around $42 to "Celebrate Mom." Once I was done with a fake order, the actual price nearly doubled to around $80.
The add-ons that showed up later included "holiday pricing" for those flowers, delivery charges that added up to nearly $21, and estimated taxes.
In some cases, Nofziger said, consumers didn't spot "up charges" until they received their credit card statement.
One woman, according to a report made to the AARP Fraud Watch Network, placed an online order at a site where everything seemed legitimate. She used her credit card to pay $50 plus delivery for the flowers.
Not a single rose — or carnation or daisy — showed up at the door. After calling to complain, the person who answered the phone promised a refund but hung up. No one answered the phone after that. On top of that, the shopper later noticed that her credit card was charged by more than $400. The bank, she said, is telling her she's responsible to pay.
Consumers, Nofziger said, too often think that everything that they buy with a credit card or debit card is automatically going to be reimbursed. But that's not true. If charges were listed online — but you just skipped over them — the bank is not going to reverse those charges, she said. Consumers need to complain promptly within a given time frame allowed, too.
Another consumer complained to the AARP Fraud Watch line that her husband ordered flowers from an online florist. The flowers never arrived after he paid $56.56 on his debit card. The bank canceled his card and is replacing it. He tried contacting the company, but he said that its phone number keeps changing on the website.
Every missed delivery isn't a scam
Things can happen, of course, that don't always involve a scam.
Several years ago, I ordered flowers from a small floral shop for the funeral for my sister's mother-in-law. We ordered flowers there in the past, no issues. I went to the visitation in the evening, saw all sorts of lovely floral arrangements expressing sympathy but nothing from me was in the bunch.
I called the florist the next day and the florist admitted that they forgot to fill the order after everyone got hit by a major snowstorm that day. Fortunately, the florist agreed to cancel the order and not charge my credit card.
But too often consumers who are upset with online orders are being cheated out of $50, $75 or $100 or more for flowers that just don't show up or aren't anything close to what was ordered.
One consumer lost $110, according to a BBB ScamTracker report, after ordering flowers that never arrived for a special occasion. The consumer was notified that the flowers were delivered but they were not. "Tried calling the phone number and had to leave a voicemail, tried calling several times and no one ever answers," the consumer complained to the BBB.
Another in Pennsylvania reported losing $156 when flowers were ordered but didn't arrive.
In some cases, the BBB warns, attempts to get a full or partial refund go unanswered or are flatly refused.
One other type of complaint: After paying, some consumers said they were contacted by the floral shop and told that they must upgrade their purchase, paying extra for something they don’t actually want to buy, if they want on-time delivery.
Be careful if you spot a deal on social media, too.
Last year alone, consumers reported losing more than $1.2 billion to fraud that was promoted on social media, according to a warning from the Federal Trade Commission. Consumers can report fraud — whether they lost money or not — at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Samuel Levine, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, called social media a "gold mine for scammers who tout sham products and other scams."
In March, the FTC ordered Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter and others to provide information on how the platforms scrutinize and restrict misleading ads for fraudulent and counterfeit products. The FTC expressed concern about how consumers are being exposed to fraudulent health care products, financial scams, counterfeit and fake goods, or other fraud.
If you're shopping online, Nofziger recommends that you don't just jump at the top ad that comes up after your online search.
Check Google reviews. Take the name of company, put it into a new search and type in words like "fraud" or "complaints" after it, Nofziger said, to spot potential problems before you order.
Buy with a credit card to dispute an order if the company won't give you a refund. You might need to cancel your card and request a new card number if a scammer gets your number.
I'd also suggest calling any number listed online before you order flowers — and see how long it might take to talk with someone. Or if anyone even picks up the phone.
If you're looking online for a "local florist" in a specific city, take time to scroll past the sponsored ads. Then, look at the business listings under a section called "Places," which will only include local businesses, according to Kate Penn, chief executive officer for the Society of American Florists, which has about 3,000 members and represents retailers, wholesalers, growers, manufacturers, distributors, and breeders. The interactive map online, she said, shows exactly where the shop is located. Take time to read the shop’s reviews. By taking these steps, Penn said, it ensures that you'd order directly from the flower shop that will create the floral gift.
Ordering flowers from a real store -- with a real street address and hours -- is one way to avoid phony online sellers.
When I've ordered flowers, I tend to call or text to make sure the person received them. Given that we're exchanging pictures all the time, I ask if they'd send me a picture of the arrangement. I like to see who does good work and who doesn't.
When I get flowers, I typically now shoot a picture and text it, along with a super quick thank you, to the person who sent them. Admittedly, I've always received gorgeous flowers. I doubt I'd be as quick to document receiving a pitiful bunch.
Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @tompor.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Online flower scams on the rise as Mother’s Day approaches
