Online florist Bloomex is facing a wave of consumer outrage, accused of duping customers with fake local listings, shoddy service, and deceptive marketing, triggering a warning from New Zealand’s Commerce Commission.

Chris Lynch Media has spoken to multiple customers from across New Zealand.

One of them is Christchurch resident Kristen Blaber-Hunt, who said she felt blindsided after ordering birthday flowers for her grandfather, only to receive what she described as a “cheap, misleading version” of what was advertised.

She told chrislynchmedia.com she placed the order on 1 July through a website that appeared to be based in West Melton, close to where her grandfather lives. “I googled ‘West Melton florists. ’A business called NZ Blooms came up, with a map showing it was located there.” But after clicking the link, she was taken to a different website called Bloomex. Blaber-Hunt placed an order and paid extra to have it up sized. She received a text message confirming her order had been placed.

The next morning, her grandfather received the delivery but what arrived left her shocked and embarrassed. “He sent me a photo of what he got, and it was nothing like what was shown or described on the website. The number of flowers did not even match the product description. It looked like a cheap bunch from Countdown.”

Bloom NZ is not based in West Melton, despite a map on its website giving the impression it operates from the area.

She tried calling Bloomex, using the number on the website which claims the company has an Auckland office. “They have two options, one for existing orders and one for new orders. option 2, for existing orders, just rings for a while then cuts out. I tried that several times with no success.”

Out of frustration, she tried option 1 to see if anyone would pick up. Someone answered straight away. “When I explained I wanted a refund because the product was not what I ordered, they hung up on me.” She called again and spoke to someone named Marvel, who told her to email photos to [email protected] despite the order being placed with what appeared to be a New Zealand company. He also hung up during the call.

Screen shot of ‘Bloom NZ’ website suggesting it has premises in Papanui – it doesn’t.

Blaber-Hunt emailed the photos to both the Australian and New Zealand customer service addresses but received no reply. “I called again, got a different person, and was told I would get a remediation response within a couple of hours. I waited six hours and called again, same promise, same result. That person hung up on me mid sentence.” She used the company’s online chat function and was again told the issue would be sorted within a few hours. “They asked for my phone number and said someone would call me, but no one ever did. Now I cannot even get through to their phone lines at all.”

“They are completely dodging me.”

Blaber-Hunt said she was repeatedly told she would receive a refund or a resolution, but after days of trying, nothing has been done. “They are completely dodging me. Every time I speak to someone, they say ‘you will hear back in a couple of hours’ but nothing happens.” After the experience, she began researching the company online.

“I found Facebook groups full of people saying they have been scammed in the same way. There are heaps of photos where people were sent completely different, cheap, or even dead flowers. It is publicly accessible. Google reviews say the same thing.” She is demanding a full refund of the $110 she paid and believes she is entitled to it under the Consumer Guarantees Act.

“They know they have done me dirty, which is why they are avoiding me. It is not just bad service, this feels like a scam,” she said. Review website Trustpilot gave the company a rating of just 1.3 out of 5, based on more than 300 reviews.

“Half dead on arrival”

Another Christchurch resident told chrislynchmedia.com her mother received flowers from Bloomex, sent by her aunty, and the experience was disappointing. “They were terrible. Half dead on arrival. We were super disappointed.”

Customer Carmen Everett, who lives in the North Island, said she wanted to send flowers to her grieving aunt in Christchurch after her uncle passed away. “I came across Bloomex online. The flowers looked nice, but I really wish I’d read the reviews more thoroughly. I didn’t realise they were coming all the way from Auckland, which explained why they took so long to arrive.” She said the flowers that eventually turned up were nothing like what was advertised.

Left: Advertised flowers. Right: Actual flowers received costing a total of $72.90 |  Photo: Carmen Everett.

“They looked horrible, wilted and dead. I was so embarrassed and angry. Flowers are not cheap, and you at least expect something close to the picture.” Everett said her aunt was understanding and knew she meant well. She contacted the company. “They were apologetic and offered me 30 percent off my next purchase, which made me laugh. I’d never use them again.” She declined the offer and asked for a full refund. Instead, they offered a 50 percent refund on the purchase price, not including delivery.

“I figured if that’s the best they could do, I’d have to accept it. But it wasn’t about the money. They should be held accountable for causing distress when all I wanted was to do something kind for my aunt. Bloomex should not be operating. I would hate to hear of others going through the same thing during difficult times.”

