Bride sues over flower color
By ahgong
@ahgong (10064)
Singapore
October 17, 2007 8:36pm CST
Wow... I never knew you can do that! Imagine if that were to happen where I am from, a lot of bridal shops and banquet venues would have folded!
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/wayoflife/10/16/bride.flowers.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch
Imagine, a simple claim such as that of the bride:
*** quote ********************************
"She says Posy Floral Design in Manhattan substituted pastel pink and green hydrangeas for the dark rust and green ones she had specified for 22 centerpieces."
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and you can sue them for breach of contract!
I mean, who in the world can gurantee that the flowers will be the exact same shade and color as the pictures that you share with the florist? Most pictures are edited to make it look more vibrant. And flowers are seasonal. Who in the world would be able to gurantee that the flowers during the wedding period will be the exact same shade and color as requested?
Moreover, the suit is asking for 15x the amount paid for compensation. Wow!
*** quote ********************************
"The flowers cost $27,435.14. The lawsuit asks for more than $400,000 in restitution and damages."
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The law really protects the customers in the US huh?
2 people like this
7 responses
@cefaz_21 (2596)
• Philippines
18 Oct 07
I agree with ambiepam..as customers we can always go to court when you find it necessary but it doesn't mean you'll always win..
I think the $400,000 is somewhat overblown..If I were the bride,maybe I'll ask for the half or the refund of it..
It's pretty expensive flowers huh? specially if I've to convert it in our currency..
that's a whooping 1,215,000 worth of flowers,enough to buy a good house and lot..they must be very rich.
2 people like this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
18 Oct 07
you are not alone in that line of thought.
The amount this lawyer-bride spent on her flowers... even without conversion to my currency, is enough to pay for a whole wedding banquet liow loh!
Ambiepam mentioned there are pictures. I am curious as to how a $27 k +++ bunch of flowers look like.
Any kind soul to post the pic or the link here to share with all?
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
18 Oct 07
ha ha ha... I am not the least bit surprise if it is the cost of just the center pieces.
Some people will go to extremes for their parties. In this case, the bride must really like a particular theme and requires a particular flower to complete that look.
Any other kind of flowers is a no no.
I remember watching an episode of Oprah where Gale was planning Oprah's 50 birthday... just the centerpiece shaped like an 'O', using more than 3000 flowers to create cost more than $3000 dollars alone. The total cost of the flowers used in that birthday party came up to more than a million dollars!
1 person likes this
@applefreak (3130)
• Singapore
18 Oct 07
actually if singaporeans are bored enough, think it might be heard here too. dark rust and pastel pink is too different to be consider a same colour. in a way, it is a breach of contract when what was contracted was not delivered. think it's something like our renovation. if we specified a tile, and they used another tile dun think we will accept it. even if the substitute tile is similar and a shade lighter than the ones we specified. but think the cost of suing is way too expensive for us to persue it in court, that's what stopping most of us.
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
19 Oct 07
ah... but in the case of the tile, you will reject the tile outright and ask the contractor to re-do cos it is not the agreed tile. But if you sign the papers for the works handover, move in liow then complain that the tiles were not the agreed one, then it is another story altogether.
This is exactly what is happening in this particular case. She received the flowers for her wedding. She let the flowers be displayed for her wedding and went ahead with the wedding celebrations with the flowers she knows is not the one she selected. Now after the wedding, she is complaining and lodging a case against the florist that the flowers were not what she selected. Then ask for compensation of 15 times the paid amount. Rite or not?
It is exactly like the scenario that I describe at the beginning about moving into the house already then complain about the wrong tile.
And even if we had all the money in the world to lodge court cases against retailers, the T&C that we sign when we put down our deposit already relief the retails from all blame if things were to go not exactly according to plan. Don't believe? Take out any of the T&C you signed previously and read the fine print. ;)
@bonbon664 (3466)
• Canada
18 Oct 07
This is another one of those frivilous lawsuits that's rampant in the U.S. especially. It's unreal that the legal system will get bogged down with something so utterly ridiculous. The bride has way too much time and money on her hands. If she was really unhappy with the flowers, I'm sure she could have come to a reasonable compromise instead of suing. Too much. Way too greedy. Even if the colours were totally wrong, how could that damage her monetarily?
