Avoid Order Gatherers | Order Flowers Directly from Ward’s Florist
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Avoid Order Gatherers: Why You Should Order Flowers Directly from a Local Florist
Order gatherers pretend to be local florists but keep 20–40% of your order in fees. Learn how to spot them, avoid funeral home link traps, and order directly from Ward’s Florist in Beverly, MA for honest pricing and same-day North Shore flower delivery.
Ordering flowers should be a meaningful experience — a way to send love, comfort, or joy. Unfortunately, thousands of customers each year are misled by “order gatherers” — websites that pretend to be local florists but are really middlemen. They collect your payment, keep a large portion in fees, and send the remainder to an unsuspecting real florist to fulfill the order with a reduced budget. The result? Smaller, downgraded, or substituted arrangements that don’t look like what you expected.
At Ward’s Florist, we want customers across the North Shore to understand how these companies operate — and how to protect themselves by ordering directly from trusted, family-owned flower shops.
What Are Order Gatherers?
Order gatherers are large, national call centers and websites that market themselves as “local florists” even though they have no storefront, no designers, and no flowers. When you place an order, they take your money — often keeping 20–40% in commissions and service fees — and then pass the order to a real local florist to make and deliver the flowers for whatever amount is left.
Well-known order gatherers include 1-800-Flowers, Teleflora, From You Flowers, Ava’s Flowers, Just Flowers, Blooms Today, The Bouqs Co., Ruth’s Roses, Flowers by Eva, and Nora’s Flowers.
To the customer, these sites look legitimate. They use phrases like “family-owned,” “serving your area,” and even buy ads using your town name — “Florist in Beverly MA” or “Flower Delivery Danvers” — even though they’re nowhere near Massachusetts. Many even copy local business photos and reuse them without permission.
What Happens When You Order Through an Order Gatherer
Here’s what actually happens behind the scenes when someone orders through one of these sites:
- You search for “flower delivery in Beverly” or “funeral flowers Salem MA.”
- You click a sponsored link that looks local but is really an order gatherer.
- You choose an arrangement for $100.
- The order gatherer takes the payment and keeps up to $40 in “service fees.”
- The remaining $60 goes to a real florist — who has to make the arrangement smaller to stay within that amount.
- The recipient gets flowers that don’t match the photo — and you’re disappointed.
Sometimes, these companies even charge additional “delivery” or “handling” fees and still pay the florist less than the true value. It’s unfair to both customers and real florists.
Funeral Home Websites and Hidden Order Gatherers
Another surprising place order gatherers appear is on funeral home websites. Many funeral homes include convenient “Send Flowers” or “View Arrangements” buttons that appear to connect you with a trusted local florist. However, in many cases those links actually go to national order gatherer networks like Teleflora or 1-800-Flowers.
It’s important to note that most funeral homes don’t realize how these companies operate or how much they take from the customer. They simply allow the link for convenience, unaware that the order gatherer keeps 20–40% of every order. Sadly, this can make the funeral home look bad when customers assume the florist or arrangement came directly from them.
💐 Planning to send flowers for a service in Danvers? Before using a funeral home's “Send Flowers” link, read our Danvers Funeral Flowers & Obituary Guide to make sure your tribute is ordered locally and handled with care by Ward’s Florist.
Instead, it’s always best to order directly from a local florist who truly serves the area. Ward’s Florist personally delivers to local funeral homes including Campbell Funeral Home in Beverly, O'Donnell Funeral Home in Salem, Greely Funeral Home in Gloucester, and Conway Cahill Brodeur Funeral Home in Peabody.
How to Tell If a Florist Is Truly Local
Before placing your next order, here are a few ways to verify whether you’re dealing with a real local florist or an order gatherer:
- Check the address. A real florist will have a verifiable street address and city listed, not just a PO box.
- Call the phone number. If it’s an 800-number or you reach a call center, it’s not local.
- Look for Google Maps photos and reviews. Real florists have storefronts, cooler photos, and tagged local images.
- Be cautious of vague claims. If a site says “family-owned” or “serving your area” but doesn’t say *where*, it’s likely a national reseller.
- Check social media. Real local shops post real deliveries and local customers — not just stock images.
Why Ordering Directly From Ward’s Florist Makes a Difference
When you order directly from Ward’s Florist, your entire payment goes toward creating a beautiful arrangement — not someone’s commission fee. We’ve been family-owned and operated in Beverly, Massachusetts for more than 50 years, serving generations of North Shore families.
- ✅ Fresh, handcrafted flowers arranged by local designers.
- ✅ Same-day delivery throughout the North Shore, including weekends.
- ✅ Full value for your money — no middleman deductions.
- ✅ Real people who answer the phone, know your community, and care about your order.
We deliver across the North Shore — including Beverly, Danvers, Peabody, Salem, Marblehead, Lynn, Lynnfield, Reading, North Reading, Saugus, Gloucester, Rockport, Topsfield, and surrounding areas.
We also deliver directly to local hospitals and care facilities such as Beverly Hospital, Lahey Medical Center Peabody, and Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester.
Why National “Order-Gathering” Websites Hurt Local Communities
Every order placed through a third-party service pulls business away from your community. Those companies spend millions on ads, take a large share of customer payments, and don’t invest anything back into your town. Local florists like Ward’s Florist employ local designers, support schools and nonprofits, and contribute to the North Shore economy. When you order direct, your money stays local — and your flowers are fresher, fuller, and designed with care.
How to Avoid Order Gatherers in the Future
- Always verify that the florist has a real address and local phone number.
- Be cautious of “nationwide delivery” promises — local shops can deliver almost anywhere through their own networks.
- Search your town name plus “Ward’s Florist” or “local florist near me” to find genuine local results.
- Bookmark your favorite real florists’ websites to avoid confusion later.
Support Local. Shop Direct.
When you choose a true local florist, you’re choosing quality, honesty, and community. Avoid the middleman — order directly from Ward’s Florist in Beverly, MA for same-day flower delivery across the North Shore. Experience the difference that 50 years of family-owned care can make.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational purposes. It discusses common practices within the floral industry and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any third-party companies or funeral homes mentioned.
If you’re viewing an obituary in Danvers, MA, please visit our local funeral flower guide to learn how to avoid national order-gatherers and order directly from Ward’s Florist.
