Texas Consumers: Have You Encountered Online Companies Posing as Local Florists?
Are you sure?
Telemarketing firms are posing as local florists and charging higher fees. You can protect yourself by taking these steps to be sure the flower shop you are choosing is really in your local town.
It's against the law to pose as a local florist if you aren't!
Steps you can take to choose a florist in your local town:
- Check the home page and the "about us" pages for the physical address of the business.
- Check the "contact us" page for a local telephone number. It should match or be in the same area that flowers are being delivered. If there is not a telephone number, be cautious.
- Call the local number. If the phone is answered "Flower Shop" without including a name of the florist, ask who you have called. If they don't provide the name of the company you dialed, you may have reached an order gather or telemarketing firm.
- Ask for the business' street address and directions to the shop. If they won't provide this information, consider calling a different florist.
- Be aware that just because an ad or website name indicates "City Name Florist" it does not necessarily mean the company is located in that city.Texas State Florists' Association cares about the handling of floral orders in Texas. Make sure your florist is "local".
To learn more or file a complaint, contact the Texas Attorney General's Office,
Do you have a complaint about deceptive floral advertising on the Internet? TSFA was instrumental in passing legislation during the 2011 Texas Legislature making it illegal to misrepresent the geographic location of a business. If you have encounter this deception you may file a formal complaint with the Texas Attorney General's office under Consumer Protection or visit: https://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/complain.shtml
The bill that become law on Sept 1, 2011 is HB 989. Read the bills language by going to the Texas Legislature online-Bill look up or click here