When a client cancels an already paid for wedding cake and you have a NO REFUNDS policy, what is the best way to approach this situation. The wedding would’ve required out of town travel and I booked my hotel. Client paid 200$ deposit October 2018, then the final balance February 2019. The wedding was cancelled 6/20 and the wedding was supposed to be 8/31. Client expects a refund. Our business blocked out the time frame for her wedding with regard to planning, packing and travel and contract labor. Our business was also booked out for weddings through October 2019 back in December of 2018. So I turned down quite a few potentials on my client’s planned wedding behalf. How should I best handle this?
Point out the contract clause & stick to it The only time I had anything similar the groom was killed so I did refund the entire amount Yes it is possible you might be able to fill that time slot but you have the hotel & any travel deposit expenses to cover (will you get the $$back?)
get and keep all your documentation for hotels etc and if you can rebook for that date maybe you could refund the difference— no seriously I used to say and uphold my policy of no refunds — but judge Judy made short order of a full refund for a similar situation — I mean you have over two full months — as busy as you are you should be able to recoup your loss —
but I feel yah
but you don’t have to refund to the penny — make her wait and refund the difference maybe
I would tell my brides that a wedding taking place is not contingent on their cake being done and delivered on time
Be aware that there are plenty of discussions online from brides that know vendors have a no refund policy, and still pressure them for a refund because "it doesn't hurt to try". She may act shocked and outraged if you deny the refund, but there's a good chance she already knows.
Absolutely NO REFUND, unless there are extenuating circumstances, as kakeladi in what posted, a unexpected death. I was involved in a wedding as a bridesmaid where the wedding was canceled. I know for a fact that there were no refunds...for the cake, flowers, venue etc. And all the bridesmaids, including me, ate the price of our dresses and other expenses. You have a contact, they signed it. End of story. You may or may not be able to fill the date, so you need that $$$ to compensate.
Just be prepared to deliver the cake. They paid for a cake...they get a cake.
just hope you don’t find yourself on judge Judy — that defendant had a no refund clause too —
maybe the better takeaway for going forward is to check with a lawyer on the legality of the cancellation policy —
And a big And — record all inquiries for every date with name & number, email address even though you are booked already — because the defendant in this case, a photographer if memory serves, maybe an event planner, can’t remember — but she had no evidence to prove she lost business —
so again with over nine weeks to go you likely could re-book the date — idk unless you were gonna make the trip into a vacation for yourself or something and pre-paid for something — but the hotel ain’t gonna charge you nor a rental car company but like if you bought tickets to Disney or something if it was in Orlando or something — idk —
would love to hear what happens — best to you —
and just for the record — I had and enforced the same no refund policy — i’m just pointing out what happened in a court case I saw —
The contract is for a cake on a specific date at a specific cost and delivery location. You must deliver that to keep the $$$$. You can offer, in writing:
"I am sorry to hear about your event cancellation. While I understand the difficulty of the situation, we have a no refund policy that you agreed to by contract. We have turned away business as your committed date was unavailable for others to book and have also booked travel arrangements to meet our contract obligations to you. AT this point, we can offer you the following options:
1. We will prepare and deliver the cake as contracted and agreed. If you would like to change the delivery location and we able to accommodate that we will. Please provide an alternate delivery location and we will contact you to specify the additional costs, if any. * We will also provide the cake with the contracted flavors and servings sizes as agreed. You can opt for "baker's choice" design, in lieu of the wedding design contracted. This allows for the baker to provide you a beautiful, non-wedding themed cake, in light of the event cancellation. ... but the design, colors and decorations are "baker's choice", (unless your contract allows for design changes at this point)
2. We will begin cancellation procedures and refund to you : refunds of any prepaid travel costs, refunds of any prepaid edibles not yet ordered, AND 75% of a replacement/ new customer cake order of _____ servings that books your date (weddings book early, so please understand this is unlikely at this late date).
3. We can prepare the cake, on your selected date and deliver it to a local charity of your choice (additional transportation costs TBD, if any)---- school, hospital, fire station, etc. Again, we can decorate based on "baker's choice".
I am sorry for your stress at this time. Please confirm which modification option you wish to pursue, and we will prepare a contract amendment, for our signatures, accordingly. Please understand, at this time, with no contract modification, we are obligated to deliver the cake as ordered, to the venue location on the specified date.
yeah — and at future consults if you don’t already — put it in writing that the wedding and wedding reception occurring as planned is not contingent on the cake being delivered as ordered
Epiphanies,
Wish you the best in this. While it is hard, stick to your guns just like everyone else says. You may receive some bad reviews and slander, but that is on them. If it is bad enough, you can pursue her for such behaviour. Once people hear legal is involved, they back down. If you want to, you are on solid ground for a cancellation fee. That'll make them super angry, but is a single client worth the loss of other jobs you took in anticipation of hers? Just food for thought.
Following to hear the outcome of this.
epiphanies— since you are a new member — I want to let you know that typically new members cannot “reply” to threads but you can start s new one in order to reply — so please feel free to start a new thread to respond — i am dying to know what happened 
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%