Dying on arrival: Flower delivery service facing numerous Mother’s Day complaints

By News Staff

It’s the one day that mom deserves the best, but some Greater Toronto Area residents are accusing an online flower delivery service of wilting their Mother’s Day celebrations.

Amy Bambury of Milton says she and her brother ordered two $75 bouquets for their mom online through Bloomex, which describes itself at Canada’s official florist.

Bambury says the bouquets (pictured above and below) not only arrived a day late, but were drooping and dismal — looking nothing like the lush arrangements Bloomex advertised on its website.

CityNews reached out to Bloomex a number of times over the course of Monday, via telephone, email, and through a PR person, but didn’t receive a response until Tuesday morning.

“Bloomex is the largest florist in Canada, with thousands of happy and repeat customers,” a spokesperson wrote in an email.

“We prioritize Mother’s Day and it is never our intention to disappoint anyone … We are working diligently to satisfy those disappointed clients.”

Larry Westlake was one of those unhappy clients. He says he ordered more than $60 worth of flowers through Bloomex on Friday at 10 a.m., with a same-day delivery promise.

The flowers (pictured below) finally showed up on Sunday night, looking wilted and road weary.

Westlake says he’s spoken to a company representative through Bloomex’s website, seeking a refund, and was told that all sales during peak holidays, like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day, are final.

Bloomex told CityNews it filled over 28,000 Mother’s Day orders across Canada, with 9,000 in Toronto and that unhappy customers are in the minority.

“We enjoy an almost 98 per cent success rate, but this still unfortunately and despite best efforts, means several hundred unhappy clients across Canada due to sheer volume and a variety of circumstances,” a Bloomex spokesperson said.

“Customers may be offered a store credit for a future purchase, a resend of fresh flowers, or a full refund, depending on individual circumstance and customer preference.”

Despite those assurances, several unsatisfied customers took to Twitter to air their respective grievances.

According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Bloomex is based in Calgary and has been in business for 12 years.

It has also racked up 273 complaints over the past three years, and 94 per cent of BBB reviews are negative.

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