Help me respond to this message!

[Froznheart]

I've name changed for this as it will out me.

I'm a cake maker by trade, I'm fairly successful but recently did a cake that was extremely popular in my area and was shared lots of times which meant mynpage has become really popular.

I've just had a message from someone asking for a quote on that particular cake. I went on to their profile to check what area they were from and it clearly says on the profile that she is a professional cake maker with her own cake business - so basically a rival of mine.

I responded to the message and said what date did she need the cake for as I'm virtually fully booked over the next couple of months and she replied saying "I'm not fussed about the date, I will fit around you can you just provide me with a price please" I replied with "I will check the diary when I get home and let you know when I'm free" and she replied saying "ok but can you give me a price now?"

How do I respond to this? Part of me wants to say fuck off you just want to pinch my ideas and pricing but I know that it's not professional 😂

So mumsnetters - what would you say? And AIBU to tell her to bugger off

as you've NC'd - you must post a pic!

If she just need help with pricing there are Facebook groups for discussing Cake pricing. But asking for a quite from a competitor is most like to be to undercut.

In that case, maybe just be a bit more direct and say are you planning to copy my design? As you say, any cake maker can copy and price up a cake, it does sound like she is trying to undercut you, albeit in a very stupid way.

I'm now wondering why there hasn't been a major TV drama based around cake making...

That sounds even more odd because I thought she said earlier that she's not bothered about dates, and now she's talking about someone being able to 'fit me in'.

You should ask her what dates she wants you to fit her in to.

So this is apparently a specific request from a client for a cake for her son but not for a particular date - customer just randomly feels like spending a lot of money on a custom cake to surprise her son on some random Tuesday of the month?! Yeah, right.

So she's still claiming to be prepared to fit the celebration round the date you're free to make the cake . Don't engage any further, and watermark those photos!

I love cake threads!!!
please can we see it

Please remind her (and yourself) that competitors discussing pricing can be seen as anti-competitive, as can agreeing to share customers. You can be fined 10% of turnover and/or imprisoned. This applies to all businesses, even small ones operating from your own home. Tell her you are not interested in entering a cartel.
More info here www.gov.uk/cartels-price-fixing/overview

I've just replied saying "sorry - your customer has asked you to copy my design?" She's read it and not replied. I haven't been in the business long so not encountered this before - just don't want her to bad mouth me and make me look unprofessional!

Tell her something that is ludicrously overpriced. Then if she attempts to copy, anyone getting quotes from her will jog on.

Good call out! I don't think you are the uprofessional one here.

If she bad mouthed you for protecting your design then she's the one who'll look bad.

Have some confidence. If you were a painter or a jewellry designer then people would be less accepting of copying.

Just ignore her! If she comes back just say "Feel free to pass my details to the client"

You don't have to follow up every single enquiry. You'll get to know how to smell a rat when there is one.

Oo I love a cake thread

If a customer has seen your design-why wouldn't they contact you directly?

If they particularly like her cakes & want her to do something similar, she'll know how to price?

Hang on......how can she be not bothered about the date one minute and then saying if this cake isnt made then he will have to have an asda one.

"I am not able to provide at quote at this time. Thank you for your enquiry" and then watermark your photos and check any future enquiries against her friends list (this is why you are better off not blocking so you can see her friends).

Show her this

I'd respond with:

^Thanks for the update. My terms of business are that I will only deal with clients directly, as I'm not able to give out pricing information until I have understood and agreed their requirements - including the date the cake is required. If these terms do not work for them then I'm sure you'll understand that unfortunately I will be unable to assist.
Best regards, Frozn^

Have you got copy right on your design op?

So allegedly the prospective customer has seen YOUR cake design but approached a different baker to make it for her. Said baker is too busy to make it but instead of directing the customer to you to make the cake and pointing out that this is not her design anyway, has messaged you for a price for the cake - to be made on any date of your choosing (is the customer planning on changing the date of the birthday/party/celebration to suit your schedule ) and is going to do what - pass the cake off as her own? Stick 20% on top of your price like some middleman? This gets more outlandish by the minute.

This is what she replied with -

No....my friends mum asked me if I can do him a chicken nugget birthday cake...I am unfortunatly too busy to do him one...I saw you made a nice one recently and I am enquireing if you could do one for him as I can't!... i am just asking a fellow cake maker if you are able to help me out however I can see that you are upset by my asking about prices and if you are able to do it that's fine just please let me know so I can try to get someone eles to help me out. X

Clearly from that you can work out it was a cake that was made to look like a box of McDonald's chicken nuggets 😂

Oh and get watermarks over all of your cake photos and publicity material.

Whilst using other people's designs for 'inspiration' is inevitable, you don't have to make it easy for them!

And if you haven't already got a published terms of business, it would be a good idea to add this to your site/FB page. My local cake business has stuff on there about only dealing directly, deposits, cancellations, delivery info (i.e. that they are not responsible for the cake once you have taken delivery of it) and so on.

Just reply saying you don't work through third parties and you would be happy to discuss it with the client directly.

X post - I'd thank her for the referral and say fine, but the client will need to contact you directly before you can agree anything.

i'm surprised she didn't just get exhausted trying to get through your suspicions

I think if it was just a price request she would have asked a friend to do it, I also don't see the problem with her knowing your prices, and as you said, people copy original designs all the time...so not much you can do about it.

Good luck with your business though :D