Mother's day deliveries gone wrong

If you haven’t by now come up with an original, thoughtful present to give to your mum (or mother-in-law) on Mother’s Day, you’re probably going to settle for the usual cards, chocolates and floral arrangements.

While this may not overwhelm mum, it may well be enough to please her till the next special event.

But what happens if the delivery doesn’t come on time or comes with some of the bouquet’s stalks bent or some of the chocolates missing?

While hundreds of deliveries do turn up timeously and without any flaws, it’s not without the realm of possibility that your mother may draw the “no-show” card or get the flowers more suitable for the bin than the mantelpiece.

In South Africa, consumers have complained on HelloPeter about flower deliveries with complaints such as “incorrect gift delivery”, “late delivery”, “terrible service”, “shocking communication”, “flowers dying upon delivery” and a customer complained of having a “special day ruined”.

Another disappointed customer lamented: “Heartbreak on Mother’s Day because of useless service and lies.”

GETTING COMPENSATED

Besides your having to patch things up with your mother or mother-in-law when it comes to gifts that look like a dog’s breakfast or ones that don’t even turn up at all – what can you get in terms of compensation from the delivery service that made the botch-up in the first place?

The good news is that South Africa’s Consumer Protection Act is on your side.

“If items ordered are not free of defects or are not of good quality, you are entitled to refund or replacement.

"If the delivery date is agreed, you can refuse late delivery and demand a refund. Nondelivery equals a refund,” says consumer goods and service ombudsman Neville Melville.

He also recommends taking a picture of the item and sending it to the supplier as proof that the goods were defective.

Remember, you are well within your rights to complain and get refunded because when you buy flowers or chocolates online, you are entering into a contract with the service provider.

You are perfectly entitled to complain if the goods weren’t delivered on time or had defects because the company is then effectively in breach of that contract.

If your complaint isn’t dealt with properly by the consultant on the other end of the phone, escalate the problem to management.

ENSURE TIMEOUS DELIVERY

During busy periods such as Mother’s Day, it’s probably best to place your order in advance.

A NetFlorist spokesperson says it incentivises early orders by offering a free gift (this year it’s free Lindt chocolates if you order before May 10).

“This allows us extra preparation time, creating surety in the quality of our products and our customers’ happiness.

We also hire over 700 temps well before the big occasion to assist our normal staff in coping with the increase in our numbers,” adds the spokesperson.

Flowers.co.za recommends making orders at least several days in advance of the delivery date to “help us plan ahead and ensure a successful delivery on the specified date”.

In some instances the problem may lie with you and not the delivery company.

On NetFlorist’s website it says it’s imperative to provide a “very detailed address”.

If the delivery is to your mum’s place of work, make sure you add the company name, block and office number and the department she works in.

They add that if it’s a home address, don’t forget to add the apartment or complex number.

If it’s to a hospital address, they will need the ward and room number too.

Add the recipient’s contact number just in case the delivery service can’t get hold of you or find the recipient.

The answer may also lie in forgoing some of the larger service providers and hiring the services of a small, professional business owner who may have more time to do quality control.

“I am a home-based florist and my quality control is supervised by me on the actual day. My deliveries go out on Mother’s Day, not the day before, and I do each and every delivery myself to wherever the mother might be: home, restaurant, family gathering...

“I make sure that each order is checked and rechecked and it goes out once I am happy. There is no payment until the receiver and the sender are happy,” says Ginny Marx, founder of JustMeFlowers.

Alternatively, if you’re worried about the order, why not buy some flowers and chocolates and deliver them yourself?

After all, it’s the thought that counts and your mother would probably appreciate seeing you too.