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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Wedding cupcake mishap AIBU bride wants full refund for me wrecking her big day?

416 replies

ilovepombears · 07/12/2014 12:15

I run a home based cake making business a few months ago I had a request from a bride to make 100 black cupcakes for her wedding. She provided the wrappers and black food colouring paste and also black and white photo toppers of the couple as she asked it this would bring the costs down so I deducted this from the bill.

Today is her wedding day and there seems to be a massive miscommunication somewhere along the lines.
Friday I baked all 100 cupcakes and whilst I was waiting for them to cool I text her and asked if she was sure she wanted them all black buttercream or if she would prefer black and white or black and grey. She texted back and said 50 black 50 grey would be ace. I then had another text asking where the buttercream was going. This should of really set off alarm bells. I told her the buttercream would be going on top of each cupcake. No further response.

As the wedding is out of town she came to collect them yesterday. They looked stunning and really complimented her wedding theme. She seemed a bit off when collecting but said she liked them.

Two hours later I receive a text from her saying how dissapointed she is with the cakes and how they are not as disscused as the cakes are white.

I didn't understand where she was coming from so I tried to call but she didn't answer then text to say I have wrecked her wedding.

After a while of toing and froing it transpires what the bride in her head has ordered is 50 black and 50 grey sponge cupcakes as in no buttercream frosting. Where I was suppose to put the picture toppers is still a mystery.

She has seen hundreds of images of my work and I have never produced a nude cupcake. Always have frosting on them.

She has not given me time to rectify the issue. Not that I would as I am not having my name associated with what she thinks she has ordered. Not would I let black sponges out to be eaten as they will taste horrendous but they have so much colour in them can you imagine the additives.

She is now asking for a full refund as I have "screwed up her order" what do I do? I'm my head she has received what she has ordered.

If you guys ordered a black & grey cupcake how would you interoperate that? What she thinks or what I have made her.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 07/12/2014 13:02

I think the bride was reasonable to expect black sponge, as the internet shows black sponge is a thing.

I think she was unreasonable to expect no buttercream, especially after you asked about it before it was on the cakes.

So perhaps a discount rather than a full refund.

Itsfab · 07/12/2014 13:03

now not know.

MissDuke · 07/12/2014 13:03

My son is only 6, but hopefully he will continue to love batman and go for it at his wedding. Maybe I should offer to pay if he does it? Grin I will remember to come back here with pics ha ha ha!

katese11 · 07/12/2014 13:03

Aw so disappointing!!

spamm · 07/12/2014 13:04

I agree there is miscommunication but I would have assume that a black cupcake meant black sponge, and I am not experienced enough to know that would possibly not taste nice. Whatever happens in this situation, you need to put in measures that mean you do not find yourself in this situation again.

She will probably get over it, but being a bride is stressful, especially because you plan a lot of it in your head and visualize how everything will look. While she should not blame you for ruining the wedding, I can understand her being upset.

Notgoodwithwords · 07/12/2014 13:04

Thank goodness she didn't make herself clearer as without buttercream they would have looked awful... The customer is not always right & absolutely not in this case.

I say no refund!

hackmum · 07/12/2014 13:04

I would assume by "black cupcakes" that she meant the sponge should be black. And I would then have asked, "And what colour do you want the icing to be?" I think it's very odd to order cupcakes with no icing! Particularly, as you say, because there would be no way of attaching the topper.

This is one of those learning experiences - in future, you'll know that you have to make sure the customer is very specific about what they want. However, for now, I don't know what you can do apart from, perhaps, offer a discount as a goodwill gesture.

gobbynorthernbird · 07/12/2014 13:04

Sounds to me like the bride took them maybe thinking 'I didn't want these to be iced, but never mind it's too late to change now', and obviously didn't realise the issue with the sponge until somebody actually ate one.

I wouldn't know about the effect colour has on the taste of a cake, lots of people who don't do that kind of baking wouldn't. I think OP may have to take this as a lesson to absolutely clarify everything in future.

itsonlysubterfuge · 07/12/2014 13:06

when I read 100 black cupcakes I pictured black cake and black buttercream.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 07/12/2014 13:08

No, I wouldn't have known about the taste thing either, although the one time I have tasted red velvet cake it was grim, I don't like the idea of coloured sponge at all.

fuctifino · 07/12/2014 13:09

Hell fire!

