In recent years the news reported on multiple occasions that the tulip bulb sellers on the Amsterdam flower market were structurally scamming tourists. There would be fewer bulbs in the packages then advertised, the bulbs would be bad quality and not even blossom, and the colors wouldn’t match the ones on the packaging, etc.
A new report, commissioned by the Municipality of Amsterdam and the Royal General Bulb Growers' Association (KAVB), and shared with the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), underlined these findings once again. ‘There is evidence of structural scamming of consumers’, the KAVB posts on their website. ‘It appears that, of the tulip bulbs sold on the mentioned venues [Flower market and the so-called ‘Flower bulb boulevard’ next to the N208 in the Dutch town of Lisse, red.] only 1% (Amsterdam), and 2% (Lisse) respectively, actually blossom’.
The ACM previously requested a ‘substantiated signal’ to go into action. The research, executed by Bulb Quality Support (BQS), is an answer to their request.
More information can be found here on the KAVB website
Image: amsterdam-travel-guide.net