I got an email the other day, this is the jist of what it said:
We loved the cake, it was delicious and beautiful. However, on the way to the venue we had to stop suddenly and the cake went flying. The cake was damaged on the front and we did the best we could to fix it up, but I suggest your packaging should be more protective.
I would just like to know everyone's thoughts?!? How would you reply?

ahahahahahahaha! I don't think there is much you can say to that! I would like to smack them upside the head and say "duh!!!", but I don't think it's appropriate I would just say that you are sorry to hear they had difficulty on the way to the venue, and perhaps offer delivery in the future (for a cost). And very tactfully remind them that cake needs to be handeled very delicatly. Short of that, not much you can do.

I'd be curious about their suggestions. Bubble wrap??!! I mean, it was in a box, correct? Does it need a rubber room?
At least they aren't asking for money back.

Didn't they have it in a seat belt?

Carseats for Cakes! Anything over 6" high is required by the baking industary to be "strapped" in...........

My boyfriend told me to fashion some sort of non gravity shell to put around my cakes...lol

Carseats for cakes is the Cake Safe If you haven't seen them check out www.cakesafe.com

They are out of my price range right now because I don't do large cakes like this but if I did wedding cakes regularly this would be my first investment

WOW, honestly, I have been waiting to get an email or a phone call similar to this, because let's face, driving with a cake can be very scary : ) But seriously, how on EARTH can they hold you in any way responsible for that?

For cakes over $100, I make them sign a contract when they leave the deposit that states (basically) that I am not liable for any damage to the cake once it leaves my facilities. Unfortunately that won't help you here and now. I agree with CalhounsCakery, I would just say that you are sorry to hear they had difficulty on the way to the venue, and explain that delivery is available for any order starting at $XX. You wish there was more you could do, but cake are very fragile and beyond putting them in a box and driving VERY carefully, there isn't much else you can do as far as securing them for travel

This is always a worry of mine, I insist that the cake goes into the boot of the car bc that is the flattest area. I also tell people to drive slowly, although I had someone this past week pick up a cake on a motor bike that he wanted to place in between his feet! I told him that it wasn't possible and thankfully he had a rather large "case" on the back that he cleaned out for me to place the cake in - gently!

People are so funny! Why to they always like to blame something?? If you bought a dress for $100 and got it caught and tore a hole in it on the way to a party would you email the designer and say the material should be more sturdy? I think not!
I would just say once they take ownership of the cake its out of your hands literally. And that cakes are very delicate and require care upon a delivery while driving and in the future a delivery to venue may be best.

Dear client,

I'm so glad that you liked the cake. I'm also sorry that your lack of driving skills resulted in damage to it.

I do offer a special type of packaging that would incur an extra charge. The next time you feel that you might be driving like an idiot on the way to a party with a cake in the car, you could pay for the special protective anti-gravity box. It comes with a highly specialized wrap that surrounds the cake with a force field and will prevent it from being thrown around in the case of you slamming on your brakes. I might also suggest the special time-shifter that I also offer. This does incur a substantial additional cost, but it will allow you to travel back to a time when the cake was sitting safely in your car before you decided to test the laws of physics.

Please let me know if you'd like to purchase either of these options the next time you buy a cake from me. You might also want to use the time-shifter to return to your driver's ed class in high school to learn how to pace yourself in traffic better and learn how to not have to slam those brakes on so hard.

costumeczar, you're a scream!

So what I would like to know is when do these people think the responsibility of the cake becomes theirs?
With that kind of logic they will try to blame you if they drop the cake between cutting and putting in their mouths because you know you should have not only made it look and taste fantastic and ensure that they got it to the venue in one piece regardless of how good or bad their and other road usres drivers skills are but you would also have to ensure they are able to hold onto it properly , that it would have grippability in case someone with rhuematics or too much booze is unable to navigate it to their mouths properly .
Sorry I am being facetious I know but for goodness sake surely most people with half a brain cell would know that cake+ car+ sharp braking= disaster without paying an amount over the price of cake to cover for the caker to deliver or failing that for a force shield of some description on the lines of costumecszarrs

I have a solution. A pretty cheap on we can all afford.
Hand over the cake and walk them out to the car.
Use some duct tape to tape a cup 3/4th full of water to their dash board.
"This is your cake-protection devise. If you stop suddenly or turn sharply the water will spill and it's going to be a mess and so will your cake. Drive safely!"

mommachris