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Anybody seen or heard from my bride?

post #1 of 24
4/13/12 at 3:33pm
Thread Starter 
seeking advice:
I booked my first wedding cake in february for the end of April. I know the bride because she works at a store I go to frequently. I have a good contract in place and took a 50% deposit when she booked. The contract states that the remaining balance is due 30 days prior to event. And I gave her an invoice that says what the balance is and when it's due. Here we are on the 13 , two weeks before the wedding , I haven't heard from her and cannot get her to respond back to me. I emailed her on the 4th with a "reminder notice" of the balance, heard nothing, I've left messages and tried to text as well ,, she communicates a lot through text. Nothing yet. Her cake requires gum paste flowers which I need to start on next Monday , and I'm not about to put all of that time in... Oh and here's the best part. I though I would " confirm" with the venue , I have never been there before so I wanted to find out which entrance I can use, etc. Well turns out they have no event under any of her family or her name on the date she said! What to do, I don't want to look dumb and show up hoping for payment ..please help.. Sorry for the length!
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post #2 of 24
4/13/12 at 3:55pm
DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT make that cake without FULL payment! This sounds really weird, especially considering the venue doesn't have her name for any event. You have already gone above and beyond in trying to get a hold of her. if you want, you can send her one final email stating that her final payment is late and has incurred a late fee, so she owes you $_____. Set a final date and tell her that if you don't receive payment in full by then, you will consider her order cancelled and keep the deposit per the contract.

OR you could just not contact her again, since you have already tried several times.
Before you ask- I'm licensed, inspected, insured, and all that jazz.
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Before you ask- I'm licensed, inspected, insured, and all that jazz.
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post #3 of 24
4/13/12 at 4:23pm
I say she's in breech of contract and you cancel HER and keep her deposit. Send this letter CERTIFIED MAIL with return receipt and wash your hands of her:

"Dear Bride,

I'm writing to notify you that you are in breech of our contract dated ____________. In paragraph XX it states that final payment is due 30 days prior to your scheduled event. That date has passed, I have not received your final payment and repeated efforts to contract you have been unsuccessful. Unfortunately we are past the point where I can execute the cake originally agreed upon. I am hereby terminating our contract and any monies currently held as a retainer are non-refundable, and thereby forfeit by you.

Best of luck,

Me"

PS - If you call it a "deposit" you need to change that to "non-refundable retainer".
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post #4 of 24
4/14/12 at 11:23pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you so much lovemesomecake and fromscratch for your replies. That was kinda of my gut but I didnt think of actually sending her a cancellation notice. That's a great idea. I didn't mention this earlier , but I have a paypal option on my website and that is how her deposit was paid by her dad so I even looked of his info and tried to contact him. I just don't get it. Why would you pay 300 bucks for a deposit and not follow through. I have bought a bunch of stuff for this cake that I have no idea what tom do with. I'm timing of making the cake in dummies since I have all of the stuff and using for my first show in July... My contract does state the it is a nonrefundable deposit. I have learned so much from you all on is site. Aye ....what a first wedding experience!
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post #5 of 24
4/15/12 at 12:37am
In my contract it states the usual about it being non refundable and balance due 30 days prior, but it also says if payment is not received by 14 days prior to the event the order will be cancelled and no refund will be given. Of course, if people are communicating I may give them more time on a case-by-case basis, but this is specifically included to cover my butt for those who drop off the face of the earth.
www.superstarpastrydesign.com
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www.superstarpastrydesign.com
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post #6 of 24
4/16/12 at 10:20am
Thread Starter 
I will definitely be making some adjustments to my contract for a little more protection but I have enough in it to keep her deposit. I just can't seen to grasp why someone would just fall off the face of the earth two weeks before their wedding,leaving vendors hanging... Just don't get it...
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post #7 of 24
4/16/12 at 10:25am
Perhaps the wedding was canceled (and perhaps it happened before they even booked the venue) and they are too embarrassed to tell you. I've had that happen to me - hence the line in my contract! icon_smile.gif
www.superstarpastrydesign.com
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post #8 of 24
4/16/12 at 10:45am
If you cannot reach her by phone, I would go to the store where she works and point blank ask her or anyone for that matter, if she is or is not in need of a cake. If her wedding is cancelled and she was just too rude to let you know, you will feel better about keeping the money.If she is sick or some disaster took place, you need to know that too. I would be half nuts with curiousity and would have to find out some how.My daughter cancelled her wedding many years ago and the people at her venue refunded her deposit. It was of course not necessary, but we were very grateful and when she did get married we used their site. She however did not leave people wondering what was going on.
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post #9 of 24
4/16/12 at 11:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BARBARAJEAN

If you cannot reach her by phone, I would go to the store where she works and point blank ask her or anyone for that matter, if she is or is not in need of a cake. If her wedding is cancelled and she was just too rude to let you know, you will feel better about keeping the money.If she is sick or some disaster took place, you need to know that too. I would be half nuts with curiousity and would have to find out some how.My daughter cancelled her wedding many years ago and the people at her venue refunded her deposit. It was of course not necessary, but we were very grateful and when she did get married we used their site. She however did not leave people wondering what was going on.



