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And no I'm not in the habit of eating cake that was left over from someone else but he said the only way to know would be to taste it.[/quote]
That reminded me of something my family and some freinds of ours went to eat at a restraunt, well the waitress kept leaning over talking to my 6 year old of course we were all injoying our meal when my freind husband nioticed the waitress walking off with my son's pickles off his burger popping them in her mouth I asked him what she said he said she asked him if she could have his pickles can you beleive the nerve I did not know what to say I was so in shock that the waitress was asking for my son's food and eating eat before she could get out of clear veiw!
That reminded me of something my family and some freinds of ours went to eat at a restraunt, well the waitress kept leaning over talking to my 6 year old of course we were all injoying our meal when my freind husband nioticed the waitress walking off with my son's pickles off his burger popping them in her mouth I asked him what she said he said she asked him if she could have his pickles can you beleive the nerve I did not know what to say I was so in shock that the waitress was asking for my son's food and eating eat before she could get out of clear veiw!
That's so disgusting!! Did you or your family say/do anything about it?
OK, here's a thought: Give the woman a 50% discount off her next cake of the same or lower value (not a $400 cake). Tell her how sorry you are that she was unhappy with the cake and that you'll be happy to make that cake to her exact specifications, but she also needs to be precise as to what she'd like and give you the usual week or whatever notice you require.
Express to her that you want to show her you can make her a cake she'll be happy with, not just pay her off and have her walk away. Express that you can't give a refund on a cake that was already eaten and in fact wasn't bad - as per her own explanation that there was nothing wrong with it other than it was "moist" - however, this is her chance to get a cake she'll be happy with and she gets a great deal on it.
This way:
You don't actually lose money on the cake you already sold
She has to decide if she's willing to get another cake from you (if it was that bad, she may choose not to) yet she still gets a "deal"
She has to agree to some rules: specify requirements, place order on time
You get to make her a cake she'll either really want or not see her again.
If that doesn't satisfy, say "Sorry, I gave you a chance to get a good cake and you don't want it. Bye." You've tried to solve the problem, SHE refused to take the solution. You're clear.
Rainbowz: That is a really great and fair suggestion. And believe me if I ever have a problem with anyone else in the future I will definitely take that route. She was offered a new (decorated)cake absolutely free. She refused.She said she already has a cake lady that she orders from. She said all she wanted was her money back. I don't think I could ever make a cake that would satisfy her: next it would be the icing, then the decoration, etc.
I talked to a friend of mine that used to get cakes from the same lady that this woman does(she orders mine now 
). She said that this lady's chocolate or marble cakes tend to be on the dry side. Maybe this is just what she's used to and likes. I also asked her how much this woman would charge for that Darth Vader cake and she told me a price that is $10-$12 below what I charged.
I'm just going to wait for this woman's check to clear and then maybe send her half. I don't want her as a customer EVER again and the worst she can say about me is that my cake was too moist and I gave her a partial refund.
It has been fun reading the reactions here. You tell alot about a person by the reaction. My first reaction would be to offensive. Just like the rest of you it offends when you are reasoning someone why the price is what it is. I hate that the most. I'm not freakin Kroger. You want a Kroger $15 cake-go buy one. In this cake I would want to say, you want it dry order a pound cake. Luckily my DH calms my temper down and makes me reason with the situation. His fav one liner is, "Pick your battles"
So is it really worth losing a nice thought over? If not, call it your random act of kindness for the week, and give her money back with a pay-it-forward card. Next good deed will be hers.
Good luck, sleep well and let the force be with you 
O.k since she does not want a discount on another cake then that's it. I was not giving a full or half refund on a cake the was almost gone. Seven slices left is the same as the cake being finished in my book when there are 20 slices missing. NO WAY. I say NO REFUND of any kind. The worst she can say is that your cake is to moist. People will look at her as if she is creazy.
Just my 2 cents.
Well, I think it definitely shouldn't cost YOU money because she likes cheap, dry cakes. She came to your shop, asked for a cake that is obviously going to be made the way you make cakes. You fulfilled your part of the bargain at the agreed upon price. It's not your fault the other woman makes dry cakes, nor are you supposed to copy that. If the customer prefers cakes that are dry, then she should have gone with a baker that makes dry cakes. You made the cakes you profess to make.
Another idea: Don't give her cash. Send her a voucher for 50% what she paid (say it's $25) which clearly states "Good on any single cake order worth $50 or more" in order to avoid her coming in and eating all your profits on $25 of cookies or buying one cookie and expecting the change back. Tell her she can use it herself or give it to a friend, perhaps as a xmas gift. Make the voucher expire at a definite time, ie March 31, 2006.
Benefits: If she decides never to use your services again - a likely scenario - she may give the coupon to someone she knows. They'll come in, get a great deal (happiness meter up), enjoy your delicious cake (happiness++; ) and then - the best part - be in place to counteract any badmouthing the woman does. "But I got a cake from ge978 and it was great! I don't know what Clarabelle has to complain about." Presto bango, you've planted your own defense force in the enemy's camp and people hearing that your cakes are great from someone they know will counteract her negative comments easily.
ohh rainbowz i like your solution too!!!!! that sounds like a win/win solution.
melody
You're a smart thinker rainbowz! It's always in my nature to think situations through but your thought process is very thorough.
