Just say no.
This has been a losing situation from the go.
They do not care about any of your reasons for anything.
Stop beating your head against the wall.
No more emails.
IF they contact you, and they probably won't...simply tell them you're so sorry, but not able to do the order at this late date. Period.
Enjoy your brother's wedding!
Don't let people treat you like this. *hug*
Your email needs to be short and sweet:
"Since I did not receive the deposit and cash by Friday, September 25th at 5pm I can no longer make your cake."
That's it. No need for any further explanation. And when they call and email and beg you to do the cake since they won't be able to find anyone else at the last minute, stand firm!!
This!!
Don't let them try to guilt you either by playing the "but this is your brother's wedding!!" card. If you have to explain things to your brother as to why there are no cupcakes at his wedding, be honest. This is all truly not your fault. It's not worth the stress
Ceetee - it's not my brother's wedding, the client's was just the same time s my brother's.
Thanks everyone - you're all right. I guess I just felt so bad for the bride because she left it up to someone else and they didn't pull through. But, they also left it to someone else who didn't pull through, know what I mean? So it really isn't my fault, I tried hard to give them a chance to pull through.
Oh well! Now I just need to write a speech for my brother's wedding and enjoy the cake there that someone ELSE made! haha!
Don't let them try to guilt you either by playing the "but this is your brother's wedding!!" card. If you have to explain things to your brother as to why there are no cupcakes at his wedding, be honest. This is all truly not your fault. It's not worth the stress[/quote]
It's 2 separate weddings. The cupcakes were ordered for another wedding which is the same weekend as her brother's wedding. No problem with the cake for her brother. It's the bridesmaid of another wedding who was to order and follow through with the cupcakes for the 2nd wedding.
"Hi Jaime,
I'm so sorry about the confusion etc. The whole thing is a little too disorganized. The bride and groom would like 250 cupcakes and will pay 460$. since its so late, and im assuming that you wont be at work today or tomorrow, i'm going to get my mom to give you a call and work out a time that she could possibly drop it off at your house. i hope this works out. i will allow my mom to sign the contract. i realize that this is past friday (your deadline), and hoping that you will still be able to make the cupcakes. Again, i feel terrible about the time constraints.
Thanks so much for everything. Please email me with any further concerns, however i may not be able to check until tomorrow. If there are problems and you can't do all of the cupcakes, we would just like how ever many you can make.
Thank you. my mom will be in touch about meeting up. I will call you upon my return on monday."
that's what I just got now.
I'm not sure what part of every email I sent her that she didn't get. I'm not even at home. I told her in the one email that I was gone all weekend, so her mom can't meet up with me anywhere. Period. Even if she took the money in cash and the contract to my house, I'm not there.
The money would be nice, but seriously?
UGH! I hate disorganized people!
Your crazy if you take this order.I think they are playing, thinking they'll get you to still make them. I think you are...but your crazy if you do!
All I can say is wow. She really didn't listen at all. It is kinda like my family when I said don't all ask for cakes the same weekend and they they get upset when I only take on one at a time. I did the whole 5 tier and two tier cakes in one weekend and don't want to do that again. I say to bad so sad, besides they always think they should get it for free.
I'd pass for sure on this, besides they will likely screw you over some how if you did do it.
Enjoy your brothers wedding and have a good week...
}i{
So I'm pondering my 'too bad so sad' reply...
"Hi M, Unfortunately since I didn't receive any deposit or the signed contract before my extended deadline (yesterday) I will not be able to provide you with any cupcakes. As I am out of town all weekend I will not be home before Monday to receive the deposit or contract, and therefore I won't be able to get any of the needed supplies this weekend, most of which are not available in (my town). Had I received the contract and deposit in time I would have been able to do the cupcakes, but unfortunately the time contraints no longer make this possible."
??
And you have to add at the end in plainer language one more time, "so, NO, I will not make anycupcakes as I mentioned before. Good luck and I hope everything works out for you". Yeah, people are slow, you gotta repeat things sometimes.
So I'm pondering my 'too bad so sad' reply...
