I don't know what to do. Wedding next week end.. bride's sister is paying for the cupcakes and she said she sent money order last Thursday and I still don't have it. I feel pretty sure she has done so because she told me about the bank making her fil it in with her name and mine so I think she is telling me the truth. Problem is that I don't have it yet and I know she doesn't have the money to send me another one. I was going to start baking this week end.. I feel bad but I don't know what to do....

Don't believe that crap. She should still have the receipt and they can issue a stop payment on it. It will cost some money to stop payment but they can issue another one, especially if it was drawn from her bank.

Also, I didn't know banks did money orders, I thought they did cashier's checks.

tell her to have a stop pament placed on the MO and then tell her to Western Union you the money instead. If you don't have it by tomorrow I would say "I'm sorry, but I cannot proceed with your order".

She should have a stub with a serial number on it. Tell her to call the company that issued it or ask her for the info and tell her you'll call. If she really got a money order, she will have the stub and have the info. It may take some time to put a stop payment on it and get her money back.

myslady is right, when I've gotten them from the bank it was always a cashier's check.

Sorry. I worked in a bank a few years ago. We sold money orders. All 3 banks I have worked in sold money orders.

actually I think it was a cashier's check.... ugh..

Cashier's check is easier to fix. She needs to call her bank and put a stop payment on it, which they may charge about $25 to do.

thanks guys... I have emailed her twice and haven't heard from her.... I will try to call her tonight and give her until Tuesday

So "the check is in the mail" then? Hmmm...likely story! And MAYBE it IS in the mail, but until the money is actually in your account she hasn't paid you.

Its her responsibility to make sure you get your money by the due date, regardless of the method of payment. Politely tell her the check has not been received and that, regrettably, without payment you are unable to proceed with the order.

Bullsh*t. I had a bride pull the same crap on me. She mailed the money order. I didn't receive it. I call her. She's almost crying with "but I mailed it and I dont' know what to do." Hubby, a 25 year banker, told me that even if she put a tracer on it to see if it was cashed, doens't prove that *I* cashed it and he explained all they ways a money order can be bought and voided by the buyer to make it LOOK like they made the payment.

I told this bride, "I dont' know but I dont' have the payment and without a payment, I won't show up with a cake. You can get me the cash in the next day or so and if the money order shows up, I'll return it to you uncashed. But I need a payment of some kind."

She got me a payment and the cake was delivered.

By the way that was a couple of years ago and I STILL have not received the first money order she says she mailed.


It was at this point that I put in my contract that any non-traceable payments (such as money orders, cashier checks, etc.) that were mailed MUST be mailed with a tracking number mailing system.

It's amazing, the same thing happened to me! "I sent the money order" and it never arrived. Not even after I made them send me another one. The first one never got here. SO MYSTERIOUS! There must be a vacuum in the space-time continuum that attracts money orders that are intended to pay for cakes...

I heard you can wire money also through western union and it was really easy...From out of town or local..just get a card and have it delivered to the your place and you just call and activate it AND on their end..it is cheap..so not sure what this client is doing. SOrry for this. Suggest westen union for now on.

Paypal accounts are available and much quicker. Also Chase bank now has an online payment system called Quickpay that can be used WITHOUT having to give the person your bank account number (like with BOA account transfers).. not sure if you have to be a chase customer for this,

Paypal takes a cut of your profit, but its not much, and it prevents these kinds of problems

OP, what if you were a mechanic and her sister needed her car fixed?
What if you were a landlord and she needed her rent paid?
What if you were a dentist and she needed a tooth pulled?

What if you were.....

Well, you get the idea. Just because it's a cake doesn't make it your responsibility to proceed WITHOUT payment. I'm fortunate to have several rental homes and lovely tenants. The reason I have lovely tenants is I screen the absolute bejeebers out of 'em BEFORE they move in. You cannot believe some of my stories. My favorite was the bounced check written to pay for the tenant screening/credit worthiness process.

Another "ex-banker"....we sold money orders and cashiers checks. It is true that she could stop it & re-issue something. Or.................................wait for it - - - - - - -- -

being that it's her sisters wedding, maybe she could make the extra effort to bring you cash! I would be ensuring that the wedding cake/cupcakes were there for my sisters wedding.

It shouldn't be that big of a deal. Hope it works out!

I meant that I DON'T know any banks around that do them. They do cashier's checks INSTEAD. My bad, next time I need to preview my post. LOL.

Regardless of how she said she sent the money, you don't have it, so she hasn't paid. No cakey for her!

tons of terrific advice listed already and I agree with them.... no payment received - no cake delivered

I agree with costumeczar, no money, no cakey. Call the bride if you can...let her know the situation...maybe sis spent the cake money and doesn't want the bride to know.

Agree - no money - no cake. I cancelled a wedding cake this summer - although the MOG swore her husband mailed the check but since the bank was closed, they couldn't call to find out. Of course, the check never arrived.

It really is very simple.......it's the bride's problem and not yours! It's up to her to figure out the logistics of getting proper payment to you. The responsibility is on her to provide payment on time and in full. You are a professional and deserve to be paid for your hard work.

There's no way that anyone could walk into a store and walk out with a cake or any other item, particularly an item that costs hundreds of dollars, without paying for it. Why we as bakers agonize over the finances of our customers just blows my mind. No other professional or business owner gives it a second thought.

If they want a quality wedding cake, then they need to pay for it according to YOUR terms and conditions. If they don't, then move on to the next customer. I'm sure you have plenty of other things to be worrying about.

It's a pet peeve of mine that a bride can spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on a wedding but it always seems to be the baker that gets the short end of the stick. I personally never hear of payment problems with the venue (who probably gets paid a month in advance) or the phtographer, the decorator and so on - there never seems to be a problem with their payment. It's always the baker!!! grrr

Besides Paypal, you could also do an email transfer. Give her your business email (assuming you have an account under that name), or whatever email you use to check your banking online. She can email you the money and you'll have it in minutes.

But I agree with the others - contact the bride, and bypass the sister. The bride would be more concerned about the cake (cupcake) situation than the sister is, apparently. It's not her wedding.

(What's that sig someone has? "Your emergency is not my problem.")