If you need to send flowers out of town, this is your store!
Written: Sep 29 '05
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| Full Review |
In this mobile world, families are busier and living further apart than ever before. It’s not unheard of for parents and their grown children to live halfway across the country from each other, like my husband! That’s what keeps 1-800-Flowers.com in business.
I’ve used 1-800-Flowers.com twice in the past year and have them book marked for any other flower-giving occasion that crops up for the people we love far away. Why just the far-away people? I would probably choose my local florist for any job in the area, for price consideration and familiarity of staff, but I’d use 1-800-Flowers.com over a wire service.
Flowers
One thing I love about shopping for my flowers online is that I get to see the arrangements and the prices and compare many different aspects. When I’ve used florists in the past, you must talk to someone and vaguely specify what you are looking for by price and occasion. For instance I’ve often said to my local florists, “I’m looking to send a plant to a sick friend in the $25-$30 range.” and I end up nearly every time with a Philodendron. At 1-800-Flowers, I can look to my hearts content and I’m not taking anyone’s time but my own!
If you are somewhat of a dolt on what to give, or just need inspiration, you may browse through the Best Sellers to see what everyone else is buying. Gorgeous arrangements can be found from page top to bottom, and even after culling it down this far, you may have a tough time picking. One nice arrangement that caught my eye was the Halloween Treat (tm) bouquet. It is a nice ceramic pumpkin, stuffed with beautiful fall flowers. How much nicer than candy is that?
In a bind? 1-800-Flowers.com offers a whole section on flowers that are Same Day Delivery. Yep, that’s right. You forget your mother’s birthday in Muncie, Indiana and you can still be in her good graces provided you remember before 2pm on weekdays and 11:30 am on weekends. There are some really nice things in this section, namely the aforementioned Halloween Treat, and the prices were quite reasonable. However, you will pay the highest shipping price for this convenience. It can’t always be good news, can it?
On a budget? You can still shop here! There is a section called Fall Savings that allows you to send a nice bouquet of flowers and still not break the bank. In fact, you could save up to 50% off of the regular price! You’d be crazy not to at least glance through here before making your order. One of the more impressive specials running now is buying 12 roses and get 6 free!
Plants
Sometimes you’d rather send something a little more lasting than a bouquet of flowers, and 1-800-Flowers.com has you covered for that, too. A plant is the perfect choice when you want to send something that the recipient can get more use out of than just a few days of beautiful blooms.
There are many choices, such as small trees, blooming plants and small houseplants. One of my favorite choices is something called a Money Tree. It looks almost like a small palm tree, small enough to sit on one’s desk, and though it doesn’t grow actual money, it is said to bring luck and prosperity to the recipient.
Gourmet
If you aren’t satisfied with flowers or plants, you can choose to send your beloved a basket filled with gourmet goodies! Choose from many different combinations of fruits, wines, cheeses, candy, drink mixes, crackers, sausages, cheeses and more! The gourmet gift baskets are more expensive, by and large, than the plants or flowers, but they are really very nice.
My favorite is the Gourmet Spa Gift Box. Inside a beautiful whitewashed wooden planter is scented soaps, foot salts, green tea shower gel and body lotion, lemon crisp cookies for snacking or soothing drinks made from assorted teas or Irish Cream Cappuccino mix. Its list price is $60, but it is quite beautiful.
Sweet Treats
Do you like to eat? I do! These sweets are so special, you’ll want to think up a reason to send them to your own door! 1-800-Flowers.com has everything from fresh baked cakes, cookies, candies and chocolates to Kosher, Low-carb and Sugar-free varieties. There is truly something for everyone here.
For fall, there are many choices. One seasonal favorite is the Pumpkin roll Cake from Cheryl & Company. Specially made from a family recipe, it features a pumpkin spice cake rolled with pecans and a delicate cream cheese filling, then finished by gently rolling in sugar. At $40, it is pricey, but it will be hand-delivered to your loved ones (or your!) door.
Also available right now are sweet treats for Halloween, Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah in addition to all of the other occasions typically celebrated year-round: Birthdays, Anniversaries, Congratulations, Get Well, etc.
Collectibles and other Gifts
Forever on a diet and allergic to flowers? How about looking in this section? This area would probably be the best bet if someone was looking to send me something, because these items are non-perishable. You have your choice of Yankee Candles, Boyd’s Bears, Crabtree and Evelyn, Swarovski and Waterford crystal and Lenox items.
These gifts would be perfect for a he or a she, business associates, sports buffs, Moms, Dads, there is something here that any person with any interest would enjoy. One of the cutest items I’ve seen is actually something that a child would enjoy. From Gund, the Happy Birthday Puppy is a beautiful stuffed dog holding a present that reads “Happy Birthday” when the top is opened. At only $25.99, it is a “bargain” buy from this site.
Birthday
If you are specifically looking for a birthday gift, all you have to do is click on the birthday tab and you are taken to a screen full of beautiful arrangements and baskets to wish even the grumpiest octogenarian a happy birthday!
My favorite out of the birthday selections is the Birthday Flower Cake in pastel. It is an arrangement made entirely of flowers like mini carnations and cheery poms and shaped to look exactly like a real cake! It even gets delivered in a bakery box, though it is pictured on a glass cake pedestal on site. That would be a nice way to present it, as well. This cake comes complete with candles and is, of course, calorie free. The price for this arrangement is $39.99
My experience
I used 1-800-Flowers.com on two separate occasions. The first time, I sent my Mother-in-Law a bouquet of flowers for Mother’s Day and the second time I sent a tree to a business associate to thank them for their hospitality. Since I never saw the end product, I can’t report on that, but both recipients were pleased with the arrangements. They were delivered on the days that they were promised and there were no hidden fees.
One little secret I can tell you is that if you “pretend” you are leaving the site after placing something in your basket, they will give you a pop-up window offering $5.00 off for you to come back and finish the order right then! It happened both times that I placed orders with them. Also, once your transaction is done, they send you a Thank You card with a code for 20% off of your next order, again I received this with both orders.
My experience with this company was good and I’ll be using them again if I need to send flowers out of town for any reason.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? A floral arrangement & a tree
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Epinions.com ID:
Mom2TyZick
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 in Personal Finance |
 - Top 500 |
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Member: Suzanne
Location: North Carolina
Reviews written: 202
Trusted by: 238 members
About Me:
Real Estate Rock Star
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