I Got "stiffed" On A Cake--What Do I Do?
Decorating By joy5678 Updated 11 Nov 2008 , 10:16pm by indydebi
I would definately not email and say something based on what someone told you, you don't know if that is really true. I agree with gingoodies, its time to just leave it alone. Either way, she is not gonna pay for it so it's not worth taking more time out to email her again. Sorry this happened to you.
Thanks for all you comments and just an update on what is going on. I tried to call the customer Sun. just to see how they were doing and if she was able to bring her child home, but I did not get an answer (kinda what I expected) anyway, I left msg. stating that I hoped all was well etc. and that I needed to hear from her so that I would know what to do with her cake. I have still not heard back from her, but was told by someone who knows her that she said she "never ordered a cake in the first place!" Of course I do have her e-mail to the contrary, but I'm thinking now that it is a wash and she just doesn't want to pay for it. I have made cakes for other members of her family and never had a problem but I thought from the beginning that something like this may happen (intuition) with her. Do you think I should e-mail her & say anything?
So her child was really in the hospital?
It's not a wash if someone stiffs you and lies. If you hadn't already done the cake it could be a wash. You may choose to let it go but it's not a wash.
This is not panning out here. If she never ordered the cake why did she offer an excuse on the first phone call? She woulda said, you're nuts, you're a cake stalker or something.
???
How funny! Cake stalker here! 
NOT! I agree with you all so I'm gonna let this one go and not worry about it one way or the other. By the way let me ask you this----the cake has already been frozen so I can't put it back in the freezer to save can I?? If I don't put it in the freezer----how long will it be good to eat? It is iced in buttercream and I'm wondering if it would be ok to give it to someone else???? Thanks again yall.
I always take deposits. That way if there is a no show or an emergency, I might be out my time but NOT my costs. I keep the deposit and forget the time. In this case I would definitely give this mom the benefit of the doubt....give it a day or two more and then donate the cake to a hospital or charity or firehouse. If the mom calls back and says she is having her child's birthday party late (due to the emergency) and still wants a cake...just make another one and charge her for it as planned.
And start taking deposits.
Good luck! 
I was just reading the beginning of this thread and thinking.....My son, at three days old stopped breathing and turned blue. We ended up going to the ER via ambulance and spent three days there. Long, story short, he is a beautiful thriving 6 month old.....now, being in that situation, I would never call someone about a smaller sheet cake if I knew something terrible like that had happened.
However, Now that she is looking like she was trying to dodge on the payment, I would call her. Maybe he child being in the hosp. was just an excuse, in that case...shame on her!
And by the way.......in most states, like IL, due to HIPPA laws, hospitals cannot tell you a THING if you are not a authorized family member. They cannot even tell you if that person is there if you don't have clearance from the patient or family member.
Well, don't I feel silly for being so sympathetic! Do you think her child was really sick after all? It probably isn't productive, but I would at least have to have the last word and send her a very professional looking bill, accompanied by a copy of her e-mail ordering the cake. I wouldn't really expect her to pay, and it wouldn't be worth going to court or spending any more time on, but I'd just have to at least send a bill if she hasn't paid up within a week.
As far as the cake, I don't see why you couldn't re-freeze it. I personally believe the whole not re-freezing things is a myth, especially for things that are not highly perishable. I once made a cake for a friend's shower only to find out the night before that it had been postponed a week. I was about to go out of town for the week, and would have no time to re-do the cake and I wasn't about to throw out a two-tiered cake I'd worked all day on, so I just boxed them up and put it in the fridge and took it to the shower the following week. The cake was just fine, the only thing I noticed (and only I noticed) is that the cake had absorbed some of the moisture from the raspberry filling, so that the filling layer was thinner and more dense, and the cake around it a little too moist, but no one else noticed it.
If you're not comfortable re-selling it, then either freeze it and save it for a family event, or donate it immediately to a shelter or something, or invite some friends over for coffee and cake. Sorry this happened to you, but if it's the first time in 20 years, I'd say that's pretty amazing and you must be doing something right to attract the right clientele and weed out [most] of the bad ones. I definitely wouldn't take any more orders from her without pre-payment, if at all. I'd write this one off as one bad egg, but if you have any more no-shows, you could start requiring prepayment of new customers.
And by the way.......in most states, like IL, due to HIPPA laws, hospitals cannot tell you a THING if you are not a authorized family member. They cannot even tell you if that person is there if you don't have clearance from the patient or family member.
I call hospitals & get information. I mean how do you find or call a patient's room if they don't tell you the room number? Maybe it's different in the states I've dealt with. But I"ve called the hospitals a hundred times for family and non-family--they tell you if the patient has been released or is still there so you can visit or send flowers. If the information desk will not give the condition I ask for the nurse's station for that room number and they will.
I mean if it's a drug thing or mental health that's different. But a regular hospital I've never had a problem.
I'm not sure what state you are in, but I'm sure that will change very soon. I am a nurse in IL. In IL, you are not even able to call out a patient's name in a waiting room full of people to call them for their procedure. It violates privacy laws here. They must be called by a number, like in the deli....(I know...crazy). We cannot give out any info on a patient unless that patient or their care giver has given written permission. This is called HIPPA and it is going to effect all states eventually.
I've been to several doctors lately and they all call us all in by name. Musta not hit here yet. I'm in 10C (that is Tennessee). 
...And by the way.......in most states, like IL, due to HIPPA laws, hospitals cannot tell you a THING if you are not a authorized family member. They cannot even tell you if that person is there if you don't have clearance from the patient or family member.
