Eugene, OR – Graduation season is here and sending flowers to your graduate can be a great way to celebrate when you can’t be there in person. But Better Business Bureau Northwest + Pacific is warning consumers about a growing number of complaints against one online florist. Troys Florist , based out of New Jersey, operates the website, http://www.troysflorist.com. The company pays to boost its presence in online searches across the country making it appear to be a local florist. BBB consumer complaints indicate they were billed for flowers that never arrived. Emily Keizer of Florence, Oregon filed a complaint with BBB after ordering flowers for her grandparents’ anniversary. “I was rushing to get something sent and made the mistake of clicking on the first mobile link that looked okay,” she said. Keizer adds, as a millennial, she should be savvy to online scams, so if she was tricked, “there are probably lots of people out there who didn’t even realize their flowers were never delivered.” BBB has received 191 complaints against Troys Florist, reporting the company delivered incorrect arrangements, charged for flowers that never arrived and did not honor refunds. The company has failed to respond to BBB. “It’s always a good idea to use bbb.org to research online companies before doing business with them,” advises Dawn Johnson, Better Business Bureau Northwest +Pacific Spokesperson. Here are a few additional steps you can take to help protect yourself online. Shop with a credit card. In case of fraud, a credit card provides additional protections. Keep documentation of your order. Save confirmation email until item is received. Keep a clean machine. Install a firewall and anti-virus software. Run virus scans regularly on smart devices.
