WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) – If you’re wanting to get someone special some flowers for Valentine’s Day on Friday, it’s best not to wait until the last minute, you could get scammed out of your hard-earned money.
The Better Business Bureau says that phony websites pretending to be florists are taking advantage of people. The best thing you can do is be prepared. If you’re shopping in person, start by checking the store’s reviews, make sure you can trust them. If you’re shopping online, check to make sure the website you’re using is secure, most of all, get to know the website’s policies, and delivery timelines. If you’re unsure, call the seller, or go to a local store in-person.
“We have lots of local florists that are local that you can drive your car to, you know, should you need to, so you know, absolutely, research the seller, know who you’re dealing with, support local businesses if you can,” said Lisa Schiller, Senior Director of Investigations and Media Relations, BBB.
Local flower shops in our area are seeing scams as well. Evolutions in Design in Wausau says they see scams on a regular basis throughout the year, and they increase during holidays like Valentine’s Day. The biggest scam they are seeing right now is Order Gatherers. This type of scam happens on the phone or online. They send the order to a real florist to fill through companies like 1-800-flowers, FTD, Teleflora, or they even try calling a local florist to design & deliver the order. They could be located in other states and even other countries.
“A lot of times what happens is they’re asking for unrealistic things, and then the consumer who purchased those items incurs like an enormous amount of fees and guarantees that are completely unrealistic,” said Randy Verhasselt, Owner, Evolutions in Design.
Order Gatherers usually keep up to 50% of what you paid for your order. Randy says the best way to avoid this is to reach out to a florist directly. It will save you time, money, and frustration.
Another giveaway on the phone is background noise, if you hear call-center like sounds, you’re most likely talking to an Order Gatherer. Be sure to also read customer reviews of the business you’re considering. You can also look at the BBB Scam Tracker to keep an eye on scams, or report one yourself. Click here for a link.
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