I am sure everyone is sick of these questions but...

I am making a cake for a family member's anniversary this weekend. It is a surprise party, so a very distant family member (my second cousin's second wife) hired me to make the cake. I don't know her well, but I know she is scatter brained. I also know that she has a bad habit of ripping off people by saying she will pay, and then not doing it. (Going in for Christmas presents, etc). She has also complained about the cost of this party to me, and that she has had NO finacial help with it.

She was given 3 different discounts for the cake: Free delivery, no extra charge for premium flavors, and my base price instead of an upcharge for a difficult design. She was very happy with the price.

She paid me 50% when we booked the date. I told her I would need the rest by the Friday before the party (which is today). No money. An invoice was sent on the 16th, and again yesterday. Today I contacted her and asked for the remainder. Have gotten no response. So, in this case, even though it is family, does no money equal no cake? Or do I suck it up and take the cake, since the couple is important to me, and just eat the cost of this person not paying me?

If you're going to be a guest at the party, I think it would be very awkward if you showed up with no cake. Your relative would just say that she had forgotten to pay and then figured she'd do it when she saw you at the party, and that she didn't realize you didn't even trust family to pay. Then you'd be stuck looking bad and there would be no cake.

If the 50% that she already paid you will cover your materials, you might consider your time as a gift to the couple, since you said they were important to you.

Yeah, I'm kind of assuming that I'm going to have to take it either way. I don't want to be a jerk! But, an agreement was still made. It's an awkward situation.

I'd take the cake since you say that the couple is important to you, and if the "purchaser" doesn't pay you in cash at the party, I'd be sure to tell them that the cake was a gift from her AND you!

If the couple is important to you, take the cake and ask that lady to pay you at the party. If she doesn´t want to, then consider that 50 % better than nothing and I also agree to the tell the couple that the cake is a gift from you and thatt lady. And of course never work with her agin.

I agree - take the cake to the party. Bring the bill for this woman and give it to her (in an envelope with a pre-addressed return envelope). Give her as few as possible reasons to forget to pay.

Even telling her husband to remind her might be a good idea, or better yet, give him the envelope with the bill and return evelope and ask him to pass it on to her and nicely say that you haven't heard back from her and ask if he could remind his wife.

Oooh, your right. I could just discreetly take a bill and give it to her later. I might just do that.

50% is better than nothing!

Thanks everyone for your help with a weird problem.

I would explain you didn't want to show up with out a cake and make it good and clear that any future orders from her will be 100% at the time of order from here on out since she did not pay you in full for this one.

If you accidentally said it a little bit to loud and people around you heard *snickers* and embarrassed her well then so be it.

Bring me the cake

You could always leave it in the car until she gives you a check!

hmmm cake in TExas left in car = cake puddle LMAO

ohhhh 1/2 payment ma'am... OOPS left cake in car.. brb

Oh I spaced that it was texas!!! But that would sure teach her to pay on time, huh?

What if you bought the cake to the cost of the 50%. No premium flavours etc..

i think it's about time to start bustin' some thumbs.



(i hope you all get that i am totally kidding)

bake her half a cake

I'm not that sensitive anymore.

I would hand her the bill at the table, in front of everyone, and say,"Here's the bill for the balance due on the cake. Did you bring your checkbook?"

Edited to Add -

And I would do it during dinner.

Theresa

I love you Theresa

Grace -

There is no such thing as the Mafia.

I know this because they told me so.

Theresa

Yeah, and the other name for that is politics!

Theresa

yeah, here in nebraska that's how we do things. we go the thumb route.
we don't mess around with the whole "uummmm, so about that payment". we just do thumbs or knee caps.

alright, the truth is i'm still waiting on $60 from about a month ago -grace, you're from new jersey right? you know anyone that can get my $?

woops. double post. got a little excited.

imagind76 -

giving the job to someone from out of town, huh?

Theresa

it's really hard to work a piping bag with busted thumbs.

ok, sorry to hijack your thread. i don't get to talk to a lot of grown ups and get a little out of hand.

I live in NJ, but I'm from Brooklyn. You's all gotta problem wit dat?

lol

OK, here's an update.

I just got home from a very loud baseball game, and she had left me a message on my cell. Something like "Oh, you sent the invoice from a different email address so I didn't open the email". Sorry, I sent it from Paypal, just like last time.

My mom had kind of wondered if she was trying to see if I would drop the situation and not ask for the remainder-just let it go. Sorry, no way, I am cheap!

Long story short, she paid me at about 10 tonight. Phew! Glad that's taken care of!