I had a customer send me an email who has bought a couple of cakes from me before that she loved. She works 5 miles away from me, lives here during the week then goes home about 70+ miles away on th weekends.

She sends me this email asking me if she can set up orders, pick up payments deliver cakes for me to the ppl where she lives 70+ miles away for a small fee on her part. I dont know this woman personally. I told her no thanks. But it kinda worries me bc, what if she does this anyway without me knowing and gets money from these ppl promising them cakes from me and of course them never getting them bc I told her no?

I have ppl from over that amount away getting cakes from me anyway, if they really want a cake from me they pick it up or pay for me to deliver it.


What should I do?

I don't see the problem. They either pay you to deliver it .... or they pay this other lady to be your delivery person. I'd much rather have someone else deliver them while I get to prop my feet up watching a Lifetime weekend movie.

I'm not seeing it as an upcharge on the cakes .... I see it as a delivery fee.

This is assuming they are pretty standard single tier cakes that don't require any set up or add'l decorating at delivery.

I understand your fears about it. this lady could make you look bad, like you didnt make the cakes, or that they were in bad condition when they arrived.

If you think this lady is going to go ahead and do this behind your back, I think I would call her again, and say, "Look, if you want to do that on your own, that is fine with me, but you will be purchasing the cakes from me, and signing off on them that they are as ordered before you take them. I will not be responsible once it leaves the store." If the customers get mad, it is at her. She wold be acting as a retailer and you would be the supplier. You really cant control what she does, so would definitely get her to sign and be responsible.

Anyone that I talked to directly in that area, I would discourage, indicating the fears you have, that they may not like the cake and it has already left the store, or could be damaged on the way, etc. Try to get them to pick it up or let you deliver it. Explain to them that if she picks it up, they waive their rights.

I would defintiely not pay the woman to do this unless you are ready to be responsible for her actions and the cakes she delivers.

I understand your fears about it. this lady could make you look bad, like you didnt make the cakes, or that they were in bad condition when they arrived.

If you think this lady is going to go ahead and do this behind your back, I think I would call her again, and say, "Look, if you want to do that on your own, that is fine with me, but you will be purchasing the cakes from me, and signing off on them that they are as ordered before you take them. I will not be responsible once it leaves the store." If the customers get mad, it is at her. She wold be acting as a retailer and you would be the supplier. You really cant control what she does, so would definitely get her to sign and be responsible.

Anyone that I talked to directly in that area, I would discourage, indicating the fears you have, that they may not like the cake and it has already left the store, or could be damaged on the way, etc. Try to get them to pick it up or let you deliver it. Explain to them that if she picks it up, they waive their rights.

I would defintiely not pay the woman to do this unless you are ready to be responsible for her actions and the cakes she delivers.

I agree with indydebi. Most likely you would not be getting any customers from 70 miles away anyway. If her fees can just be added as delivery fee, what do you have to loose.

The other option is to let this person take the orders. Then order the cakes from you and she could set her own price to resell them. If she ends up ordering enough to make it worth your while you could offer her a small discount (as if she was a retailer ordering from a supplier).

Even if she tells the customers that she made them herself, you still got paid for a cake that sold in a marketing area that you would not have assess to otherwise.

I would have said, "no thank you, I have everything covered out that way, but I appreciate the offer."

As far as her fraudulently collecting money in your name, if she does, it's breaking the law. She may use your name but because you told her no, she is in no way connected with you.

I think that is overthinking a bit, but something to keep in the back of your mind just in case she isn't the good samaritan she is portraying herself as.

Best Wishes!
Eisskween (Karen)

I think I was overthinking a bit. But I said thank you but no thanks, but after that i kept thinking about it and then thinking the worse. Im just going to leave it alone. But keep an ear open. Thank you everyone for your imput. I appreciate it