Hi, So I have a cake that is due this saturday and the lady that ordered the cake sent me the deposit a couple weeks ago and said that she mailed of the final payment Friday. I haven't recieved it yet and she has called the past 3 days to see if I have it. This is the first time I have not got the payment in time and they have sent it. Not sure what to do in this situation. Any suggestions??? Thanks so much.
not to play devil's advocate here, but I've had brides claim to send payment and then do the same thing and call or email daily to see if it's here yet, to no avail...........only to turn up days later than I allow (but since they already "sent the check" I couldn't charge them a late fee right?").........well, the last one to do this, the check was dated the day before it arrived 
uh huhhhh...........I think she was lying!
Yeah, I could see that from a bride with all the last minute expenses. This is a small christening cake, so I would hope that she is telling the truth. But still don't want to make a cake for free!!
I'd just tell her that if the payment hasn't arrived by Friday, she'll have to have cash on hand when she picks up, or you deliver, and that if the check ever shows up later, you'll just shred it.
The short story is that if you don't get final payment, no matter the reason, she doesn't get the cake.
If you don't get payment, you can freeze it or donate it or eat it.
JMHO
Rae
I agree with Rae, if the payment isn't there... I wouldn't let her take the cake. Your business is no different than any other, you can't walk about of walmart with a cake and tell them the check is in the mail!
I had that a couple of times, only mine were "money orders in the mail". BTW, did you know you can't put a stop payment on a money order, so oh gosh gee darn if they are "lost" in the mail, why, the client can't be expected to send the money AGAIN, can they? 
Uh, yeah, they can.
Payment didn't show and didn't show. Bride emailed me and said, "I've sent the money .... what do I do now?"
I said, "I dont' know how you want to handle the missing money order. All I know is that I need a payment in here by the end of the week or I have to remove your wedding cake from my calendar. If you bring paymetn by and the money order shows up, I'll call you can return it to you."
She finally brought me the payment ..... and oh yeah, the money order NEVER showed up!
Because money orders cannot have a stop payment issued in case of loss, I added a clause to my contract that money orders had to be mailed with some kind of tracking number (i.e. mail confirmation, ups, etc). Something to PROVE it had been mailed and could be tracked online.
You can cancel a money order for a fee and then have it re-issued according to Walmart.
I would not for a second send a MO through the mail without registering the item at the PO. Signature on receipt required and all that. Otherwise its as risky as sending cash! (supposing that is the MO was cashed before you had a chance to cancel at Walmart 
)
I had a bride go as far as to send me an emply envelope in the mail return receipt and I had to take off of work to run to the post office to sign for it! I called her and told her that if I didn't have cash in hand by the end of the following day she wouldn't have a cake. She showed up that evening with cash and no excuse. Cake turned out beautifully and she's ordered several cakes from me since with no problems!
Debbie
Because money orders cannot have a stop payment issued in case of loss, I added a clause to my contract that money orders had to be mailed with some kind of tracking number (i.e. mail confirmation, ups, etc). Something to PROVE it had been mailed and could be tracked online.
now cut that out! -- yet ANOTHER clause to put in that behemoth generic boilerplate contract!! 
Because money orders cannot have a stop payment issued in case of loss, I added a clause to my contract that money orders had to be mailed with some kind of tracking number (i.e. mail confirmation, ups, etc). Something to PROVE it had been mailed and could be tracked online.
How did you figure out what to put in your contract? I'd really like to have one because my business is picking up quite a bit, but I just don't know where to start! There is probably an awesome thread about this topic somewhere, haha! 
Very Good information. There are so many people out there that will try to scam. I've had to deal with it plenty of times.
If it wasn't for her calling I'd really think that she just said that to buy some time. But you never know.
At this point I would tell her that she needs to drop some cash off to you by 5 o'clock this evening or 3 o'clock tomorrow or what ever time you feel comfortable or she won't have a cake. I wouldn't even wait until Saturday for the money, because then you run the risk of drama when she picks it up and giving you a sob story on why she doesn't have the money.
I also would not except anything but cash at this point.
I wouldn't even bake it if she hadn't paid me for it yet!
I know that my contract evolved over time. Everytime you think you have every possible scenario covered by your contract, something else happens that isn't addressed in your contract, so ergo, new clause in contract...LOL!
You would be surprised by the tactics some people will try to get out of paying for their cakes.
