Need To Vent! She's Accusing Me Of Cheating!!!
Decorating By lomfise Updated 26 May 2010 , 12:28am by Minstrelmiss
Here's the story; a baking supply firm here is having a large cupcake competition (tv-adds, internet banners and everything) with the price being a trip for 2 to New York.
I've never been to New York and so entered the competition with my easter cupcakes (it's in my gallery). A few days later I had en e-mail from the firm asking for my permission to use my photo for marketing purposes which I gave, of course.
Then today I check my mail and find another mail stating that my photo has been removed from the competition because it doesn't live up to the rule that you have to decorate the cupcakes yourself. And that any other photo I submit will be removed too.
I'm not lying if I say that I completely freaked and had it not been after office hours I would have called the person who'd writen the mail on the spot and given her a piece of my mind. 
Since I couldn't here's what I wrote back (translated):
Hello XXX. I don't understand your mail and don't like it either. I have decorated my cupcakes myself from the bottom, just as I have baked and filled them. I coloured the fondant myself, cut it and formed the decorations.
I don't know why you think I haven't decorated the cupcakes myself, but would like to know what has given you that idea.
I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible, preferrably with an apology.
I was so livid after reading the email that my hands literally shook. She's accusing me off cheating! Why would I submit someone elses photo??? I am NOT that kind of person. 
I think the worst part is that she doesn't even check with me to ask if I have decorated the cupcakes myself, and I just can't figure out why she thinks I haven't.
Unfortunately there is a holiday on Monday so I don't expet to hear from her til Tuesday, but if I don't I am going to call her and demand an explanation because I am not going to sit back and let someone think this of me.
Sorry for the long rant and thanks for listening. Have a nice weekend.
I am soo sorry that you were treated like this. They should have asked you first before even sending that letter to you. Or ask to see your other work because it is really nice! I would most definitely call them on Tuesday to get some kind of explanation from them as to why they think you cheated. And then I would go one step further and show them pictures of your other work. I think it is understood when you enter into a contest that you are suppose to submit your own work... so with that being said to question you in such a manner as they did is really horrible.
Could she have seen your pictures here on CC, and no realized you were the same person?
I had that thought, but as I live in Denmark where CC isn't very well known, I doubt it. And even if this is the explanation, I think she should have asked instead of just removing my photo from the competition. That is really what irritates me the most
I truly understand where you are coming from. I was recently accused of covering a toy with fondant to pass off as cake for the steampunk competition. One of my clients had joined cake central just to see my work on here due to the fact that I haven't made my webpage yet. She commented that it was cake, and one of the members made it seem like I had joined under a different name just to comment on my own cake. It was absurd! I was soooo upset, not angry at first, just sad that my work was questioned like that. Then the anger set in.... I don't blame you at all for being angry!!! You should never have to defend your work! You do beautiful work and others need to just be nice. If they can't do that then they need to go elsewhere with their hatefulness! Tell that lady where to go if she insists you didn't do those cupcakes! You are very talented and deserve the respect due!
This is just a thought, but did you actually design the decorations yourself? Could it be that the marketing firm saw the design in a magazine or something and that they wanted original design? Maybe yours are original...I don't know. I'm just trying to come up with explanations... or maybe they had the wrong e-mail address, and sent you that in error?
I can well imagine you're angry. She based a decision on an ASSUMPTION, rather than gathering facts first, then making a decision. I would contact the supply company that is sponsoring this event, or, if this individual works for the company, contact his/her boss. Explain what's been going on and see what they say. Or better yet, go straight to the top - this could have serious ramifications on your business!!
oh my how horrible. I hope you get it straightened out. please keep us updated.
Whatever the explanation is, this is a shoddy way to run a contest. And their timing is reprehensible, making you wait so long for redress. If you're inclined to make a lot of noise and let people know how badly they've behaved, I can't say that I'd blame you. Whatever the outcome, I wish you the best. If you get no satisfaction from them, you could always let us know who it is and I'm sure many of us would be happy to write them on your behalf. I've always admired your work -- I have more than one of your creations in my favorites -- and this is totally unfair!
make some cupcakes and take it to the person, then demand and apology!!!!
thats ridiculous, they most definantley should have contacted you before removing you from the contest! i would be making as much fuss as i could if i were you!!!
