A Long Island-based flower delivery service, SarataFlowers.com, has ceased operations amid a storm of customer complaints surrounding refund issues. According to a report by The New York Post, the company accumulated a staggering 2,286 grievances lodged with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) over a span of three years, leading to an "F" rating. In a statement obtained by the CBS News, one customer, Celia Silberman expressed her frustration, recounting her experience with a cancelled $61 order for her sister's 90th birthday that resulted in the company withholding her refund.
Customers reported cancelled orders and the flower service claiming to provide refunds that never materialized, drawing national attention. Having promised a refund, Silberman engaged in a prolonged and fruitless exchange with the company, a story echoed by many others. Told CBS News, "They just made it so miserable for me. It was a, well it's still a nightmare because they're still not doing anything to refund the money," Silberman described the ordeal.
SarataFlowers.com defended their track record via email after an inquiry from CBS News, stating, "refunded every customer that has ever complained with no questions asked." Despite these claims, Silberman and others found themselves empty-handed—for a time. Following the involvement of investigative reporter Tim McNicholas from CBS News New York, Silberman finally received her refund, dubbing McNicholas seemingly a "bit of a magician" for expediting the process that had, until then, dragged on.
Reconciliation for some customers has come too late to salvage the company's reputation, which was further marred by the discovery that their listed Suffolk County address was seemingly unknown to the building's owner. The business website was brought down shortly after CBS News New York reached out, and the company admitted that it has been closed for the past months in an email, explaining the florists they partnered with across the country were not meeting customer expectations. The BBB stressed in an interview with CBS News the importance of customers doing their homework, suggesting they read reviews and verify business addresses before making purchases.
