Illegal Home Baker Help

Business By not_a_desperate_housewife Updated 21 Aug 2013 , 11:34pm by Tea1398

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not_a_desperate_housewife Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:05am
post #1 of 68

thank you for your responses!

67 replies
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CalhounsCakery Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:18am
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Why would someone who buys her cakes get sick? Just because she's not licensed, that doesn't mean she's dirty.

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step0nmi Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:19am
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wow! sounds like she is just ILL informed. I know it's not your job to educate her...but it sounds like that would be pretty harsh for someone you don't know. this is just my opinion though. I would just send her an email she can get in trouble...let karma bite her in her butt icon_wink.gif

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not_a_desperate_housewife Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:21am
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Yes I understand. But there have been instances of samenella in eggs. Who knows? She does not have insurance. This is unfair to small business bakers who have done what they have neeeded to do to have a legitimate business.

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not_a_desperate_housewife Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:22am
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She KNOWS it is against the law. It has been said to her in my presence. But she flagrantly puts her "business" out there.

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step0nmi Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:23am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CalhounsCakery

Why would someone who buys her cakes get sick? Just because she's not licensed, that doesn't mean she's dirty.




i agree! it's not a "home" business that is reserved to getting sick off of food. I have been sick from corporate establishments before. not happy about it.

Does this woman state she is in a home kitchen?
Do you know that those previous cake pictures are "sold" cakes? maybe they are for family!


this seems like a lot of assumptions to be upset about...it's always better to worry about yourself. (geesh, i should take my own advice icon_rolleyes.gif LOL )

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CalhounsCakery Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:24am
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Yes, it's unfair, but at least you can sleep at night knowing your fully covered when you make some ill. She's taking a risk, and I'm sure it will bite her in the butt some day.

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step0nmi Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:25am
post #8 of 68
Quote:
Originally Posted by not_a_desperate_housewife

She KNOWS it is against the law. It has been said to her in my presence. But she flagrantly puts her "business" out there.




well, sounds like you didn't need advice on reporting her. If you know about the cake business then you would know where to go to report her.

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SammieB Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:26am
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Does she have a "contact me" section on her website? Maybe an anonymous email or contact first on the off chance that she doesn't realize all the proper steps? If I was operating illegally and got an email from someone concerned about it I would:

1- (If I was unaware it was illegal) Be concerned with taking the proper steps to come legal pretty much immediately
2- Be scared straight and try to get it taken care of, or try to fly even lower under the radar
3- Thumb my nose at it and do whatever I want until the HD comes knocking.

I would give it a month, see if any changes were made, then report.

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jason_kraft Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:27am
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The first step would be contacting the health dept for the county she lives in. If she's fully licensed and inspected (in some cases it's possible to fix up a home kitchen or build a second kitchen that can pass inspection) she has nothing to worry about, if not she will be shut down.

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step0nmi Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:29am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SammieB

Does she have a "contact me" section on her website? Maybe an anonymous email or contact first on the off chance that she doesn't realize all the proper steps? If I was operating illegally and got an email from someone concerned about it I would:

1- (If I was unaware it was illegal) Be concerned with taking the proper steps to come legal pretty much immediately
2- Be scared straight and try to get it taken care of, or try to fly even lower under the radar
3- Thumb my nose at it and do whatever I want until the HD comes knocking.

I would give it a month, see if any changes were made, then report.




you're super nice! I would probably do the same...it's not up to everyone else to worry about all the businesses in the world. most of the time, people starting out is not taking business away from others...there's lots of customers to go around! icon_lol.gif

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not_a_desperate_housewife Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:30am
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Thank you for trying to help me out.

I don't know a whole lot about the cake business but I know that what she is doing is wrong. I just don't know what avenue to take to report her.

I know her well. The cakes were sold to friends and to friends of past customers. I know this for a fact.

All I need to know is what direction to take. The bottom line is that this has been escalating and it is illegal. Is it like selling crack? No, but it is illegal and it is unfair to other people whom I know who are renting space or doing what is necessary to have a business.

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step0nmi Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:33am
post #13 of 68
Quote:
Originally Posted by not_a_desperate_housewife

Thank you for trying to help me out.

I don't know a whole lot about the cake business but I know that what she is doing is wrong. I just don't know what avenue to take to report her.

I know her well. The cakes were sold to friends and to friends of past customers. I know this for a fact.

All I need to know is what direction to take. The bottom line is that this has been escalating and it is illegal. Is it like selling crack? No, but it is illegal and it is unfair to other people whom I know who are renting space or doing what is necessary to have a business.




that's really not that bad. everyone has to get off the ground somehow! didn't the other people you know that are now in an actual business do the same thing?

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jason_kraft Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:33am
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To report copyright infringement to Disney, send a message to this email address: [email protected]

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jason_kraft Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:37am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by step0nmi

everyone has to get off the ground somehow!



