ok, so i got a phone call from a deaf lady over a week ago. It was through a service that types responses back and forth. She wanted a cake for 100 people for july 30th. I told her the price and she agreed. I told her I had to have payment up front and she asked for my address to send the check. She said she would send it that day. Well, the cake is due in just over a week and still no check. I bake out of another commercial kitchen and its not like if i bake it and she doesnt pick it up I can just sell it to someone else! She said someone would be there to pick it up that day, not her. It doesnt really sound like a scam but I dont know whether to bake it in case someone shows up or not. What would you do???

oh yeah, i forgot to mention that i have no way to get back in touch with her as i cant call and she doesnt email. ???????? so frustrating. i knew it was going to turn into a hassle when the "conversation" lasted an hour, but hey, i am trying to open my own storefront and need the money.

Didn't you get any contact information? Scammers do use the hearing relay system. If you don't have the money, you need to let her know you will not bake the cake. Just because she is deaf doesn't mean she won't stiff you. I wouldn't even start to bake it without cash in hand. A check less than a week before it is due is too risky. It could easily be a bad check and that takes time to clear.

If you have her phone# you call call her thru the relay system. I have a deaf cousin and we often use that.

I was just reading a very similar thread recently and everyone advised that it was in fact a scam. You should search it on here and you can see if the details sound similar to your experience. It sounds very fishy to me. Good luck!

When ever taking an order have your contract in front of you. Require them to "fill out" all the empty spaces such as name, address, phone number, etc. Tell them that a deposit to hold the date MUST be in your hand and if it's by personal check then it has to have time to clear BEFORE you will consider the date/cake booked. Until then, there has been no booking. Get a fax number to fax it to them and have them sign it and fax it back. Always make sure all paperwork has a contact number with an alternate contact number in case you can't get a hold of them. Lastly, even if they don't have email, someone they know does and they can get that and give it to you. If you have any sort of address now I'd send a letter indicating that no payment was recieved by the due date (I require 2 weeks ahead of time for party cakes and 4 weeks for wedding cakes) so no cake was ordered and no cake will be available for pick up.

Having said all that, giving it the benefit of the doubt that it was a real order, it DOES sound like a very familiar scam.

Cat

Ive def thought that it might be a scam but what is in it for her? its not like someone is going to show up and me give them the cake without payment. If they want the cake, it is cash only in the hand before anything goes out the door. There was never a mention of sending extra money and me paying them back some or anything like that or I would have known it was a scam. I am just struggling with whether to actually make the cake or not.
I do have a contract and took down all the information. She stated that she did not email and I guess I stupidly didnt think she would have a phone number. Realized after I hung up the phone that I had no way to get in touch with her. That was my first time dealing with the relay system and it was confusing. I feel really dumb now. This is the first time that Ive ever had any issues with my business. just wondering what everyone else would do.

As I said, write her a letter and get it in the mail explaining that since there was no payment, there was no booking and thus no cake.

Cat

She doesn't want a strawberry cake with writing on it, does she?


As to what I would do, well, as has been said before: no money, no cakey! Don't turn on your oven until you have the check. IF you get the check, take it to the bank it's drawn on - not your bank unless they're one and the same - and cash it with a teller at the counter.
If someone contacted me two weeks before an event for 100 people, it's cash upfront or no cake. No checks, no money orders, no exceptions. For future reference, you might want to consider a similar policy, something like full payment is due 2/3/4 weeks before the event. There are just too many scammers out there.

There is probably no check and never will be because you didn't play into the scam. They usually want something shipped, will send you more than your charges and then you cash the check and refund back to them...Too many unethical people out there. I'd cross it off my to-do list and forget it ever happened. Lesson learned.

my order form clearly says:

No deposit=no order

No Exceptions

I've been burned one too many times with no shows.

Scam scam scam.

Onto the next cake.

No signed contract, stop worrying about it and move on.

Do you have caller ID, maybe still have the number there. Only a thought.

Even if you get back in touch with them...it should be cash only now.

Just not enough time for a check to clear.

That said...I still say scam.

I guess I still believe in people. Having been told the check is in the mail and it not....only it did...it took longer than I expected b/c it came through online bill pay. 7-10 business days baby. Do you just bake in the kitchen or do you bake and decorate? Maybe bake the cake and if you don't receive the $$ in time to decorate then just freeze the cakes for use later. I would rather have them baked and ready than scrambling. Also any decorative pieces you may be able to do...you can always use them later if it doesn't show. I would just cover my hiney...people can surprise...in a good way.

This is a tough one! I use the relay service quite often, my BIL is deaf, and my friend is deaf, so when their text phones are not working, we use the service. I also sell puppies and have been scammed like this, but the relay service stopped the conversation, apologized to me, and reported the other party. So for you to be on the phone an hour with them, I tend to think it is for real. That being said, I do tend to see the good in people, so good luck!!

You mentioned the event if for 100 people...did the caller say where at? Just thinking that if they rented a hall or something that they would have contact info. And if you do call and they have no idea what event your talking about, you know your being taken for a ride.

If you do decide to bake it and they don't show up, you can always take it to your local PD/FD/EMS stations with a few business cards. Us midnight shifters LOVE cake. <----shameless ploy for cake

did she say her shipper was going to come and pick up the boxes with cake in them?

if so there is no shipper, they don't want a cake...they want to overpay you with a fake check/money order and have you western union them the balance.

ok, so i thought about it and realized that i did have her number so i gave it a call. the operator said there was no answer and i could leave a message. told her that i need someone to call me about the cake ordered if they still want it. told her it would be cash only now and if i dont get any payment or answer by wednesday then no cake. Not worrying about it anymore.
probably is a scam, i looked back over the info i took down during the phone call and she wanted a choc cake with choc icing and it was for a birthday but she didnt even want happy birthday or anything written on it. weird. she did say that she was going to send a handler to pick it up. well, if someone shows up next friday, i might just have one of my police officer friends in town hanging around the shop. thanks for all the advise folks, no worries now, got plently of other non-scammers to worry about.