When a customer orders a product and what they receive isn’t to their satisfaction, it’s understandable for them to be disappointed.
A Singapore woman had this feeling when she ordered a flower basket and realised when it arrived that the flowers were only on one side.
Source: Facebook
After she brought this up to the florist, they issued a refund to her, apologised for the misunderstanding, and discontinued the design.
The incident was shared by a netizen, Ms Clarice Teo, in a Facebook post last Friday (29 Apr).
She said she’d ordered the floral arrangement for her own birthday, and chose one named “Mariposa”.
The woman also attached an image of what the basket was supposed to look like according to a screenshot of the florists’ website, though the link to that particular product has already been taken down.
Source: Facebook
From the screenshot she posted, the arrangement cost S$108.
Ms Teo said she was satisfied by the timely delivery, but not by the order itself, which was different from what she’d expected.
Her main issue was that the flowers took up about half of the basket, leaving the sponge base exposed in the other half.
Source: Facebook
Saying she was “confused” over receiving “half a basket of flowers”, she decided to reach out to the florist, Seasons By Dahlia.
According to screenshots of their conversation posted by Ms Teo, the florist allegedly said their baskets are all one-sided unless stated.
They also allegedly apologised for the misunderstanding, and said they’ll be more specific next time.
Source: Facebook
However, Ms Teo said she had the impression that their baskets were full, based on their photos.
Professing her disappointment, she asked for a refund, which was agreed to by the florist.
They subsequently picked up the basket from her and processed her refund.
In a Facebook post on Sunday (1 May), Seasons By Dahlia shed more light on the incident by explaining how their baskets are crafted.
They said their baskets that contain preserved flowers are usually one-sided, or “front facing” in other words.
On the other hand, their fresh-flower baskets are filled with flowers over 360 degrees.
The florist also said that Ms Teo had compared what she received with photos of fresh-flower baskets.
However, they added,
the sponge that is able to be seen for other designs has not be as severely obvious as the Mariposa design.
They thus admitted to be at “fault for not checking before the basket went out”, and they “should have phrased (their) reply better”.
From that day, the florist said they’ve indicated on their website that the arrangement is one-sided, as well as,
…filling the back of any PRESERVED basket fully, regardless of the design.
Furthermore, Seasons By Dahlia said they’ve discontinued the Mariposa flower basket design.
They explained that the arrangement is pricey due to its expensive flowers imported from Japan, including roses that’re larger than usual.
Preserved flowers and fillers from Japan are more expensive and of higher quality compared with those from China, they added.
Thus, if the basket is filled to the brim, it would cost more than S$108.
They have therefore decided to discontinue the design.
Seasons By Dahlia said they were “truly sorry” if they’d made anyone feel cheated, but it’s “NOT (their) intention to scam / cheat anybody’s money”.
Their lawyer had advised them that Ms Teo’s initial post was defamatory, they said, so they asked her to take it down.
Ms Teo later edited her post, saying she was told that legal action would be taken against her.
The florist ended off by urging the public to be kind as they don’t appreciate “death threats or curse words” being sent to them.
As a consumer, we do have a right to express our displeasure when a product doesn’t meet our standards.
However, it’s also important to strive to be civil and refrain from unpleasant remarks.
Since the florist has already issued a refund to Ms Teo, hopefully this incident will be concluded satisfactorily for all parties.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at hello@mustsharenews.com.
Featured images adapted from Clarice Teo on Facebook.
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