UrbanStems
a month ago
I have used UrbanStems for about 4 years - purchasing as gifts for others or for myself - and always had different experiences with them. PROS The deliveries arrived on time (or even earlier), the arrangements are in good condition, no damages, no spoilage, etc. When sending as gifts, the recipient would always text me right away and compliment on how beautiful the arrangements are. CONS When I did run into some issues, it mainly had to do with the condition of the flowers. Here are two experiences that I remember: (1) The arrangement had some buds/flowers in awful condition (I remember one of them was moldy!); and (2) The arrangement arrived in decent condition, but after prepping it and putting it in water, it wouldn't look so fresh the following day. I do contact customer service, and their reps are so responsive to my concerns. They would either offer credit or a replacement; if I asked for replacements which I then received almost 1-2 days later with no issue. RECENT EXPERIENCE I noticed something different from my most recent purchase in July VS one of my orders from July 2023: they're using a different shipping courier! In the past they've always used FedEx, but now they ship with OnTrac. Normally I am okay with OnTrac, but they usually deliver towards the end of the business day in my area (around 4pm-5pm). This was much later than I was used to (FedEx delivery would always be around 12pm-2pm), so I was a bit concerned and worried about the condition of the arrangement by the time it is delivered especially since it was during the summer heatwave. Fortunately, the arrangement arrived in great condition without any issues (I think that damp foamy-sponge wrapped around the base of the stems definitely helped!). But I am definitely going to keep a close eye when I purchase again in the future! PERSONAL TIP Try to place your order (or schedule the shipping/delivery) at least 1-3 business days before you need it. For example, if you need it on the 5th, check to see if you can schedule the delivery between the 1st and 3rd in case you need additional time to contact customer service if you come across any issues. But honestly the earlier the better... it's less stressful that way LOL Of course, don't forget to take into consideration the popular holidays (Mother's Day and Christmas are the two big ones!) and weekends, but that is the general timeline I follow when ordering flowers online! P.S. If you like to have your flowers delivered exactly on someone's special day, I recommend supporting your local florist as they may offer local delivery!