Tell her there's a reason you don't see black sponge cake, ever!

Did she come across as a bit of an air head?

Redglitter · 07/12/2014 13:10

If they were so awful why did she quite happily take them away. She must have known as soon as she saw them they weren't what she wanted.

I wouldn't give her any refund. If you do make it a token one. No way she deserves a full refund

I'd say she's at it

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 07/12/2014 13:12

I thought black sponge too. Like a red velvet but black and I wouldn't countenance a nude cupcake! What's the point?!

As the bride has accepted the goods and presumably served and eaten them. I would accept there has been some miscommunication and misunderstanding and offer her a small discount of 5 or 10% and let her take it to court if she wants more. She won't.

Next time make a sample up before the big day for the bride to check.

NorwegianBirdhouse · 07/12/2014 13:13

"She seemed a bit off when collecting but said she liked them."

There's your answer. She inspected them and accepted them. Sold as seen. Do not give a refund. She was off because she knew she was going to pull a fast one. I would have taken the order to mean exactly as you did. Besides you have provided 100 cakes. why should you then give her money back unless they were returned.

doubleshotespresso · 07/12/2014 13:14

This lady is trying it on with you, though yes you can use this as a lesson I suppose. Why not send a response something like this:

"I am disappointed to read of your request for a refund, as upon collection of your wedding cupcakes you stated you liked them. Your colour theme was confirmed via text last Friday by yourself and thus your order was fulfilled to the letter of your original and confirmed requests.
Therefore in this instance, I am unable to offer a full refund as your order was of the correct quality, quantity and colour requested. However, as a goodwill gesture, I would be delighted to offer you a 20% discount on all future orders......
Many thanks for your feedback and custom.....blah blah blah"

flicktuck · 07/12/2014 13:15

I had a request from a bride to make 100 black cupcakes for her wedding

From your post I imagined she wanted black cup cakes , some with grey and some with black buttercream with a photo on top.

BlueSpottedWindmill · 07/12/2014 13:16

As someone who also makes cakes, I'd say it was pretty obvious she wanted black sponge? Bu you really should have a chart or list when making for someone else.
Black food colouring doesn't make the cake taste any different. I make all sorts of coloured cakes.

timetoplay · 07/12/2014 13:16

I'd say miscommunication and really both of you are to blame for that unless you ran through everything at the start and she's not specified. I would say black/grey cupcakes would be black/grey sponge but definitely have buttercream which was balck/grey/white on top. I'd refund half for goodwill making it clear it's goodwill and that she didn't raise an issue at the time of collection.

I'd second those saying have a proper order form with all food allergies, exclusion and inclusions, full descriptions and a possible image if possible.

SoupDragon · 07/12/2014 13:16

She knew there was going to be butter cream on the top in time for he to say that wasn't what she wanted.
She accepted the cakes and said she liked them.

DrSeuss · 07/12/2014 13:18

Her wedding must have been pretty crap if the success or failure hinged on some cupcakes! "Celebrating my union for life with the man I love, witnessed by all my family and friends? Oh no, that was ruined because my cakes were the wrong colour!"

BlueSpottedWindmill · 07/12/2014 13:18

Red velvet cakes can taste a little odd, but that's not food colouring - most red velvet cake recipes use white wine vinegar or similar.

diddl · 07/12/2014 13:18

Were the cakes packed in such a way that she could only see the icing when she collected?

Or that they looked liked uniced coloured cakes?

She did accept after seeing, but she was collecting for her wedding the next day!

i don't think a full refund, but something as there seems to be fault on both sides.

SoonToBeSix · 07/12/2014 13:18

I would assume the cupcakes would be coloured. Why would they taste horrible , I thought food colouring was tasteless?

Got99problems · 07/12/2014 13:18

I would assume black sponge with black icing on top.
hopefully she will chill out though and realise that it doesn't matter.

LaurieFairyCake · 07/12/2014 13:21

I just think it's a massive miscommunication that could have been avoided.

In future I'd ask for a picture of what they want it to look like or an in depth discussion about the sponge/cream.

On Pinterest black sponges are a massive thing - I also think you ought to know that Blush

Even Tesco sold black Halloween sponges this year