Sending my friends dead flowers

@boiboing (13153)
Northampton, England
January 6, 2016 4:52pm CST
A week before Christmas I wrote about how pleased I was to have found a company who was promising to deliver baskets of flowering bulbs with 'pre-Christmas' delivery. Sadly they let me down horribly. All three of the gifts were 'surprises'. In the end it was me who got surprised by two of them not arriving. Sadly the only one that did turn up was received by my friend's husband who had no idea who sent it. She was already in hospital and died a few days later without ever seeing it. The other two simply didn't appear. I was in a difficult position. Should I ask my friends if they received anything and make it look like I was hinting for a 'thank you'? I felt uncomfortable to do it but knew it would be even worse if they turned up a few days after Christmas in terrible condition so I had to ask. Neither had received anything. After Christmas I contacted the company and said I was looking for an apology and a refund. When it became clear that they couldn't tell me when or if the deliveries would be made, I upped my request to an apology, a refund and a replacement. They agreed and said they'd send new deliveries in January. Today one of the friends received a parcel. It was two weeks late and the narcissus were completely destroyed by having sat around in somebody's warehouse since before Christmas. I was worried that it wasn't clear if this was the original order or - I hoped not - the replacement. She let me know what the message said and it was clear it was the missing order. My other friend still has nothing. So this company which I had always highly respected messed up by not delivering on time and then again by finally delivering dead flowers two weeks late. I'm horribly embarrassed by the whole silly mess. And my attempt to send a nice Christmas surprise totally backfired. Never again.
I'm in Holland this weekend and it suddenly hit me that there are a few people's presents that I hadn't arranged and wouldn't be able to fix if I waited until I...
12 people like this
11 responses
@LadyDuck (457412)
• Switzerland
7 Jan 16
This is embarrassing, how to ask people if they received a gift when sent? I had the same problem with a friend, I sent flowers when she got married and never received a thank you note. Weeks later I knew she never received my flowers.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54189)
• Louisville, Kentucky
7 Jan 16
That would be very embarrassing and I don't blame you for being upset. I hope the replacement order comes through okay.
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
7 Jan 16
@boiboing I am sorry your wish for giving surprise turned out to be disappointing and embarrassing.
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
7 Jan 16
I really do hope that when the replacement orders FINALLY arrive, they will be good.
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
7 Jan 16
@boiboing Yes,I do hope that.at least the replacement orders are nice.
@jaboUK (64362)
• United Kingdom
6 Jan 16
I remember reading your post about this, what a pity it turned out like this.
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
7 Jan 16
I was so excited to have found such a nice surprise but sadly it didn't work out at all.
2 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
8 Jan 16
wow, time to call them again I guess!
• United States
7 Jan 16
Oh wow, I am sorry the company was so incompetent. But look on the bright side, you could always take the lovely bouquet and dry it out by hanging it upside down. Dried flowers have a very delicate, nostalgic look to my eyes.
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
7 Jan 16
Sadly it was a holly basket full of narcissus - so not at all dry-able. Just shriveled and brown
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Jan 16
@boiboing Oh. I am so sorry! :(
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
6 Jan 16
This is very weird to hear.
• Canada
7 Jan 16
That must be so disappointing. It sounded like a good idea.
@xFiacre (12614)
• Ireland
6 Jan 16
@boiboing That's really horrible. They obviously don't realise that that sort of thing will cost them dearly.
@MALUSE (69416)
• Germany
7 Jan 16
Your friends will forgive you. Something like this can happen to anybody.
@Plethos (13560)
• United States
6 Jan 16
ive ordered flowers over the internet before and this is what im afraid of having happen.