Absolutely, but there's a right way and a wrong way to get off the ground. If your state does not have a cottage food law then it is more expensive and time-consuming to get off the ground the right way, that doesn't mean it's OK to do it the wrong way.

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SammieB Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 3:44am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by step0nmi

Quote:
Originally Posted by SammieB

Does she have a "contact me" section on her website? Maybe an anonymous email or contact first on the off chance that she doesn't realize all the proper steps? If I was operating illegally and got an email from someone concerned about it I would:

1- (If I was unaware it was illegal) Be concerned with taking the proper steps to come legal pretty much immediately
2- Be scared straight and try to get it taken care of, or try to fly even lower under the radar
3- Thumb my nose at it and do whatever I want until the HD comes knocking.

I would give it a month, see if any changes were made, then report.



you're super nice! I would probably do the same...it's not up to everyone else to worry about all the businesses in the world. most of the time, people starting out is not taking business away from others...there's lots of customers to go around! icon_lol.gif




Well, I sound a lot nicer when I type things out. icon_smile.gif I'd probably be sitting at home whining to my husband while writing the anonymous email!! Haha. My friends always call me the diplomatic one. I usually will give someone one chance and the benefit of a doubt. Once you smash through that though, you gotta work your way back into my respect. I just try to never be rude or insulting. icon_smile.gif

Though if this lady knows what she's doing is wrong, a nice call from the health department may be what she needs.

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Bakingangel Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 4:11am
post #17 of 68
Quote:
Originally Posted by not_a_desperate_housewife

I need some help as to reporting someone who is illegally selling baked goods (cakes and cup cakes) from her house in New Jersey. This person created a "business" website, it is on facebook and on an idependent web site, and on it she has prices and pictures of all of her products, in adition to her pricing. From $50 to $200 dollars per cake. YEs, people have actually bought cakes from her. I can not believe it myself. She has easily made and sold at least 20-30 cakes. I am pretty sure she only took one Wilton decorating class. That is it. She does not have a seperate kitchen to bake in. She bakes in her own kitchen. This woman uses Disney characters and the like on her cakes as well. It is all on her website. I know she does not pay taxes on any of this stuff neither. Please do not judge me for wanting to report her but it is very unfair to all those home bakers who have gone through hoops to make a legal business for themsleves. Please let me know what I can do because this is wrong and someone who buys a cake from her could get sick.




Wow! How has this person hurt you? You want to cause her harm, and you want us to support and justify your behavior. It sounds like you are jealous. I suggest you step back and reevaluate the situation. Nothing good ever comes from hurting other people.

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jason_kraft Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 4:17am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bakingangel

You want to cause her harm, and you want us to support and justify your behavior.



On the contrary...if this person really is operating illegally, not insured, and cheating on her taxes, attempting to stop this behavior sooner rather than later will be beneficial to her in the long run.

Although the point about customers getting sick is stretching it.

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YummyCreations Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 4:34am
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I agree that you should think twice before reporting her. You don't know what her situation is. I've been very tempted to begin a home business even though it would be illegal for me as well. My husband's been out of work for 3 years now and is just doing temporary jobs and I'm a stay-at-home mom with 2 little ones. So we could really use the money just to make ends meet but I'm too afraid of getting into trouble so I've just been making free cakes for family and close friends and practicing my craft until I can either afford to rent a commercial kitchen or wait for a Cottage Law in California to pass. It's been very tempting to do the "wrong thing" when people ask me how much I'd charge them for cakes and want my contact info to order a cake from me and I have to keep turning them down. I think that if you focus on your cakes and their quality then you won't have to worry about competition. I'm sure there are plenty of other people doing what this woman is doing and you can't spend your time researching and reporting each one of them. My advice to you is to focus on your business and see it thrive. Sooner or later she will probably get into trouble anyway for all of the reasons that have already been mentioned.

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Cricketina Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 4:38am
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I suggest contacting her nicely and give her a chance as she may not know the laws...tell her you mean her no harm but you wanted to inform her of the laws of your State and even encourage her to call and check herself! Tell her your afraid she will be fined if a customer or a rival baker calls to check her credentials! And she could also be put completely out of of business! Do this with concern and kindness as not everyone is trying to stick it to the system! I know this from experience...we owned a business and my husband has a general contractors lic...well a jealous competitor...turned us in to the contractors board because part of our business we needed to add an additional lic if we did jobs over a certain amt and we were innocently unaware of this and if our competitor had called and told us this law we would have thanked them! Because we wanted to be legal! Instead the subjected us to tens of thousands of dollars in fines they totally even had us set up! It was so dirty,,, and what ended up happening we Never had gone over the monetary amt that causes the need for the additional lic... let me tell you we went and got the additional lic just in case...and this business became huge on our Radar! In a ugly way...they did not succeed but the stress of the investigation and the possibility of losing our business was a horrific experience! Niceness should always be your first response because believe me you will reap what you sew!