"Hi M, Unfortunately since I didn't receive any deposit or the signed contract before my extended deadline (yesterday) I will not be able to provide you with any cupcakes. As I am out of town all weekend I will not be home before Monday to receive the deposit or contract, and therefore I won't be able to get any of the needed supplies this weekend, most of which are not available in (my town). Had I received the contract and deposit in time I would have been able to do the cupcakes, but unfortunately the time contraints no longer make this possible."
??
too wordy
too much personal info
too much finger wagging
go with:
Your email needs to be short and sweet:
"Since I did not receive the deposit and cash by Friday, September 25th at 5pm I can no longer make your cake."
to which possibly add:
your spot on the baking calendar is no longer available.
I wouldn't give any more info, I would just state that since it wasn't recieved by the extended deadline you are no longer available to do the requested cupcakes. Why bother telling her more, she is likely not to understand as didn't get it in your other emails.
But that's just me, I know some people will still try and guilt ya.
haha yeah I was thinking that too. I should have just made that even more clearer in the email that gave the 5pm deadline.
I regret it now, but I was trying to say nicely that they weren't getting them if the money wasn't in hand by 5 and stupidly worded it "As well, the deposit and contract will have to be
received no later than 5pm tomorrow (Friday) in order for me to be
able to get supplies as I have to get them out of town and I am away
this weekend (and will be picking up supplies while I am away).
Unfortunately, I can not guarantee I will be able to fill your order
if the contract and deposit is not received by that time." Which now that I reread it, leaves it wide open for hope. The only thing that made me second guess doing it is that my brother's wedding is costing me a bunch of extra money and the cupcakes would have more than covered it. But I'm totally broke this weekend so even if they took the money to my house and my family called to confirm, I actually have no spare cash on me to even get supplies anyway!
I just went to write my reply to the bridesmaid telling them a firm no, and this is what was in my inbox:
Hi Jaime I had a phone call from Calgary from my daughter M who ordered cupcakes for Oct. 3 for a wedding at (location). I am to drop off $460 to you but I cannot find you in the phone book and I have no idea where you live. Can you please e-mail directions and I will drop off the money to you. Call me at (phone number) and give me your phone number so arrangements can be made.
Thanks
(mom of bridesmaid)
this is my reply, that I'm about to send:
Unfortunately the last possible deadline for the contract and the
money for the cupcakes was yesterday as anything later would be
impossible with the time constraints involved. My September 20th request for the deposit and contract was set to allow me sufficient time to complete the order and the 25th extended deadline was unfortunately the most leeway I could provide in order to still provide the bride with her cupcakes.
I'd call her too--plus whoever paid the deposit--you've contacted them too?
Hi,
Unfortunately the last possible deadline for the contract and the
money for the cupcakes was yesterday as anything later would be
impossible with the time constraints involved. My September 20th
request for the deposit and contract was set to allow me sufficient
time to complete the order and the 25th extended deadline was
unfortunately the most leeway I could provide in order to still
provide the bride with her cupcakes.
As I am out of town for the weekend (as I advised Michelle in my
Thursday email to her), I am unable to possibly provide any more
extension of the deadline, and will not be able to have any cupcakes
for next week. I'm very sorry.
Jaime
Alright. I sent that just now. And I CC'd it to the bridesmaid. It definitely sucks that I'm missing out on the extra money, but the aggrevation just isn't worth it. I think I might just go back to just making for people I already know.
I'm glad to see you're not backing down. 
That said, IMO your email was still too wordy. A simple "I didn't receive the money and contract in time. I cannot make your order." is all you really need to do. Otherwise, the MOB and BM might feel like there is room to argue with you.
A PP suggested you call. Normally I would have suggested that a week ago at the original deadline. At this point I think calling leaves you open for them to try and beg and plead with you and unless you can really stand firm on the phone, I wouldn't suggest it. Like you said before, if it was really a priority for them, they would have called you.
Something tells me this isn't the end of the story... 
Oh, and I agree, it probably was alot wordier than it needed to be, but I was concerned that if I was too straight to the point that I would come off as being short and I didn't want it to sound rude. I don't want to lose potential customers (if I decide to keep at it).
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