last night i finished a cake for delivery this morning and went to a party for a few hours. got home and had a message from the lady

"Hy darl vie just released I spend ur 80 getting the last party stuff m I able to put it in ur acc Tuesday morning if no I'll try borrow it vie just released I'm so sorry"

and yes that is how she wrote it. i replied saying no i need the money when i deliver the cake as i am getting groceries on the way home from delivery and it was my food money for the week...then she replied "All gud I'll get it darl" at 6.30 this morning.

so i think ok great thats sorted. i told her we would be there between 9 and 10, so she had plenty of time to organise money......we arrived at 9.30 and then she said oh my friend is just going to get ur money......


WHAT????????????????????????????????????????????????? well i walked inside n put the cake on the bench and went to tell DH who was waiting in the car with our 3 kids, he wasnt happy to say the least anyway, the lady came out 15 mins later saying her friend should be back soon, then another 15 mins later she came back out and said they are on their way back.....45 mins later they finally get back, so from now on all my cakes are paid in full at least a week out from the booking and i dont deliver, because the measly $20 i got for fuel doesnt cover 45 mins of the car running in her driveway with the a/c on for the kids, the fact that my poor kids had to wait an extra 45 mins to eat breakfast and the 40 min drive there and the 40 min drive home

ok rant over, has this happened to anyone before??? i was smart enough not to let her pay me on tuesday but i still feel like an idiot and now dh isnt talking to me

I would have taken the cake home and told her to pick it up when she had the money, along with a $20 delivery fee.

yer im too nice i guess. i think thats going to be changing from now on tho

Cash up front, sweetie. Sorry this happened to you, but as you have read on here many times I'm sure...there are rip-off artists and a$$holes everywhere. It's always best to guard your own butt, and NEVER EVER use living expenses on cakes for ANYONE. I don't want to sound mean...really I don't...but I think your DH has call to be upset. I realize it wasn't completely your fault, but I'm sorry to say...what if she hadn't paid you at all. Then your family would have been in a real bind. I feel bad you had to go through this, but at least it was a learning experience, and you know how to handle idiots like this in the future (and there will probably be more sad to say). Best of Luck.

what i meant to type was the groceries story was my excuse to her...not that i needed one but still. i already had her deposit of 50% but yer i was shocked that someone would have the nerve to not have the money ready

And my guess is she thought the 50% deposit was enough and wasn't planning on paying the rest.

I'm just having a hard time trying to read her writing...Glad you got your money though...

Oh so sorry that this had to happen and yes there are many people out there that will take advantage of you if you let them. I am very up front with people that I sell cakes to it is 50% down 2 weeks in advance to hold their order and 50% at pick up time. I do not take money out of my own pocket to make cakes with and the only cakes I deliver are wedding cakes, unles there is a major huge cake but that is seldom! Let them come back and forth to you and this way you family isn't in the mix of confussion, and this way you and dh will not have any problems with one another. No customer for any amount is worth getting into an arguement for with your spouse.

Glad to see you so get the 50% deposit up front but when I showed up I would have said oh, I can wait about 10 minutes but I have an appointment so if your friend is not here then you'll have to pick up the cake when you have the money. (and yes still charge the delivery fee). If she was texting you at 6:30 in the am- 3 hours was more than enough time to get money or if she knew her money would not be ready she should have told you to come later.

I'm so sorry this happened to you!!! No advice to offer, just a heartfelt hug ... as someone with three kids and a stupidly-demanding schedule, I've had my husband waiting in the car for an unexpected amount of time with the kids on more than one occasion. I hope your dh understands this was a one-time thing, and you are changing your policies to be better prepared for this last time ... chalk it up to a lesson learned, and hopefully it won't ruin your Sunday . ((( hugs )))

I'm sure you won't let that happen to you again. I really hope dh starts talking to you again. I hate it when they do that! Its like torture for me!

thanks everyone. yer he told me to go inside and get the cake and we would go home and they would have to come and get it but i am too soft. this was my 2nd delivery and i doubt i will do it anymore, unless i know the person or its a big cake. he is talking to me again cause he knows its not really my fault but yes it wont happen again. i just thought i would post it as another remider for people to get the money before making the cake.

I agree with those that said you should have taken the cake when you walked out. I know it is easier said than done, but it would have been more effective.

My guess is that she figured you'd get tired of waiting for the friend to show up with the money and would have left with out it. If you started to walk out of the house with that cake, chances are she would have quickly found some money to give you.