I'm sure you mean well, but woah is this really bad advice. Look.... If the bride wanted to tell you all her drama she would have returned calls and emails. But quite frankly, if she's dogging OP there is a reason. Putting myself in her place, if ANYONE ever stormed into my place of employment like you are suggesting to find out what happened with my non-wedding so you could feel better and satisfy your curiosity, I'd have you thrown out of the building and I would consider pressing charges for harassment. I'd post every negative review on every website known to man and I personally make it my mission to humiliate you as much as you'd be humiliating me by having the audacity to harass me at work over a wedding cake that you never made.

It's none of anyone's business why the contract is not being fulfilled. That is between the bride and her fiancee.
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post #10 of 24
4/16/12 at 2:37pm
Sorry I came off as a person who would storm anywhere...I am a little old lady.I would not harrass anyone. Since the two people were friends from the store, I thought why not just give her a visit instead of worrying about it for days. Curiosity is not a bad thing. I also think it is awfully easy to ignore an e-mail and a phone call sometimes works better.Please believe me, I storm no where and I harrass no one.
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post #11 of 24
4/16/12 at 3:09pm
OP,
Make sure that the money stays in your PayPal account. The bride or her father may try to get it back from PayPal.

I hope I die before "your" is the official contraction of "you are."

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I hope I die before "your" is the official contraction of "you are."

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post #12 of 24
4/16/12 at 3:28pm
I'm with Barbara Jean. It isn't necessary for the OP to storm in demanding to know the whys and the wherefores. No matter what the circumstances the bride owes the OP a response as to whether she wants the cake or not. If approaching her in person is the only recourse the OP has left I say go for it.
deborahanne

http://grandmasugarskitchen.blogspot.com/
http://lamaisondesgateaux.blogspot.com/
http://theenchantedline.blogspot.com/

Life begins at 325° F, and, yes, that IS powdered sugar in my hair.
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deborahanne

http://grandmasugarskitchen.blogspot.com/
http://lamaisondesgateaux.blogspot.com/
http://theenchantedline.blogspot.com/

Life begins at 325° F, and, yes, that IS powdered sugar in my hair.
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post #13 of 24
4/16/12 at 3:40pm
Thread Starter 
Ok... So as for going to her place of work.... It's a tanning salon that both my mother and I go to frequently... The other day I went into tan a girl that knows her semi well says" hey how are you , are you still doing so and so's cake" ( I hadn't been in in awhile) I said as far as I know. As I was leaving , I asked when so and so would be working again and the girl saud the next day from blah to blah. I said okay thanks. A coupe days later I went in again and was like oh shoot I missed her and they said she was taking a six month break. H,mmmm...
As for the money in my paypal....I have my account set up to autotransefer at the end of each business day...
I don't plan on using her place of employment to get to her. I agree that whatever is going on with her is her business... I just need to get a yes with the rest of the money or no and be done with....

Can't seem to get any answer at All....
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post #14 of 24
4/16/12 at 4:04pm
Sounds to me like she has bigger problems then the $300.00 she gave you. I would do what ScratchSF said, send her a certified letter cancelling the order and be done with it. Make a dummy cake with the supplies like you said. Think of it this way, if you missed an insurance payment, do you think they would call you, text you, email you over and over, of course not. They would send you a letter cancelling your policy and they'd keep whatever cash you had already given them. They would just wash their hands of you. I'm not sure why we feel the need to chase people for money and orders. Business is business, it isn't personal. Good Luck

I still think ScratchSF has the best idea.

Quinte West, Ontario, Canada   www.TeriLovesCake.ca   Strictly Wheat & Gluten-Free         

 

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Quinte West, Ontario, Canada   www.TeriLovesCake.ca   Strictly Wheat & Gluten-Free         

 

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post #15 of 24
4/16/12 at 4:28pm
I agree, the weddding has obviosuly been cancelled and she didn't bother to tell you. That occasionally happens to me, and especially with non-refundable deposits clients don't get in touch because they figure there's no point. Send the letter and don't give it another thought.
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