I would have actually been a smarta** 
at that point, because her claim is so rediculous, and given her a partial refund after I prorated the cost of each slice and I would base the refund amount on the cost of each individual slice she returned. Note: This could be why I'm too scared to own my own business.
I've been working on adopting the thought that every action has an equal and or opposite reaction.
bakingupastorm
"A true friend stabs you in the front."
I like rainbowz idea of the voucher that is transferrable, if she chooses not to use it. I had originally said give her the money and cut your losses...but, you seem to have been more than fair in your offers to her, and she has been completely unreasonable. As rainbowz said, she will in all likelihood NOT use the voucher and pass it on, gaining you a new customer, and setting a precedent for future disputes.
I'm just going to wait for this woman's check to clear and then maybe send her half. I don't want her as a customer EVER again and the worst she can say about me is that my cake was too moist and I gave her a partial refund.
Yep, I guess at least that would cover for the materials, right? She doesn't deserve a full refund and you are being super nice to give her half.
It is a good thing that she saw that she could not intimade you or your father.
offer her a refund on the seven peices lol
just kidding. you are not in the wrong, and that is clear to EVERYONE here, and she probably would bad mouth you regardless of whatever you do, but some still go by the motto "the customer is always right" even when they are clearly not. You need to do what you honestly feel is the right thing, and make it known to her that you have never heard a complaint like hers. Its too bad that are people out there like this. I once worked someplace where a women complained about too little of something, so i remade it, and then she turned around and complained that there was now too much. Some people are just never happy with anything!
Good luck, and we are all behind you!
Thank you everyone for your suggestions and support. Especially thank you for letting me vent about this. I wish I could go through and respond individually to everyones nice comments, but as you see this thread is very popular and I would never get any baking done if I did that
Sometimes "the customer is always right " gets taken to far and people need to know that there are limits to what we will put up with. I absolutely will accomodate anyone of my customers to make them happy, but when you offer and nothing is good enough you need to just cut your losses and move on.
The great thing about this board is that everyone can learn from each others mistakes. I've learned alot from everyone on just this subject alone and got some great advice.
Because this is such a popular subject and because we have all been there or will be there at some point I will make sure I post how everything went with this lady once her check clears(could be another 5 days or so) and I talk to her. I'll probably have to start a new thread though
You're a smart thinker rainbowz! It's always in my nature to think situations through but your thought process is very thorough...
heheh Thanks but that was HARDLY my first idea. That one was a little more hot-headed and reactive. Also, I'm not the one involved in the situation, so it helps to look at it a little more objectively. Asking uninvolved third parties is usually a good way to get a little cleared thinking, if you can do that. Usually, though, you can't and have to handle a situation right then and there. It's also good to have a day or two to mull it over and get past the immediate anger/frustration. Some people can even stay cool and objective right in the middle of the issue; that ain't me
I think ge's dad getting the problem was actually a good thing, ge can then take time to mull her response over.
You are absolutely right Rainbowz about being in the situation...I probably would've been caught off guard and I'm not sure how I would have reacted. I always tease my Dad because he is the biggest fan of my cakes and sometimes he likes to protect me - I call him my bodyguard sometimes
Good Luck with the situation, but I wouldnt worry too much about it. If she had an issue about the cake I agree that she and her guests (which obviously didnt have a problem with the cake) wouldn't have eaten most of the cake. It seems that she probably has already tasted your cakes in the past since you said that she was referred from your other customers. She probably ordered it, ate it and then either her or someone told her that the cost was too high. Then they came up with this whole story about how they didnt like it, because its a.... to moist. That is a crock. I cant see how having a moist cake would be a problem at all. Good luck, but if she does cancel the check, I would take her to court. You have a very strong case against her and her stupidity. You know that no other Supermarket or company would take bake a cake that was 3/4 of the way gone based on the fact that it was too moist. I also find the whole thing about the marble cake funny too. If she didnt know that there was chocolate in the marble cake then she shouldnt have ordered it. I look forward to seeing you on "The People's Court." Good luck and best wishes and at least you know that there are hundreds, probably thousands of cake decorators here, whether professional or hobby, who stand behind you every step of the way.
This is a tough spot to be in! There has been some great advice offered here and I am sure that you will do what is best!
She ordered marble and knew it was marble, yet she wanted to know what was swirled into the white cake. So, was she expecting....marbles?? Call me crazy, but I'll take chocolate in my marble cake any day over marbles!!
There's just no pleasing some people. Good luck with this situation and let us know how it turned out!
Moira
Oh gosh what a nut case that woman was!!! Remindes me of a cake that a customer returned. They said a fly was baked in the cake! (As it was crawling around in the box. )They got a full refund even though most of the cake was already eaten. They even said how good it was!
Dolphindreamers,
That's a crazy situation too! A fly baked into the cake, my goodness! As I sit here and tell myself, "now I've heard everything" I'll bet I haven't. I'm sure a lot of the CC members can tell stories that would make my hair curl. LOL!
bakingupastorm
"A true friend stabs you in the front."
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