Frequently Asked Questions About Petals Online Florist Directory

Can I opt-out of a listing?

Yes, send us your particulars and we will mark your business as not to be displayed. Click here for the opt-out form

Can I be a member of a florists relay service?

Yes.  The Exchange believes in allowing you to choose who you deal with.  We hope that our service and order volume will attract you to us.  Unlike some relay services we don’t restrict who you deal with.

My relay service does not allow me to join anyone else?

It is difficult to give universal advice on this question.  We are opposed in any case to relay services applying restrictive trade practices to their membership rather than having a business model that attracts them.  In our experience, even relay services with these restrictive practices will nevertheless allow you to receive orders from other sources.  Otherwise, you would have the peculiar situation whereby you could not even advertise in the Yellow Pages of your telephone book.  With the Petals Exchange, you have to register to receive orders from the Exchange so that we can ensure you are paid and for quality control purposes.  Presumably, registering to get more orders into your business would only upset the most paranoid of relay services and certainly would be against your best interests.  You might be better off moving to a more considerate relay service in these circumstances.  Because you can reach a prominent listing position by paying for a listing, an unfriendly relay service can never be sure if you paid for your position or achieved it by trading.

Why is it important to get close to the top?

As with any Internet search engine listing, viewers are likely to only look through the top few listings before making a choice.  The closer your listing appears to the top, the more chance you have of being seen.  Also, the closer you appear to the top, the more information is given about your business and so you have more opportunity to attract the customer.

Do I have to pay to get at the top?

Not at all.  If you choose to send orders to Petals as well as receive from the Exchange, you will automatically rise up the listing levels according to how many orders you and the others in the same area send into the Exchange.  It is quite possible for you to get close to the top without paying a penny!

If I do pay, will sending orders to the Exchange still get me a better position?

If you pay to reach a particular level and then send sufficient orders in to merit a “promotion” in the lists, you will automatically receive the promotion.  However, you should never fall below your paid level even if your order volume to the Exchange is low.

Will I always appear in the same position?

You will always appear in the listing level that you have paid for or which you have been promoted to for being a good seller into the system.  However, to be fair, within each level, you will be rotated according to firstly, our “fair trading” principals and then randomly.  This means you will probably appear in a different position each time; but always on a very fair basis.

My country does not appear in the search options?

We are rolling out our listings on a country by country basis. 

Do I have to place an order though the Petals website?

No, you can send directly to the supplying florist if you wish.  That freedom is part of our commitment to giving our florists choice!  However, going direct may not be in your best interest!  If you place orders via Petals, you automatically go up the list to receive and order back AND you get a more prominent position in the listings.  Also, you can message HQ and the other florist via Petals at little or no cost AND we look after all the accounting.  We also arbitrate on any disputes on orders through our system.  All this is especially attractive if you are sending to another country or a distant location where you don’t know the other florist.  It costs you no more to send via Petals and you get these great extra advantages.

Can I call or email the florists first?

Yes you can.  This lets you check any details before sending the order via Petals.  We give you lots of messaging options for your convenience.

Is it more expensive to send through the Directory?

A little but you get value for money in return.  The only extra cost dealing via Petals is a country-specific handing fee for the Exchange.  The customer pays this so it does not come out of your profits.  In return, Petals will do all the accounting, order transmission, dispute resolution AND you will get more orders in return from our “fair trading” policy and a better position in directory listings.

Can I only list for delivery to one location?

When you register to execute orders, you have the option to supply several locations that you can cover for the standard delivery fee set by Petals for your country.  You will immediately begin getting orders from the Exchange for all locations you nominated.  At present, the Directory only displays locations on the basis of their postcode.  If we have place names rather than postcodes for your locations, you will only come up for the postcode of your shop.  We plan to enhance this shortly.

I think there is a better way for the Directory to work?

We really appreciate your suggestions on how to make this service work better for you.  Please give you feedback at this link.