Help!!!
My customers were contracted to make their final payment of their wedding cake 2 weeks ago. In the contract it states that I will not contact them and that it is their responsiblity to contact me for payment. A week ago they contacted and I let them know we were out if contract. They promised to make a payment, for the last 8 days I have heard nothing but apologizes and excuses. I sent them an email, so that I had proof, that I would no longer be making their cake. I sent the email at 6pm and then they call me after 11:30pm and are apologizing again and promising to make a payment tomorrow. My problem is that I have heard this for a week now, I have turned other orders away, and they only contacted me today because I sent them an email first.
Please send me your feedback. I feel terrible now. My fellow decorators at my bakery and my husband agree that they have done this to themselves and that is why we have a contract.
Oh and also because of their lack of final payment, due 30 days prior to the event, I have lost valuable decorating time. The cake is highly detailed with hundreds of gumpaste figurines.
Just looking for other peoples thoughts on this matter and if this has happened to anyone else.

Thanks
Rebecca

If they have not paid as the contract states then you do not have to do the cake. It sounds like you have been very reasonable and accomodating, but it is their responsibility to pay on time. If you do decide to let them pay you tomorrow, then make sure it is in cash, so you don't have to wait for payment to clear from a check. Stand firm...this is not your fault. It is not personal...it is business. They knew the payment deadlines and they did not meet them...their mistake....NOT yours!! Stand firm...

I hope you got 50% up front?! Personally, I would tell them that they turn up with payment today (Tuesday) in CASH and that you will now have to raise the price by 20% as this is now considered a rush job. If they don't turn up or they don't like the extra fee - tough cookies they don't get your beautiful cake and you definitely keep the down payment as compensation for loss of earnings because of their negligence in paying you on time.

Good luck!

I agree. Tell them cash payment brought to you by 5 PM today in full or the order will be considered canceled. They don't have it, or they'd have paid it already. I call it "the dance"...that one excuse after another...SO irritating.

I also have one this week that hadn't paid. I called the venue yesterday to see if they'd heard from them, and sure enough the venue was cancelled on 10.28.08. Yep, last October.

OH Rebecca, they are not going to pay. As I read your story, it could be the same couple I had a couple of years ago. They strung me along right up until their date (they had paid me in full and the check bounced) THEN they went to the new bakery that had just opened a street over from me and talked her into doing the cake. Yes, you guessed it, same checking account, another bounced check. Go to my web site and hit the "wall of shame" button. I'm sure your emails will be very similar to what they sent me.

Which would make you feel worse:

- They don't get a wedding cake because they didn't pay you and didn't honor your contract.

- You spend the time, money, and energy to make them a wedding cake of their dreams and you don't get paid because they didn't honor your contract.

The ball is in their court now. Accept cash ONLY at this point.

Sounds to me like they have cash flow problem,which means if you go ahead and do the cake they might be owing you for a while.I don't think you are doing anything wrong by not doing their cake.

I would not do the cake. If you get CASH IN HAND by close of business today, then I might consider it. Good luck!!! If they don't show, I wouldn't feel bad not doing it at all. their fault, not yours.

Hi Rebecca,

You care more about their cake, than they do!

No dough, No cake!

Thank you so much!

Thank you to all of you for your support it really helped me today. I gave them a call and planned on accepting a cash only payment for the remaining 50%. However, they accussed me of it being my fault, then the blamed another of their vender saying they were stressed out. Anyways he was trying so hard to make an excuse that he ended up blaming my bakery staff and me. I hadn't even had the chance to offer him the cash offer when he made me so frusterated that I cancelled the order.

I really appreciate everything you advised me about becuase it kept me strong!

Thanks
Rebecca

good riddance!! I hate that part of this job.

Good for you Rebecca, it just sucks that this much time and energy was wasted.

Good decision,you don't need bride and groomzilla

Yep, that is what contracts are for. And sometimes even with that you still have problems! I had a customer that called me at the last minute wanting an engagement cake for two hundred people for the coming Saturday. He sent the downpayment so I figured it was ok. Nope. If a red light comes on, saying blink "Something Wrong Here", blink "Something Wrong Here" then trust your instinct because you are probably right! I made the guy sign a contract but got stiffed on the bill. He was suppose to meet me at the venue with the final payment. Nope. And the venue would not allow me to stick around while he showed up. You would think that a guy who worked for the Pentagon would be honest, but I guess I was wrong. So good thing you nipped this in the bud before you spent any more time or effort in it. But hopefully karma will get them in the butt in the end!!!

I have to agree with some of the other posters here - they no pay; you no bake. Very simple.

They've already violated the contract by not paying you per the agreement so the deal's off. You don't need the stress of having to rush a cake for people who aren't considerate of your time and talent. Even if they do pay, who's to say they'll even come pick up the cake? They sound way too flaky (no pun intended).

Jeez some people, but like you said..Karma baby, it has a way of sneaking up and kickin you in the butt.

Good Riddance to BAD Rubbish!!!!!!!