Crafty telemarketers posing as florists can fool consumers

With Easter and Mother’s Day coming up, florists will be scurrying to satisfy orders. That makes us happy, because dollars spent with local merchants recycle through our economy, which is good for everyone.

But when you are ordering those flowers, is it really a local florist you are dealing with? Maybe not. Unscrupulous telemarketing firms are posing as local florists, charging higher fees and taking business away from local merchants.

Here’s how the deception works. A telemarketer buys a bogus listing in the telephone directory white pages or advertises on the Internet, using your town’s name to make you believe it is a local company. Sometimes they use a local florist’s name with a bogus phone number.

When you call (or “click”), you are forwarded to an out-of-state telemarketing operation that takes your order and credit card information, and forwards your order to an area florist. The telemarketer pockets a processing fee and a percentage of the sale. You don’t realize you’ve been scammed until you get higher than expected charges from an unknown company on your credit card statement, or learn that the flowers weren’t delivered as ordered, if at all.

Before you order your next pot of posies:

. Ask friends what local florist they use.

. Patronize shops with a street address and phone number. If you call directory assistance for a number, ask for the street address. If none, do business elsewhere.

. Check out the florist with COMBAT or the Chamber of Commerce.

. Ask the florist to itemize the charges, including delivery fees and taxes.

. Ask the florist for directions to the shop. If they hesitate or refuse, avoid them.

If you think you were scammed by a wire service, toll-free number, or the Internet, contact the local florist supposedly being used and describe the problem. Wire services will often work with the florist to fix the problem or refund the money.

If your arrangement was never delivered and you paid by credit card, you can dispute the charges with the card issuer. Again, it’s always safer to buy locally. A local florist can answer your questions and respond quickly if there is a problem.

Beef of the Week

Rachelle DeFarges of Holden writes:

“Here’s my beef. The off-shelf placement of mostly junk merchandise in grocery stores drives me nuts. The crowding this causes is a huge time waster. If just one person stops to ponder a purchase, do a little label reading or whatnot, we all have to wait. Rats in a trap is the image that often crosses my mind as I try not to be impatient with the shopper who has every right in the world to take their time. And the displays at the ends of the aisles get fatter all the time, allowing only one cart through, though there should be plenty of space for two carts to negotiate the turn.

“Most recently the front and back spaces at the ends of the aisles are being filled up. This is extremely inconvenient near the checkout lines during crowded shopping times.

“Yes indeed, my blood pressure climbs as I think of how overkill marketing robs me of my time. I never buy from those bins (just ‘cuz), and won’t go down crowded aisles. I’ll get by without whatever it might be. If I absolutely have to get something, I leave the cart cluttering the end of the aisle for my convenience. But because I don’t like to be inconsiderate of others, I’m not comfortable doing it. After all, other customers are not the problem here. Thanks for the chance to complain … wow! Feels good!”

Thanks, Rachelle. Take a deep breath, grasp your cart handle firmly, and don’t forget your helmet. It’s a jungle out there.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT/The Maine Center for the Public Interest, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. For help or to request individual or business membership information, write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.