Another customer said she paid extra for same day delivery, but the bouquet arrived late. “When it finally did, it looked nothing like what I ordered.  I was sent a photo of the flowers, and the arrangement was poorly put together, lacked quality, and was completely inappropriate for the occasion.” She said she chose the company at a difficult and emotional time, hoping to send something meaningful.

Left: Flowers advertised. Right: Flowers received

Left: Flowers advertised. Right: Flowers received

Another customer paid $114 for something that looked nothing like what was advertised on their website. “The online image showed an open bouquet with roses, not a boxed arrangement. I also paid for same-day delivery, but they called to say that was not possible and offered to upgrade the bouquet and deliver it the following day instead. What arrived was a small, disappointing bunch of cheap flowers.”

Despite the website suggesting a local presence, Bloomex is not based in West Melton. It is part of an international business headquartered in Canada, with operations in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. Chris Lynch Media attempted to contact Bloomex multiple times by phone and email over a four-day period. But as soon as staff realised the inquiry from media, they placed the call on hold and never returned. In other cases, when it was made clear the call related to multiple complaints from New Zealand customers, the representative abruptly disconnected the call.

A global trail of complaints accused of scamming customers

In March 2024, Bloomex was fined $1 million by the Australian Federal Court after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took action against the company for widespread consumer law breaches. The ACCC found Bloomex misled customers with fake star ratings, false discount claims, and hidden fees. The company admitted it breached Australian Consumer Law by making false and misleading representations on its website.

Specifically, Bloomex:

• Published misleading star ratings for products, many of which were based on reviews from outside Australia or possibly not from real customers

• Advertised “50 percent off” discounts using inflated original prices that were never charged

• Applied undisclosed surcharges ranging from $1.95 to $4.95 during checkout, a practice known as drip pricing

“Bloomex misled consumers about the quality and price of its products for a long time, and this penalty is an indication of how seriously the court views this conduct,” said ACCC Commissioner Liza Carver. She said misleading reviews and manipulated star ratings were a major concern, particularly in the digital marketplace, where consumers often rely on these cues to make purchasing decisions.

“Businesses must be upfront, and clearly disclose to consumers the total price for their products, including any fees. They must not display prices that are incorrect or likely to create a false impression,” Carver said.

Blaber-Hunt said she was not surprised at the ruling and wanted to share her story to warn others.

“I want people to know this is not a genuine New Zealand florist. It is a big offshore company pretending to be local. I wish I had looked closer before I placed the order. What should have been a simple birthday gift for my grandfather turned into a three day nightmare.”

Commission monitoring Bloomex complaints and ‘fake boutique’ websites

The New Zealand Commerce Commission Competition, Fair Trading and Credit General Manager Vanessa Horne said the commission has received 55 enquiries regarding Bloomex.

“The Commission wrote to Bloomex recently to inform them of some of the complaints, and remind them of their obligations under the Fair Trading Act. The Commission made Bloomex aware that it was monitoring the ACCC court action against it. The Commission is not currently investigating Bloomex but continues to monitor any complaints regarding Bloomex to determine if further action is required, in particular in light of the ACCC judgment.

“The Commission has also initiated a compliance project to address the issue of ‘fake boutiques’ (retail websites which give the impression they are locally run businesses)

“We are looking into these to determine the legitimacy of the websites. We will work with other agencies and hosting providers where appropriate to address any misleading conduct” Horne said.

“Any behaviour or marketing that misleads consumers is of concern to the Commission and could be a breach of the Fair Trading Act. All businesses selling to New Zealand consumers must comply with the Fair Trading Act, regardless of where they are based. 

“Any claims made, or impressions given, about the origin of a product or a business must not be misleading or deceptive. This includes the use of symbols, such as kiwis, flags or other national emblems.

Horne said “before hitting checkout on a website you haven’t bought from before, take a minute to research the business: look at online reviews and feedback on external websites to see if other people have had issues with delivery or with contacting the business.

“Remember that it can be hard to confirm if reviews on the company’s website are authentic and unbiased, a seller could promote false reviews or select only positive reviews to display on their website.

We also encourage consumers to check for local addresses and phone numbers. Online businesses who are authentic usually have clear and accessible contact details, secure payment options and easy to find terms and conditions about delivery and returns.

If any consumer considers they have been misled by Bloomex they can get in touch with the Commission, using the ‘report a concern’ form on our website.”