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ailika Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 5:07am
post #21 of 68

Wow! I believe many bakers start from home in the beginning, did she take customers from you or did something really bad for you to be so angry? Send her an email or confront her nicely instead of just reporting her, you don't know her situation. Don't forget what goes around comes around and every action comes with a reaction.

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karukaru Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 5:14am
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What the home baker is doing is wrong and illegal. However, you sound like you are stalking her. You know everything about her so you must be spending a lot of energy researching her. My suggestion is to spend more energy into your business and less in what others are doing. GL!

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kelleym Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 5:53am
post #23 of 68

This thread is going to get locked, as sure as the sun will rise in the morning. The OP was a baiting, trolling post from someone who hasn't posted here in more than 2 years.

Why not just leave it alone and let it die? No good can come from this.

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Vista Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 6:02am
post #24 of 68

I have to say that I am really surprised by all the responses to this thread!! Laws are in place for a reason, we do/should not get to pick and choose which ones we follow. In my opinion it shows a lack of integrity for someone to KNOWINGLY be operating a business illegally. I too would be upset if someone blatantly ignored the laws that I worked so hard to follow. Ignorance of the law does not give us a free pass!!

I personally would contact the individual directly and inform her of the laws and the violations. If she continues I would put a call into the health department.

I am fortunate that I live in a Cottage Food state, and do not have to jump through as many hoops to be able to start my business. HOWEVER, I did not know that when I decided to start my business. Before I would agree to sell any cakes I made the necessary phone calls to confirm that I was on the up and up.

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kelleym Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 6:04am
post #25 of 68

Oh well. icon_rolleyes.gif

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jason_kraft Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 6:08am
post #26 of 68
Quote:
Originally Posted by kelleym

Oh well. icon_rolleyes.gif



If only you hadn't replied to the thread telling people not to reply to the thread. icon_wink.gif

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Vista Posted 22 Jan 2012 , 6:13am
post #27 of 68

LOL, I had started typing my response long before you had put yours there. I had to take care of something else and came back to finish. I did not see that you had said anything till just now. Sorry

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SnLSweetEscapes Posted 23 Jan 2012 , 8:45pm
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I know exactly what you are going through. I constantly research the surrounding areas to make sure that I am being competitive. It took me almost a year and lots of meetings, inspections, etc to get my home bakery approved. Money for permits, insurance, etc just like someone that owns a shop. I wanted to do things the right way. I recently saw an ad on craigslist for a woman selling bake goods out of her home for cheap! I mean like $4 a dozen for cupcakes! So I emailed her to ask several questions. Supposedly she does everything from scratch out of her home. When I asked if she was inspected by the Dept of Health she told me no but she was looking into it. So being nice, I politely said to her to be careful, especially since she is advertising because I would hate to see the Health Dept find out (which in my area they have been known to look at advertising to make sure people are legit). You know what she says to me? "Do you know what I would need to become legal?" well if you were looking into it wouldn't you know? I spent a lot of time and money becoming legit and I do not regret it at all. I understand that you need to start somewhere but do it with family and friends. So I understand why it's frustrating. I will not call the Dept of Health on her because I just can't do that. I believe in karma and either she will go the right way or go the wrong way. But I did my part to warn her because there are people out there that aren't as nice.

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labmom Posted 24 Jan 2012 , 6:14pm
post #29 of 68

Why can't people on this site realize that there are always going to be illegal bakers on this site and in the world. The mom who bakes cupcakes, to help make ends meet... the single person with talent and no money to start her own business...just for examples.

there is always someone on here (and sometimes always the sameone) on here that will look for that person to cause problems with threats and say they are going to turn them in. It is like there is some kind of reward to do this?

These bakers know what there doing, and doing it for there own reasons leave them alone. They are adults that make there own choices.

It almost seems that it is a game to get rid of the illegal bakers so there is more baking for the legal ones.

Its just so sad to see on here .... please lets just talk cakes and stop the lets see who we can get in trouble
it is just so like in school the tattle tale....not a favorite person. This is CAKE CENTRAL not CSI...

everyone smile and play nice!! Enjoy this great site.

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jason_kraft Posted 24 Jan 2012 , 6:19pm
post #30 of 68
Quote:
Originally Posted by labmom

It almost seems that it is a game to get rid of the illegal bakers so there is more baking for the legal ones.



It's certainly not a game...if you've invested time and money to launch a legal business and you are being undercut by illegal businesses with lower operating costs, it's just good business to level the playing field and make sure everyone is playing by the same rules.

And sorry, but if you don't have the money to start your own business legally that doesn't give you permission to break the law, regardless of the talent level.

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