They are just flowers, but it was to be a little piece of us there, a representation that even though we are so far away, we are still present in thought. Insignificant and lacking, but something. There is still a chance that the purchase went through before the flag locked the card, or the unlocking will take effect in time for it to be processed, but I am not holding my breath.
I'm sorry you have to deal with this idiotic nonsense at a time like this.
The guy on the phone (English was good) didn't really know how to handle the situation once he found out what they were for. But just prior, he thought it very strange that a person would buy flowers in another country - as if Interflora is some kind of scam. I am sure there will be a few more flowers there at least on Monday and I know that @galenkp has organized something for all of us - which I am thankful for.
Interflora is a well-known and old brand.
I was also thinking as I spoke, they have an AI that can detect and automatically lock a card - but they don't have the visibility on whether the purchase went through or not. Perhaps they need a blockchain.
I think it could be the case. The bank cannot possibly screen all transfers manually.