Last week my aunt in another western Pennsylvania town celebrated her 100th birthday. Last Sunday I went online to find the name of a local florist. At the top of the Google screen was a link to www.flowerdeliveryexpress.com and, since I had used the similar FTD in the past and was pleased, I clicked on this link. I looked at pictures of arrangements but liked the offer to have a florist create "a beautiful rose arrangement". Although price wasn't an issue, this was on special for $19.99, supposedly marked down from $59. I proceeded to order, discovering that I would be charged $3.99 for the card and $1.99 for a standard vase (why was I so stupid?). I gave the name and address for delivery and then learned that there was a "service charge" of $19.99, but since delivery was free, I figured it would be about the same as I had paid for the flowers when going directly to another florist. I gave my credit card number and then just before I was to click on "submit", I learned that onto this $45 order would be added $10.52 in TAXES. I know of nowhere in this country that charges nearly 25% in taxes. But they already had my credit card number so, reluctantly, I clicked "submit."

If the arrangement had been satisfactory, I would have left it at that, but pictures from the 100th birthday party showed our arrangement with six roses. Six roses for nearly $60. I went to my email delivery confirmation and called customer service. After 23 minutes ("Thank you for continuing to hold. Your call is very important to us"), I was given the opportunity of leaving a thirty-second voicemail during which I had to spell my last name and give the order number (how much can you complain in the remaining seconds?). Then I looked up the corporate headquarters and called their customer service, a different number. A human answered! She was very solicitous and asked how I would like this handled. I said I would be appeased if they sent another full dozen roses to my aunt. The woman said she would send an email to corporate headquarters saying that. Wait! What? Even SHE has no access to this company? I told her to tell them in her email that if they didn't handle this I would go on Facebook.