The Society of American Florists creates policy to combat deceptive industry practices

According to an article from safnow.org, the Society of American Florists (SAF) has created a new policy, to take down fraudulent trade practices. The article states that due to a rise of web-based marketing, phony advertising practices have impacted florists across the country. These practices include, but are not limited to, false or misleading advertisements or purposefully failing to explain fees through tricky or ambiguous language.

Per the article, the SAF Retailers Council created the policy to increase the industry’s reputation and circumvent negative sales or customer interactions. As a whole, the policy is designed to protect both retailers and consumers.

Tim Galea, of Norton’s Flowers & Gifts in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and a member of SAF’s board of directors and Retailers Council, was quoted in the article and said, “Going back 40 years ago, deceptive advertising started with the Yellow Pages, and then the Internet upped it a level.” Galea owns Norton’s Flowers & Gifts in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and is a member of SAF’s board of directors and Retailers Council, according to the article. “These retailers are misleading consumers by saying they are in a different location than where they are physically located. With the adoption of the Deceptive Trade Practices policy, SAF is taking a stand for local retail florists by clearly defining ethical retail business practices and providing a mechanism for SAF members to report policy infractions to the association.”

Continue to the full article on safnow.org to read the full policy.