Valentine’s 2012 How to Avoid the 1-800-RIPOFF

Photo used under Creative Commons from Steve Ganz

Valentines, like so many holidays, seems to sneak up on many of us. If you find yourself in that situation this Valentines it may be easy while sitting at your computer to Google flowers, find a “1-800”, “FlowerPro” or SameTime” florist, click the banner, order and forget about it. But what you may not know is that they are probably doing one of two things: shipping your flowers in a box or turning around and placing your order with a REAL florist (but keeping the service charge for doing it)

If you truly want the best value for you money it is always in your best interest to call a real “brick and mortar” flower store. Nothing says “I love you” likes sending your sweetheart a floral DIY. All that really says is that you weren’t willing to take the time to order her flowers properly. The flowers that arrive in a box may sit for hours before they are opened. Then the recipient is supposed to know how to properly arrange the flowers to look like the picture.

The other thing that often happens is that your order filters through the company you ordered from but ends up with a real florist. The florist only gets a percentage of the total you paid, however, and tries their best to come as close to the picture as possible with the amount of money they are given.

So what’s the solution? Choose a local florist. Here at Dandelions we have a quick and easy website, too, but we hand-design and hand-deliver every order and have a 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed Policy. We love it when customers call us as well so that we can create a custom design for them. We receive fresh flowers daily and have great deals that fit every budget.

Flowers are a wonderful gift that show how much you care. You work hard for your money so don’t waste it on national sites that leave you feeling ripped off.

Men’s Guide to Valentine’s Flowers

1). You can’t go wrong with roses. Red long-stem roses are still the #1 hit for Valentine’s Day because women love them and probably always will.

2). Make it personal. Tell your florist a hobby or passion that she loves and allow the florist to create something that incorporates that. This will show her that a) you listen and b) you care.

3). Get the most bang for your buck. Have the flowers delivered to her at work where everyone can ooh & aah over how sweet you are. She may insist that it is embarrassing but everyone loves a public display of affection. Women want flowers and want everyone else to know they received them.

4). Don’t forget about the card message. It’s as important to women as the flowers themselves. Be yourself but if there was ever a time to lay it on thick…it’s now. Don’t be afraid to ooze love & romance. It’s what women want. Check out some ideas here…

5). Order early. We all love to procrastinate (myself included) but you really want to plan ahead if at all possible. This will ensure that what you order will be available. This is especially true if you want something other than red roses. The more specific you are, the more time you need to allow the florist to obtain what you are looking for.

Remember…it’s about love. If worse comes to worse stop by the flower store on the big day and pick something out to hand to your sweetie in person. And nothing beats a hand-written note!