For some reason with cakes and dance (my other business) people think that you shouldn't be able to make a living off doing them. They always think you should just do it for the "love" of it. Hmm, do you or your significant other do your job just for the "love" of it? I think not...LOL!
Oh and...NO MONEY ~ NO CAKE! Period.
I know that my contract evolved over time. Everytime you think you have every possible scenario covered by your contract, something else happens that isn't addressed in your contract, so ergo, new clause in contract...LOL!
You would be surprised by the tactics some people will try to get out of paying for their cakes.
For some reason with cakes and dance (my other business) people think that you shouldn't be able to make a living off doing them. They always think you should just do it for the "love" of it. Hmm, do you or your significant other do your job just for the "love" of it? I think not...LOL!
Oh and...NO MONEY ~ NO CAKE! Period.
Cakesdivine, that is so true. These people do act like you are not suppose to make a living off it and just give it to them for a little of nothing. Please
I've had someone pay the deposit but not the remaining balance. They got no cake. I emailed them after a one week grace period and let them know that I would love to chat with her over future business, but that this order had expired. I never heard a thing back from her.
I've had someone pay the deposit but not the remaining balance. They got no cake. I emailed them after a one week grace period and let them know that I would love to chat with her over future business, but that this order had expired. I never heard a thing back from her.
How large was the deposit? And how much was the order going to be? If it was a small cake and/or a small deposit, some people don't care. If it was a wedding cake make sure you get at least 50%. I see so many who only collect $50 as a deposit. Shoot $50 on a $600 cake isn't big enough incentive to stick with the baker they choose. It leaves the option for more price comparison shopping, and you could end up loosing the order and not even know until the final payment is due.
My deposit requirement is $300 or 50% of order total, which ever is higher. When people invest that much upfront they are less likely to drop off the radar. Even if they are trying to play the "oops I forgot" chase my final payment game, if you tell them sorry but due to the terms of the contract, your cake order is cancelled, 99 times out of 100 they will come running with payment so they can have their cake.
My requirement on all cakes is 50% down at the time of order and the remaining balance is due 2 weeks prior to pick up/delivery.
Thanks for all of your help with this. She called me Thursday night to see if I had got the check, and of course I haven't so I told her that She would have to pay in cash and I will void and mail back the check when I get it. She said that was fine. So when I went today to drop the cake off she had the money and also paid the remaining balance for the one she has ordered for the 20th. So everything worked out good this time but I think I will be making some changes to my contract and policy. Thanks again.
Canada Post here now requires that the money order have a name of the receipient or business on the MO and the senders name and address.The computer won't print it otherwise and you can't purchase it.This is good security so if someone tries to steal the MO and cash it then the post office can track it through the UPC code on the MO.You also have to pay for the MO with either cash or debit...No credit cards!! I sent a MO to a Ebay seller once and they claimed they never got it..I think it was stolen in the mail...at that time the new format wasn't in effect so someone obviously cashed it..It was only for $10.00 though..Good thing!
Has anybody used Paypal for payment of late-order cakes?
I had to resort to asking a client to Paypal the entire amount for the cake she ordered (2 days lead-time, and I was already busy with my weekend wedding cakes) just this week. The money was confirmed as depositedd almost immediately and so I went ahead and made the cake.
Has anybody had issues with Paypal?
How does Paypal work exactly? I went to their website and browsed around...you can add it to your website for free for customers to use to pay with...I was thinking of doing this, but scared to try it. Right now I only accept check or cash - I never thought about money orders either...
I accept paypal, but I charge a fee of 5.00 for every 100.00 they pay through paypal to cover my fees. You register your email address to your paypal account customers can log on to paypal select send money, enter your email and the amount and it goes to your account. If they pay by check through paypal it will place a hold on the funds in your account until their check clears so watch out for that. I havent added it to my webpage yet, I just havent had the time.
No final payment, no cake. I agree with the others that say you need to tell her cash upon pickup or delivery or NO cake. You really have to stick to your rules or you'll get burned. You have no control over the postal service. Maybe should could pay pal the money to you? You can always send her check back when it arrives.
Hope it all works out for you -
Jen 
I see so many who only collect $50 as a deposit. Shoot $50 on a $600 cake isn't big enough incentive to stick with the baker they choose.
Yep! I booked more than one wedding cake where the bride had given another baker(y) a $50 deposit and they told me, "It's worth it to me to lose my deposit with her."
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