So true.
I would take it as a loss at this point. I don't doubt that there was a hospital visit but by what her friend said it sounds like she was using it to get out of the responsibility. Go ahead and email her and let her know how you feel if it makes you feel better about it, but I have to agree you won't get your money back. I'm so sorry. I would require a deposit from now on to at least cover your materials, at least with the family if not everybody. You can tell the family it is a general rule you have just newly adopted and I wouldn't make any cakes for her specifically again; maybe after she pays for the first one and the current order in full. Good luck.
I'm not sure what state you are in, but I'm sure that will change very soon. I am a nurse in IL. In IL, you are not even able to call out a patient's name in a waiting room full of people to call them for their procedure. It violates privacy laws here. They must be called by a number, like in the deli....(I know...crazy). We cannot give out any info on a patient unless that patient or their care giver has given written permission. This is called HIPPA and it is going to effect all states eventually.
Wow... very interesting. I work in CCU and we don't do that, yet. We still overhead page.. "will the family of Mr. Smith please return to CCU?" we're a big teaching hospital (UAB) and I never even thought of it violating HIPPA. On admission we have passwords that the family select so they can call on the phone and get information. If someone calls w/o the password we're only allowed to tell the condition... stable, critical, etc.
I'll be looking for more stringent rules after your post. It makes sense with HIPPA.
The mom is probably very stressed over her babe's illness... maybe it strapped her financially. I'd definitely let it go. Personally, I'd just deliver the cake to her as a gift. Sounds like she needs a bit of kindness. Don't go by second hand information. We all say things to other people that we wouldn't normally say in the heat or stress of the moment. Plus, I remember that game we played as kids when we all sat in a circle and whispered "Sally sells seashells by the seashore" and by the time it got around to the last person it had changed to "Saul had transgender surgery on Monday but changed his mind on Tuesday."
That's just my humble two cents.... It's also a good lesson for all of us who don't make people apply deposits. (I'm top of the list on that one!)
Humbly,
Melanie Mc.
I'm still stuck on the post that said someone buried a cake with their mother.
you know what they say "you can't take it with you"... or CAN you???? You are supposed to put silver dollars in the pockets to pay the boat man, maybe he takes cake now, too!!!
I had a lady call about two weeks ahead of the birthday. She wanted to pick it up on Friday, so I had it ready for her that day. Then she called on Friday and said, "I won't be able to pick the cake up until Saturday, so I guess you will have to make a fresh one, huh?" I said, "you want TWO cakes?" She said, "No, I don't want the one that you have ready now, I want a FRESH one"...I said, "Then you will be paying for TWO"...she said, "I guess we will just have to settle for the one you have made"....She came after it and paid me,that's the LAST time I will make a cake for her!
I'm still stuck on the post that said someone buried a cake with their mother.
you know what they say "you can't take it with you"... or CAN you???? You are supposed to put silver dollars in the pockets to pay the boat man, maybe he takes cake now, too!!!
We're in luck! 
Maybe a trend is starting that I don't know about - cakes for the grave, don't leave Earth without one. 
Candy120, good on you for sticking to your guns!
I'd walk away from this one and from here on out make her pay before you even fire up the oven and crack an egg.
I'd have her sign a contract as well stating NON REFUNDABLE on it.
As I said before all my payments are done prior that way if anyone runs late while I'm delivering and they are here for pick up hubby's not left with "she said it was $30" when it was relly $80.
I had someone try that once. She was a raving queen B anyway and so I had my friend who was a pllice officer and thankfully on duty with the city go with me to her home at the party to collect the remaining $50. He waited out of sight while I tried to get the money and she was like "hey your husband took the money I gave and it's paid for! The joke is on you." and slammed the door in my face.
I signaled him and he went up and did the policeman knock and she came flying back to the door not expecting to see him and I asked for my money. By this time all of her guests were starting to gather to see what the fuss was and why a police cruiser sat across the street with him at the door. I had my contract in hand and stated "you agreed to pay $80, YOU were running 4 hours late and came by any way after we agreed on a new time, you stiffed me $50 for the price of the cake because my husband was not aware of the price, just that you would be leaving money. You said the last laugh was on me then slammed the door when I showed up for the balance of the cake. I have a contract showing you owe me the remaining money that is signed and dated, a LEGAL contract. I want my money or I am going to have to place you under citizens arrest for theft of my product."
Her husband stepped forward while the guests stood there giggling at her or with their jaws on the floor and with out a word opened his wallet... $10. He went to her wallet $5 cash. He laughed and said "I doubt you'll take a check at this point to which I nicely said "from her, no way." Another guest walked up and handed him $40. He told me to keep the change.
He followed us out and apologized profusely and I told him I was sorry I did such an extreme thing but what she did was just wrong on so many levels and I wanted to make it clear to her that no one rips me off. He laughed and said he should have done that years ago with her. *OUCH*
She never ordered again and I recognized a few of her friends there who were customers. For years after that they would always ask "will you take a check for this" and start laughing. I'd roll my eyes and reply "from you, yes!"
I tell you.... some people's kids grow up to be adults!
OMG, CarolynGwen, that is so funny! I can imagine all the gossip going around about her after that party! Good for you She certainly had a lot of nerve pulling that crap on you husband and then basically admitting that she lied and laughing in your face about it. If she'd had any sense she would've just pretended like she made a mistake once you confronted her. I guess you had the last laugh, though I do feel sorry for her husband, though.
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