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

To be fair - it just seems abit of a coincidence to me that 4 days after posting a cake of a McDonald's chicken nugget meal on Facebook this woman suggests a friends mum has requested her to make a chicken nugget cake! I don't think chicken nugget cakes are that common?!?!

If it was a genuine enquiry then her way of asking would have been different. More like
"Hello

I've been asked to a cake similar to the one you've done recently but haven't got the time. Can I ask you how much you charge for this so I can pass it on to the customer or better still tell her that you'd be interested in making it for her?

Thanks
Politecakemaker"

I am a home baker (albeit not a very good one!) Who has baked for friends and family. Personally I wouldn't tell her the real price - if she wants to copy you let her come up with her own price! How very cheeky of her!

doubledeckers I totally agree.

"As you are in the trade and probably more established than me, I wonder if you'd be so kind as to give me an idea as to what you think I should charge"

Surely they're on your website though? I just had a nosey on my local cake makers site and there was a price list, pictures of cakes, different styles etc all with prices set up costs etc. If you're too busy to make her one then I you'll just have to tell her that.

I'd reply with "To be quite honest, it was such a time consuming pain in the arse to make, I'd rather not do one again!"

I only know two cake makers and they're both lovely .

It's a price enquiry for a cake design you've already made and presumeably posted a picture of on social media. I would think it would be reasonable for ANYONE to text/phone/ask what the cost would be for a similar cake. I don't understand why there is so much cloak and dagger around the price of home made cake. You give an indication of price and the potential customer decides whether the ball park figure is within their budget or not. If you don't want to give out information because you are paranoid about their motives/suspect that they are a nosey competitor, just give a polite excuse or just ignore their request.

I would simply reply that you don't share individual price information (over and above what may be available on your website / Facebook site) with other professionals in the cake-making business for obvious reasons. Don't engage any further.

indubious im a small business in a small town, that does all my trade through my Facebook business page, I don't have a website. All the local cake makers in the surrounding areas don't publish their prices

peter in the cake industry it is not unheard of for cake makers to undercut competitors to get the business by finding out their prices on specific designs before quoting. Basically, if you've got someone that is constantly undercutting you then you will lose business and no one wants that!

Just give her your number then when she rings up say the price is dependent upon the actual specifications (such as sponge type etc), ask what date they need it (if they say whenever say without a date I can't quote) and then tell them your fully booked when they need it sorry.

I'm s/e and have had some fantastically rude emails from people wanting to get into my line of work.

These days I have a standard email reply of along the lines :

"I have pricing structure which is uniquely tailored to each prospective clients needs. Please supply as much information as you can about the proposed piece, including date, duration and location. Once I have checked my availability we can arrange to meet to discuss price."

I do also sometimes give a price range eg starting from £x or between £x & £y

What I do is service based and incredibly folks have asked to come watch me to learn how to do it for free so they can set up as rivals.

Those emails I either ignore or relply with 'I do not provide free training at this time, if you wish to join my training programme prices are from £x'

Unfortunately as you say people will find ways around and copy anyway, I stuck a note on all my social media that I supply references for all those I have trained/worked with and because I have been made aware of some false claims that organisations are always best to check directly with me to check references.

this is totally normal practice when setting up a business so that you don't price yourself out.

but I can totally see that it feels like she's trying to pinch your ideas.

I agree with PP and just say: What would you quote for it? I see you are in the business too. Unfortunately I am unable to make this for you as my business is booming BIG SMILE

I genuinely have sympathy op. I used to have a small business and once at a fair someone literally lined up several of my products and started to take close up photos of them! Quite open about 'having about go' themselves. I just don't think that keeping prices secret will help your business. It's really helpful for people who might be thinking about getting something made to be able to have a look at at typical price for what they're looking for.

Obv wants to undercut you and recreate cake as it's been popular. Just say you don't provide quotes to professional cake makers. You seem worried about offending when she has been unbelievably cheeky in asking.

I think she will just ring you and pretend to be someones mum!

Or will get someone else to ask!

Don't make it easy for her - can you say "I wish I could help her but flat out busy at the moment"

She's shady as, doesn't change the fact though that really it's not worth getting hett up about.

In be tempted to message her along the lines of

'here's my number xxxx, for future reference however if a client contacted me and asked me for a specific cake design from a local competitor I personally wouldn't contact that cake maker asking for their prices as I would be worried my competitors may think I was trying to resale my work as their own, which I'm sorry to say is the initial impression I got from your enquiry. I'm happy to refer clients directly in busy times and happy to receive referrals as long as it's transparent and understood by all parties from the outset. If you'd like to meet up and chat about the the possibility of cross referrals in busy times I'd be more than happy to. I hope you understand my cynicism, it's an unfortunate by product of working as a sole trader in a creative field.
Kind regards OP'

That way you've said everything you need to and she can take it or leave it

Can't offer any advice or sensible comments on the business/messaging side of things, just need to admit that this thread has me hungry for both cake and chicken nuggets.

I think you should also be concerned that a competitor wants to copy your original design. It would be worth checking out the copyright/intellectual/artistic property laws.

Think of it this way: an artist paints a beautiful painting and images of that painting are online. Someone uses those images to create cards, posters, coffee mugs etc and sells them to make a profit and the original artist gets nothing. I'm in the US (I know, sue someone for stepping on your grass and breaking a stalk) and that would result in a cease and desist letter from a lawyer.

Your design is YOUR property. You either get a cut of the profits or you make the cake for the client yourself.

Badweekjustgotworse has a good reply

@indubiousbattle I am a giant pedant. I'm so sorry. But it's design right that applies to objects and products, copyright is for literary/artistic works. Pretty sure cake designs come under design rights even though they're practically works of art.

Fill your boots with further pedantic information here: www.copyrightservice.co.uk/protect/p15_design_rights

((Sorrysorrysorryit'slikeasickness)) also OP I bet your cake is beautiful and the other maker is trying it on)

I have just Googled 'chicken nugget cake' and am astonished that it is even a thing.

Before Mumsnet, I had no idea how bitchy the world of cakemaking can be. It's a reality series in the making surely?

Send her this photo back with a £100 price tag!