So, I have a customer that ordered 125 bags of frosted sugar cookies (4 cookies per bag) and at the event that she gave them out SHE SAID THAT SHE MADE THEM BY HAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These are my signature cookies. I made the recipe up myself when I was 9 years old!!!! And, BTW, they happen to be the best cookies in the world..lol.

What would you do?

I would never sell her anymore of your cookies. Tell her to make her own the next time. If you know anyone that was there tell them that she did not make them but that she ordered them from you. I can't believe the gall of some people. She probably figured that since she paid for them she could tell people what ever she wanted.

Sorry that happened to you. I'm sorry but I'd have to call her on that one.....just to let her know you didn't appreciate that. It probably won't help but hey, at least it will make you feel better....and tell her that you won't be able to take any more orders for her......I'd like to see what she does when she's asked to make more hehehehehe......don't worry, it'll come back to bite her in the butt. By the way, how did you find out she took credit for them?

The whole story....

at the party, guests were walking up to her and asking her who made them and she would reply, 'I did." Then a friend of mine overheard her and went up to her IN FRONT OF THE GUESTS and said, "Don't you dare lie like that....Derby made those!"

Then today at Sam's Club I ran into my friend that corrected her and she told me about it.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRr

That is the very reason I quit baking for a coffee shop in our town here. They were taking credit for the stuff I baked. I think I even posted something about it, but someone told on here called me on it and said something to the effect that once I have sold the item, it wasn't my business to complain if they said it was theirs. (I still thought it was wrong of them to do though)

well for a start I WOULD BE FURIOUS AS HELL, then i would go around and see her and ask what does she think she is playing at, then i would drag her around to every person's house she lied to and make her tell them the truth in front of you....

that should embarrass the #@$% out of her...

there is a lot more i would probably do but i don't really want mention exactly what on CC...

merry xmas

kylie

That is wrong to claim as your own....if someone else made something for me and I paid them for it, I would say so. Give credit where credit is due!

Quadcrew wrote:

I don't agree with whoever said that nonsense to you and I'm sorry that they said it to you. I believe that she can do whatever she wants with the goods once she's purchased them, but I don't think that she should lie about baking them herself. It would be like me getting a cake from a bakery and passing them off as though I baked them. It's a total lie!!! Thanks for your support....just wanted to make sure that I'm not crazy for being totally (*&%$ off!!

I'd be angry as well, but, your friend has already called her on it...publicly, so if it were me...I'd probably not say anything to her. However, I wouldn't sell anything to her either.

I had a former "cake buddy" take credit for decorating an entire cake and it DID come back to bite her. When the people asked her to make the grandson's b-day cake she called me to help and I said "Sorry, you took the order....your responsibility". She canceled the order and hasn't taken credit for anything else (to my knowledge). We reap what we sow.

What a . . . .I'll let you fill in the blank.

At least your friend was there to defend your rights! How did the guests react after they knew that the lady lied?

Wow, that's a horrible thing! I would definetly call her & tell her you won't be doing anything else for her & to not say that she did the cookies anymore. You are right to be mad & she needs to know she can't do something like that.

Sorry to hear that. Some people! I would difinetely tell anyone you know who was there that you made the cookies. I would approach her about it and hear what she has to say. Since you are doing all the work and clean up not to mention using your time and electricity. it wouldn't matter what her explanation is I wouldn't open my mouth, I'd just give her THE LOOK! You know that look. the one that would let her know you are really not feeling her or her shenanigans. That look would let her know that you think she's grimey and she played herself. (knowing she could never duplicate your cookies and thinking she can fool you into making them for her and taking all the credit. Could you imagine if you didn't find this out when you did and she kept ordering from you for big occasions and you'd think wow this lady is giving me all this business . You'd start to wonder if my cookies are such a big hit, why haven't I heard from new customers why is all the ordering through her.

That's why you should "STICKER" everything!

Don't feel bad..she did make them by hand...lol...from YOUR hands to HERS! lol

they have the little round stickers and in your word processing program you can make the stickers with your name phone number and web site if it fits.

If your big customers tell you that they don't want your label on the baked goods, tell them that since you don't "wholesale" they have to lump it!

I have a big mailing label on my boxes that I stick on ...not only to warn people that there is adult content inside the box, but to get my number and name out there!

