(would you tell?) Valentine - Some assembly required

[Knitterly]

So... my darling husband sent me a beautiful bouquet of roses with a teddy bear and a box of chocolates from a particular website.

The flowers arrived...who knows when.  In a box.  Some assembly was required.  The vase was wrapped, the flowers were wrapped, the teddy bear was on top of it all, and the chocolates were in there, too.  I checked out the website to see how it was supposed to be assembled.  I think he got majorly ripped off and should never ever give them his business again.  He paid over $100 for a box to be flung haphazardly on the doorstep. 

I only noticed it when I peeked out to see if it had stopped snowing.

How would you tell your loved one that you loved their gift but they got majorly ripped off?  I definitely don't want to discourage such thoughtfulness.

[Judah]

Last year for my birthday DH sent me flowers from ProFlowers.  When they arrived, the flowers were packaged like yours, plus they looked several days old.  I wouldn't have said anything at all, but DH asked me how the flowers looked.  I let him know that while I loved the fact that he sent me flowers, I hoped he hadn't paid much for them because they didn't look nice.  He hasn't used that website since.

[jmarvellous]

Yeah, I'd tell. Prefaced by lots of "Thank you so much for thinking of me" and love and whatnot.

[Bibliophile]

My DH saw the way the flowers looked after they arrived and I didn't have to say a word - you might not even need to bring it up.  When he asked, I told them they were delivered in a box.  He won't buy there again.

[Luci45]

I just said 'Thank you so much!' and showed him what I got with only a gentle smile. He was disappointed, too, and never ordered there again. It was years ago from a local florist but the same idea.

[WillyNilly]

Hmmm I just got a box via UPS from ProFlowers.  Inside was a vase, and a wrapped dozen roses.  I had to put water and the flower food (also included) in the vase, unwrap the roses, pull the bulb of that green foam stuff that retains water off the ends, trim the ends of the stems and put them in the vase of water.

Yes it was some work, but better then last year's that came from a florist.  I am not allergic to roses but the ones from the florist must have been on a truck with something, because I had an allergy attack for days.  A really nasty bad terrible raw nose constant sneezing attack.

I have mentioned to him in general its always a better deal to call a local florist and have then do flowers then a national out-sourcer, but I don't push to hard - I've had plenty of previous romantic partners who didn't send any flowers; if DF wants to overpay, I let him.

But I think your (OP) issue was with the delivery method as much as anything.  I had to sign for my flowers and as such the box was handed directly to me, they weren't just left somewhere.

[QueenofAllThings]

Ditto to WillyNilly - it's very difficult to ship flowers in vase with water, which is why the national chains (and internet orders) show up the way they do. Stick with your local florists; not only will they assemble them and deliver them, but you have more creative license with a local vendor.

As to the price tag - I know you were disappointed, but this time of year, $100 for a dozen roses, a vase, a teddy bear, chocolate and shipping is not over the top.

[oogyda]

Always check the fine print.  Even through the same website, some arrangements will be made and delivered by a local shop, while others are delivered via UPS with assembly required.  There is usually notice of that somewhere in the listing for each arrangement and you do have to be careful when ordering, depending on what you want. 

[Audrey Quest]

I think the key thing is to not say anything today.  Make the best of it and make him feel like he did a good thing by sending them.

It is the thought that counts.
 
Now, I would think that you, yourself could complain to the place where the flowers came from. 
 
At a later date, bring it up with him and suggest that in the future he contact your favorite florist to make you a nice bouquet instead of the tele-flowers thing.
 
I never use those places to send people flowers.  I pick a local florist and call them directly.  I have them deliver whatever they have in stock that is the freshest and I haven't had any disappointed recipients.  I know because I get pictures emailed to me after the fact.
 
But, I think you should let him know, just not today.

[Gumbysqueak]

It takes 6 minutes to arrange a gorgeous bouquet. 100 dollars for a Valentines day bouquet is reasonable. DH might be upset you found criticism over his loving gesture. 

[bah12]

If you really think he got ripped off and would not want to use this place again...and if you agree with him, then I do think you should tell him.  This is your husband.  These conversations probably aren't that hard.

So, to start, just thank him for the wonderful, kind and romantic gesture.  If he asks how they arrived, tell him the truth.  If not, just leave it be for today and then sometime tomorrow just say something like "Everytime I walk by the flowers, they make me smile.  I love them so much.  But, you know, I'm glad I noticed the box when I did and they didn't get ruined by the weather.  They were "flung" on the doorstep with everything in the box.  They put together really nicely after I got everything out, but the company sure doesn't put a lot of thought into their delivery."

[SisJackson]

My husband has gotten me several bouquets from ProFlowers, which has "some assembly required" offerings.  Never on Valentine's Day, but I've gotten them on my birthday, our anniversary, and "just because" - I've noticed that the flowers are very nice and last a long time.  Generally speaking, though, he sends them without the vase (which is almost always an option) since I have plenty of vases and don't like having to worry about getting rid of a new one.  Even when getting flowers for myself from a local florist I get them just in a bunch with no vase.  I don't personally consider the "IKEA bouquet" to be so bad.

What would bother me, though, is the fact that they were just dropped on your doorstep without so much as a knock or poke of the doorbell.  I would imagine that is due to the hectic schedule - back in university I had a friend who took a temp job as a florist's delivery driver a few times a year and on Valentine's Day I seem to recall him putting in a 20-hour day.

I'm kind of wondering if ordering flowers for Valentine's Day delivery is a lot like flying the day before Thanksgiving - the odds stacked against you and even though you're spending a fortune you have to take what you get...?  It's one reason I won't do VDay flowers, from anywhere.

[Knitterly]

So I did tell him.  The conversation went like this.

Me: Thanks so much for the roses.  They are really fragrant.
Him: I'm glad you like them. 
Me: So, uhm, they were delivered by purolator.
Him: I know.  I got a tracking number from them.  It was weird.
Me: They didn't ring the doorbell.  They just sort of tossed the box on the doorstep.
Him: Really?!
Me: Yeah.  I noticed it when I looked outside to see if it was still snowing.
Him: That's just weird!
Me: Also, I really love the flowers.  But it was sort of a "some assembly required" deal.  It just came in this box.  And I looked on the website to see how to put it together. And...
Him: I didn't pay that price!
Me: Okay, good.  Because I wouldn't recommend using that place again.
Him: I didn't pay 1/3 of that price.  It was one of those group buy deals.
Me: Okay, good!!  I got a little worried.
Him: I would never pay that.  Don't worry.
Me:  Okay, good.  Because this is the teddy bear.

I showed him the really cheap understuffed dollarstore quality teddy.  We had a good laugh.  I feel better knowing that he didn't pay $100 for something he could have put together himself for $50.

I couldn't eat the chocolates.  They were peanut butter chocolates.    (nut allergy)

[Knitterly]

Also, I've never gotten an "assembly required" bouquet.  It was a little weird for me.

[redcat]

When you say "some assembly required" I take it you mean a bouquet where you add the plant food to the water, put it in the vase (your own or one with the flowers) then open the plastic wrap round the flowers and arrange them?  Because that's what I would expect from a delivery web site, I think it's the only way to transport flowers so that they have a decent shelf life, so to speak.  Once they're put in water they're much harder to transport.  Were you expecting a bouquet already arranged, delivered in a water filled vase?  I don't think I've ever had flowers delivered like that.  So I don't think what you got was unreasonable, or a rip off.  I would be concerned about them being dumped on your doorsteps though, especially in the snow.