now she wants a full refund. i delivered it and then she says the whole box fell over. the cake fit the box. the entire box had to fall over the way it was positioned in there. this is what probaby happened when she said it fell over, when they were rushing to her party. i don't want to give a refund because it was delivered fine to her and it was not my fault what happened to it when it was in the car with the customer. i don't want to lose business or get a bad rating. what should i do? she wants to keep the cake.

What??? How can she expect a refund when she's the one who messed it up? IMO, if it was fine when you delivered it, you don't owe her a thing! That's like wrecking your new car, and going back to the dealership for a refund. Extreme comparison, I know, but makes about as much sense.

NO WAY!!!
You dropped the cake off fine. SHE ruined it. If anything she should be reimbursing you for making your cake look bad! (LOL)

Some people have some nerve. You did nothing wrong and she should be embarrassed to even tell you. If you bought take out delivery and they delivered it to your house and you dropped it, they wouldn't refund your money. Give me a break!!!!!

When you dropped off the cake, I assume that you and the customer looked at it and both of you saw that it was fine? I mean, it's not that you looked in the box, saw it was fine, then handed it over and customer didn't look at it until after wrecking it? I still don't think you should give a refund, but it she didn't check it when it was delivered, I coudl see why she asked.

Problems similar to this were mentioned in the past on CC.

What the pros recommended was that from now on, the baker has the customer sign a waiver stating that the product was delivered intact, and that since the customer was transporting it themselves, they accept the responsibility for the product.

Also, from now on, you might want to carry a digital camera or camera cell phone, and photograph the product after the customer has it in the vehicle.

Theresa

Nope, no refund. Once it left your hands in perfect condition it was "on the judging table" as we say around my shop. Done, over, and not your responsibility. If you don't have that clause in your contract then add it TODAY! I don't allow pick ups and I make it clear that the cake needs to be placed on the final spot where it's going to be served (none of this "we'll set it in the kitchen till time to cut the cake" stuff) and once it's delivered then my responsibility stops. I take photos of what the cake looks like when I deliver it and if it's not in the final place then they are told point blank (usually in a nice semi funny way) that I got it to the client in perfect condition and whatever happens to it after that point is ALL on them!

Stick to your guns!

Cat

I Agree with everyone you dropped it off it & made it there fine, it is not your responsibilty once it leaves your hands.
Little tip, when i deliver cakes or even when they come and pickup, i make them check the cake over, sign off on a contract that states it was picked up/arrived in great condition, intact and as ordered.
You are not responsible for her ruining her own cake. I vote No Refund.

I'm a beginner hobbyist, and I can't believe what some of you have to go through. Its disgusting. Why didn't she have you deliver the cake to the party. Once she took resposibility for the cake, its no longer your problem. I agree with the others that say to get a signature stating that the cake was satisfactory upon receipt. Absolutely do not refund a cent. What nerve.

She wants a refund AND wants to keep the cake?? This smells of a mackerel!

I completely agree about this being her fault....Just playing devil's advocate here though, is it worth having your cake displayed all ruined and the bad PR that you will get?

I don't think I would refund the money either, just something elso to think of!

It's crazy how some people want something for nothing! NO refund!

When someone arrives to pick up their cake I tell them point blank that I am no longer responsible for the cake once it goes out the door. I even offer a piece of non skid to place under the cake. I recently made a 3 D Cookie Monster and I handed my friend a piece of non skid and she gave it back and told me no we will be fine my sister will hold it. Then I told her that the cake should be transported on a flat surface and to drive slow especially around corners again she told me no it will be ok. All I could think was this thing was going to fall apart and I'm not running over there to fix it. Luckily it held up. Her daughter wanted to keep the head so they tried to cut the dowel with pruning sheers. They accidentally dropped the head and smashed the eyes. Her daughter was pissed. I say no refund. I would just tell her that the cake arrived in perfect condition and it was not your responsibility what happened to the cake once she picked it up. And what the heck she wanted to keep the cake. Smells like someone wanted a freebie.

Does walmart give her a refund when she spills her milk at home? I'd be so tempted to ask her (in that "oh I'm SUCH a blonde!" voice that I can do), "How do you figure it's MY fault when YOU damaged the cake?"

Dumba$$es.

What a cheek! If you delivered the cake intact and she was happy with it when she saw it at that time, how can she blame you if she dropped it If you do decide to give a refund then I would insist on them giving the cake back. Can she send you a photo of the damaged cake?