Sorry that happened, but you cannot expect people to behave...and like someone already said...this may come back to bite her in the rear!!

Best cookies in the world? I just may have to wrassle you till you spill the beans..lol

( nah..I respect your process! lol)

LOL...no wrastling tonight! I'll share any recipe that I have except for that one. It's the only one that I've ever compiled myself. But, they are very similar in texture to the most popular snickerdoodle recipe. Nice and crispy on the outside and cake-like on the inside. The frosting is an all-butter buttercream with a secret ingredient added. Then they are dipped in sprinkles or colored-sugar crystals. They are SOOOO good and no one can stop eating them and no matter how many I make they always want more. I never thought of actually selling them. I gave them away as Christmas gifts this year to a bunch of colleagues and she's one of them. Then the orders just took off.

Good thing...my friend busted her out. I'll also say something to her on Wednesday when I see her next. I think that I'll ask her for the host of the party's address so that I can send him a follow-up letter!!! LOL!! That'll put her in her place. The party was for a local builder and she's their realtor. He had the party for all of the people that he works with on a regular basis.

It's ok...we all should have our little "secrets" ...makes us more....

Interesting...yeah..that's it...INTERESTING!

lol

You are so right on risque, I have the clear return address labels that has my name and web-site. It's not overkill but it works. I put one on each cookie bag I do.

She would have to be pretty desperate to peel the stickers off.

That's awful, your best business is word of mouth and if someone was interested in purchasing the cookies they don't know it's you. I'm sure she would just say "I would but, I just don't have the time".

I don't know how bad you would like to keep her as a customer. You may want to tell her next time "I'm sorry, I'm booked". I don't know if I would tick her off, she may bad mouth your business.

Some of you may have seen the commercial where the woman lights a pumpkin scented candle and pulls a pie out of a bakery box and passes it off that she baked it.

Don't beat me up - once you have bought something and it's your's you can do what you want with it. I think she is a very tacky person to do that. She is going to look like a fool when people finds out she lies.

Hope you don't let it ruin your Holidays.

Surely it won't ruin my holidays

It is a back-handed compliment. I just was hoping for some referrals off of this business since it was for over 100 people. Hopefully since my friend busted her out, maybe she stopped doing it before everyone thought that she made them.

I'll just find out somehow who the builder is and maybe stop by with a personal gift of COOKIES from me as my "thank you" for such a large order.

I might be the only one out there who feels like this but I think you should be really flattered and not take it personally. I think there are a LOT of people out there who try to pass stuff off as their own. Hopefully nobody will jump down my throat for this one...I think if people buy stuff from anyone (legal established business or side business) then there is a chance (and a right to lie) they're going to try to impress someone and say they did it themselves. Isn't that the whole point of her going to you? Cuz she can't(lack of talent or maybe time)?

Take it with a grain of salt be nice to her and tell her truthfully (like you did with us) that this is YOUR original recipe and that you're so proud of it and were hoping to garner more word of mouth business. Like someone else said, maybe you can sticker everything in the future.

I know many of my friends can't cook or bake and might do something like that. She won't be able to reproduce what you did so won't be able to back anything she said up.

Too funny, everyone that has expressed a diff opinion was prefaced it with..

don't be mad at me , lol.

WE have gotten paranoid about heated threads..lololol

Derby, I'd be angry, too. Then again, what flattery that she WANTED to take credit for your creations. Okay, so I thought I'd throw that in there. I think that I'd let that dog lie since your friend called her out on her lie about making the cookies, BUT I'd most definitely let her know that in no way, shape or form, would I ever be available to her in the future. You've invested too much time and effort into your recipe and technique for someone else to come along and accept credit for YOUR work. *People like that make me so angry.* I will say, that like Risque said, label everything. With all of my hand decorated cookies, I individually wrap each, and inside each and every bag, one of my business cards. That way, unless she wants to unwrap each cookie, she'll have to way to accept your credit. Your card, your name, your number...everything is right there. I do that for my boxes of candies, too. I like the sticker idea of Risque's, as well. I may end up doing BOTH after your post. Good luck to you, however you choose to pursue/not pursue this lady. I'd most definitely not bake for her again, though. JMO...

