Email I received from a prospective customer this morning:

"I am having a surprise sweet sixteen birthday party . I want a 2 or three tier cake decorated like fancy presents . The Pary is this saturday night. I do not want Fondant at all. I am looking for a 10 inch round or square , then on top a 8 inch round or square and then a 6 inch round or square . Decorated like presents . I want a bavarian creme filling and a buttercreme icing. Im loking at the price range of $ 40 to $50 as I can not afford more then that. Do you have pictures of cakes you have made ? where are you located? Or have an 8 inch and 6 inch and I will tier them myself I just cant decorate well."

SERIOUSLY PEOPLE . . .

Sounds like someone is messing with you...
But, I would reply with "Thank you for contacting me, but I cannot accomodate your request with that budget."

Responses like those are when I just copy and paste from my website:

-Two week lead time required.
-Minimum order of $150 on all party cakes.

Thank you for your interest!

ok, im clueless to cake making but even i started laughing when i got to "im loking at the price range of $ 40 to $50 "

i get that all the time...

Oy...

That almost sounds like the scammers have moved on from wedding cakes to birthday cakes. They mention being decorate like presents twice, suggest round or square, and are contacting you without even knowing where you're located. Besides, who plans a surprise sweet 16 and waits until only 2 days before the party to order a cake?!

I emailed and told her I could make her 1 2-layer 6" square cake decorated like a present for $45 (my B/C price is $2.50 per slice).

For some reason I haven't heard back . . .

(I wouldn't take the order even if she said yes)

I know it's crazy isn't it.

that was my customer and I sent her on to you.

You better quit sending people your lousy customers, Mensch!

She came to me weeks ago and I sent her to Mensch.

I told her to take a flying leap LAST year, and she still kept bothering me. I said, Jammjenks was her best bet, but don't be surprised if someone named Mensch jumps at the offer, she's hard up for work, and is SOOOPER cheap!

that has got to be another cake designer sniffing around for pricing or wanting to see how you would respond. I don't think a "civilian" wouldn't describe the cake like that "6 inch round, 8 inch square" etc...