Thank you all for your lovely comments and support, it means the world to me.
floral1210: The sheep were inspired by cupcakes seen here and on Flickr, and the bunnies and chickens were my own idea. I made all of the decorations, ears, eyes, heads, beeks and so on, myself. And the mail had my name on it so I don't think it was meant for someone else. As to the originality of the design, it's an amateur competition and about 90% of the other contributions look the same so I don't see how that can been an issue 
CakesByOma: It is exactly the assumption that makes me so furious, she could at least have contacted me first. And I promise you, if I don't have an explanation and an apology by noon on Tuesday I WILL go to her boss!
I don't have a business, it is just a hobby, but I will not have an accusation of cheating sticking to me in the future. NO WAY!
DianeLM: If this is the reason, then I have some serious doubts about how this business operates. If they have two people claiming to have made the same cupcakes, they should investigate before deciding anything.
Marianna46: I will make as much fuss as I have to to get an apology. If I have to out them here, I will because, this is a large international company. I will however wait until I have a reply from them, just to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Again, thank you all for your comments and support. I too would like to think the best of this person behind the email and belive that she has made a mistake, but the tone of her mail makes it hard for me. Now I will try and forget it until Tuesday and enjoy my long weekend. i hope ypou all have a good one too. 
Here's the update;: it was a mistake 
I've just talked to the person behind the mail on the phone and she was very apologizing and sorry. She'd seen my picture on Flickr and hadn't realised it was the same person. She was writing an apology to me as I called her and has put my picture back in the competition, so fingers crossed
She told me that they had had a lot of contributions that people had found on American and Australian websites and submitted as their own
I don't get how people can do this. It is so unfair to the rest of us who spends hours and lots of money on our cakes.
Once again I would like to thank you for all of your comments and support, I knew I could find it here on CC. Have a lovely day all of you.
So glad that everything is settled and you're back in the competetion .
I figured that is what happened. That they found your photos posted somewhere and not realizing it WAS YOU they jumped the gun and assumed you had "stolen" them.
No. I don't understand why people do this either. 
It's just strange.
Contests like that should require a photo of the baker with the cake, not just the cake. (Although that wouldn't prove who the baker was.) Maybe the baker would have to hold a piece of paper with their contest entry identification number or something.
Or the contest should require a photo with the contest entry form or ID number written next to the cake--some form of identification to tie it back to the baker.
Although photo editing programs could probably defeat every suggestion I've made.
Cheaters should NEVER be allowed to eat cake ever again.
Contests like that should require a photo of the baker with the cake, not just the cake. (Although that wouldn't prove who the baker was.) Maybe the baker would have to hold a piece of paper with their contest entry identification number or something.
Or the contest should require a photo with the contest entry form or ID number written next to the cake--some form of identification to tie it back to the baker.
Although photo editing programs could probably defeat every suggestion I've made.
Cheaters should NEVER be allowed to eat cake ever again.
The lady I talked to told me that in the future they would require two photos of the entry, but from different angles. I think that's a good way to avoid cheaters.
And I completely agree with your last statement NO MORE CAKE FOR CHEATERS
Cheaters should NEVER be allowed to eat cake ever again.
I love that idea! I just don't get how people think that it's ok to do that, and seriously they think no one will notice?
There was a competition here last weekend and someone actually stole a cake!
So glad to hear it's all been straightened out. Best of luck in the competition, lomfise!
In a way I guess that's good that you know that hopefully most of the real cheaters will be weeded out and you'll have a much better chance of winning, esp now that the confusion is straightened out with yours!
Sounds like they are really trying to keep it fair. Good luck!
So glad everything got sorted out but I still can't believe that a person who is in charge of a competition of any kind would make accusations without investigating, she needs to be removed from the position she holds. No one should ever make false accusations like that especially in a contest open to the public., this was was not a mistake, it was a careless disregard for procedure & attention to detail. In her position she should not have jumped to conclusions.
Now I will shut up, sorry to have got so irate!
Yeah, happy ending.
A friend of mine has a saying....
Everything works out in the end. If it hasn't worked out yet, it's not the end.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%