I would give her the url for this site and direct her to this thread. The fact that she wants to "keep the cake" shows the slimy woman for what she is: she thinks she is a smart cookie who will get her cake for free! Unfortunately, you are too smart and have too many smart friends who will get your back. Tell her no dice, and if she threatens to sue, by all means, ask her to do it - the judge will laugh her out of the court house! And of course she wants to keep the cake - it's in everybody's stomach already! And I would make it a point to find out who was at the party taking pictures, because I have the feeling one of them will show a perfect cake displayed in all its glory for all to see!

And unfortunately, the world is full of people who are always trying to take advantage - if you give her a refund, she'll laugh at you with her friends. If you don't, she won't say anything - she has nothing to say! Stick to your guns and tell her "absolutely no". Period.

I would give her the url for this site and direct her to this thread. The fact that she wants to "keep the cake" shows the slimy woman for what she is: she thinks she is a smart cookie who will get her cake for free! Unfortunately, you are too smart and have too many smart friends who will get your back. Tell her no dice, and if she threatens to sue, by all means, ask her to do it - the judge will laugh her out of the court house! And of course she wants to keep the cake - it's in everybody's stomach already! And I would make it a point to find out who was at the party taking pictures, because I have the feeling one of them will show a perfect cake displayed in all its glory for all to see!

And unfortunately, the world is full of people who are always trying to take advantage - if you give her a refund, she'll laugh at you with her friends. If you don't, she won't say anything - she has nothing to say! Stick to your guns and tell her "absolutely no". Period.

Do you have pictures of the condition of this cake at delivery?? I too would say no refund.

But if it was delivered and it had a lean to it, then the answer would be different. It really depends on what the customer means by fell over. I would certainly want to see her pictures too.

Now if the dumb a@@ just dropped it, how would anyone expect money back.

Absolutely NO REFUND, not even partial. Once a cake is dropped off at a home or the venue, and it is in pristine condition when you leave it, you are relieved of any and all responsibility as to what happens to the cake if it is moved or altered by anyone other than yourself. I have that in my contract and at the venue, I tell the banquet manager that in no way should the cake be moved once I assemble and leave it. I take pictures of any cake that I set up and leave at a venue.

She's being ridiculous, don't give her a dime. It's her fault, she's just looking for someone to pin the blame on. She needs to look in the mirror.

I agree with kansaslaura. this is her story--So i got the cake in perfect condition. Once she left I grabbed it to bring it here and then I dropped it and now she wont give me my money back. can you believe it?
If the other people think that she should have her money back then you dont need their business.

I think everyone should have a paper signed on delivery. As soon as the cake is delivered, and if it's in perfect condition, once you leave with that paper sign, it's not your problem. And them signing the paper says clearly that the cake was delivered safe and whatever happens after that is their problem
Edna

Someone actually voted to give the woman money for the cake she damaged?!

Ok...
I'm sure the OP will be glad to have you send her the money to give the woman.

Please don't even think about giving her a refund for a cake that she damaged.

No way!!!
What I do when I drop off a cake I open the box infront of the client , we look at it together and whatever happens to it when I leave is their fault!!!
I always take pics too!
Just tell her that when you left it was standing and fine what happens after is her responsibility!!!
I'm sure you will survive as a business!! Other clients have no complaints and her credibility is probablly already known... water off you back so to speak!!!

oh yah if she wasn't happy , she wouldn't of paid you !!! So there lies your answer!

[/quote]

When I worked in retail, we were told to replace damaged items if they broke while the customer was still on the property...for example, someone buys a $200 bottle of scotch, goes outside, stumbles over the parking block and drops it. The bottle breaks, we replace it...as long as the seal at the top is still intact. The same goes for the little old lady who drops her eggs in the parking lot, new eggs for grandma. Or the sheet cake that the customer has in her basket and on the way out to the car her toddler sits on the box...she'd be getting a replacement cake.

I'm not saying that's reasonable or should even be considered in this case...it shouldn't. But it is the policy in a lot of stores. That might be why the woman thinks she's justified in asking for a refund.[/quote]
I guess it depends on where you work. I worked in retail for years in different businesses. I never worked anywhere that replaced an item that you broke or damaged. Eggs, and grocery store cakes are inexpensive items for grocery stores. I don't know about the $200 bottle of scotch though . NC ABC stores would laugh in your face if you expected them to replace the bottle you dropped in the parking lot