Amy

Sounds like this lady doesn't have the guts to tell the truth, but I agree that you should put a sticker on all your work. You could have put a signature on the back of each cookie? lol. She really would have been in a pickle when someone would ask her how come this cookie is signed by so and so on the back? You could have put your card inside the bag, also. She would have had to untie all the bags and remove the cards, and re-tie them, maybe it would have been too much work. I put stickers on all my boxes, and bags.I once had a lady order some pies and didn't want me to put anything on the box, she told me up front that she wanted her friends to think she baked the pies. Later, she called me, because some of her friends had asked her for her recipe, she had to tell them she got the pies from me anyway, because she did not have the recipe. Anyway, she got nabbed. Perhaps the word got around to enough people that you did the cookies, besides what will she do when someone asks her to make them some cookies? She'll have to call you, or tell them the truth. I know that you were upset over that, and I would be too. But what goes around comes around. She'll get hers in the end.

signature cookies take a "WHOLE" new meaning..lol

what a great idea!

I agree the customer was WRONG for taking credit for the cookies, BUT she can not duplicate them, she doesn't have the recipe. I can see a follow up letter, but then, let it go. Put labels on your product to protect yourself from this in the future. Life is far too short to dwell on dishonest people. Don't do business with her again, I doubt she'll have the nerve to call for more, anyway. And, remember, you can always "bad mouth" her, the worst kind of publicity in the world, and she certainly can't do that to you, after all, you baked "her" cookies.

I think if people can't cook (or won't cook) for themselves & have to come to us for cakes, pies & cookies then they shouldn't be able to lie to other people about it!!!! Her true friends probably know she can't bake that well so they probably don't believe her anyway!!! I'm with you, I would bake a special "Thank You" batch for the Contractor and personally deliver them just so he knows where they came from then NEVER bake for her again!!! She doesn't deserve your cookies, so like someone else stated, let her try to bake them or have to tell the truth to anyone who asks her for cookies or the recipe!!! THE NERVE OF SOME PEOPLE, AND AT CHRISTMAS TIME!!! It'll get her in the "end".

If they are your signature recipe, maybe you should find a way to make a signature label to match your business to them.
I would take the lady aside and tell her about the comments, than explain to her that it is like taking a copyright. Most people are not aware of this. In today market, people do/say what makes them look good. Even the educated do not think about copyrights when it comes to baking.

A friend sent me a joke today which reminded me of this:

Alice was to bake a cake for the church ladies' group bake sale,
but she forgot to do it until the last minute. She baked an
angel food cake and when she took it from the oven, the center
had dropped flat.

She said, "Oh dear, there's no time to bake another cake."
So, she looked around the house for something to build up the
center of the cake.

Alice found it in the bathroom... a roll of toilet paper.
She plunked it in and covered it with icing. The finished
product looked beautiful, so she rushed it to the church.

Before she left the house, Alice had given her daughter some
money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the
minute it opened, and to buy that cake and bring it home.
When the daughter arrived at the sale, the attractive cake had
already been sold.

Alice was beside herself.

The next day, Alice was invited to a friend's home where two
tables of bridge were to be played that afternoon.

After the game, a fancy lunch was served, and to top it off, the
cake in question was presented for dessert.

Alice saw the cake and thought she'd faint.


She started to get out of her chair to rush
into the kitchen to tell her hostess all about it, but before
she could get to her feet, one of the other ladies said,
"What a beautiful cake!"

Alice sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess
(who was a prominent church member) say:

"Thank you, I baked it myself."

I agree completely with Puglady and Berryblondeboys. Once the item is purchased, it's their perogative what they do with it and say about it. Her guest must have humiliated her enough by calling her out at her own party. I say, leave it be. Don't try to contact other guests or put right the wrong....that would just make you look really unprofessional and a tattle-tale.

Yeah, they are lying if they say they made them themselves...but that's their problem. They'll still have to come back and purchase them from you again and again if they need more!

I have clients and companies that specifically ask me not to put my standard labels on packaged cookies and I oblige them. Some want to keep their vendors private from the recipients, others re-sell them under their own name. I've even had a client ask me to do some cookies for her a bit messily because she was going to pass them off as her own work and I did them, no questions asked.

C'mon, how many bakers out there use a doctored cake mix and pass it off as "scratch" baking? Is that much different?? For lack of time, I've purchased a few pound cakes and dressed them up for dinner parties before!