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
19 Oct 07
Exactly! Especially when she has flowers that are arranged to the design she asked for. Except that the colors may not be the exact match to the ones she ask for, I am sure the wedding guest did not notice it.
Maybe like what you said, she has a little too much time and money on her hands. So she had to do sometime about it.
Even then, in my opinion, the amount she ask for is really exorbitant.
@AmbiePam (120802)
• United States
18 Oct 07
You could sue vendors for that in many countries. But the law doesn't necessarily 'protect' her. It says she can sue, not that she will win. She will not win that suit. I saw the pictures of the flowers, and the ones they gave her were prettier and matched her wedding better. Now, the point is that they weren't the ones she wanted, and she should have been refunded. But even in today's spree of silly lawsuits, this won't make it. She will not win this suit.
1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
18 Oct 07
There are pictures? Where? I don't see it leh. Can post the link here to see?
I agree with you that the case is silly. The best part of it is that the case actually got approved to go before a judge. And the compensation asked for is really ridiculous!
Unless one is telling me that she rejected the flowers out rite and the florist brought all the flowers back to her shop, leaving the bride without flowers during her wedding, then there is a case of contention.
To me, this is a case of using-the-service-and-finding-ways-to-wiggle-out-of-paying-for-it case.
I hope they will follow up on the report and let the readers know who won the case.
@mermaid911 (798)
• Philippines
18 Oct 07
There are about enough laws that would protect the people. However,I think that this lawsuit is such a silly thing to fuss over. The courts and everyone else have more important things to take care of than a silly woman's bratty attitude over some flowers. I know a woman's wedding is important but there are just some things that are beyond our control. the important thing in life is that we can be flexible. As long as it didn't ruin her wedding that should be fine. But if her attitude is such that even the slight color difference of the flower will turn her wedding into a nightmare then there's something wrong with her.
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
18 Oct 07
That is so so true and I agree with you totally!
What matters is the guests that you invited enjoy the wedding celebration with you. They come happy to the wedding, they leave with laughter and smiles when it ends.
Who will know that the flowers are slightly different in colors unless you explicit tell them so?
Like I said, I have a feeling that this is a case of trying to wiggle out of paying a hefty sum for flowers case. Opps... she is a lawyer... I may get sued for that.
Strike the last comment!
@MarieJ23 (1040)
• United States
19 Oct 07
I heard that news too today. I agree that customers has always the right to complain or worst to sue someone if they are not satisfied with the service or result however it's not just as easy to get the payment that they demanded. These incident is somewhat similar to a lawyer or judge (can't remember really, blame my being forgetful,LOL) who sued a clothes cleaner because they messed up with his pants and blah,blah,blah...he sued them for millions of money...these are just example of how some customers exaggerated their claims over the said right.
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
19 Oct 07
Oh yeah... I remember that case too! The lawyer sued the laundromat for misplacing his pants!
That was one of the cases that I found ridiculous too!
Suing for emotional damages, finding alternative laundromat transports claims and some other claims.
The best part is the fella even teared when he was presenting his case before the judge!
Well, for this case, like I said, if she had seen the flowers and rejected them right before the wedding started, then there is something to argue about. Cos she went thru the wedding without any flora arrangements due to her rejections.
She accepted the flowers for the wedding. Enjoyed herself at the wedding already, then now log a case against the florist to ask for 15 times the amount she paid for the flowers all because she did not agree with the color. Sigh... all sorts of character makes up this world!
Like I said, I hope the media follows up on this story so that the world can see what sort of legal system they are having from the outcome of the case. ;)
@CinderInMySoul (4717)
• United States
18 Oct 07
jeezu..ok ok i can understand her wanting the "perfect" wedding. but like someone above said..the flowers she got looked great, matched well and werent a huge difference in color..not like she got pink and yellow instead of "rust and green"
i can understand her wanting a part of the fee back, but NOT $400,000!!! that is just insane!
and again like someone said above..she MIGHT win (its never a guanrantee) but i seriously doubt if she will get anywhere near the amount she is sueing for!
hell, its not like she cant afford it anyways..if you can spend $30k on FLOWERS then you've got money!!
