To ask for the deposit for my wedding cake back?

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So my fiancé and I are getting married next week. We booked a baker to custom make our wedding cake approx 11 months ago. Communication was fab to begin with, during the design stage. We agreed on a design and paid the deposit. Some details such as flavours etc were to be decided at a later date.

Fast forward to autumn last year, I sent an email asking a couple more questions before deciding on the last details and asking for the invoice for the balance. No response. I waited a few weeks and sent another email. No response. Waited a few more weeks then commented on their social media. Had an email back very quickly saying they were very busy, answering the questions, and stating the balance wasn’t due until 14 days before the wedding though they’d send me one now if I wanted. I replied with a couple of questions to clarify, plus a request for the invoice. No answer.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to get everything finalised with all of our vendors. Sent another email to baker asking the questions again and asking for invoice. Nothing. Heard back from everyone else and got everything else finalised.

Waited another week or so and sent another email politely requesting a response within 48 hours. We are now approaching the third day and still nothing. They haven’t sent me the invoice for the final balance either, despite “their rules” that it should be paid two weeks prior to the wedding.

AIBU emailing requesting our deposit back and cancelling the order? We aren’t in desperate need of the cake (low number of guests - it was a whim purchase and we thought it would look fab in the photos). I could do without the stress of wondering whether they will or won’t show up on the day, and tbh I don’t want to deal with the confrontation if they do (I don’t think I’d be able to stay quiet).

For info, this person has been posting on FB the entire time I’ve been waiting on emails. They are incredibly talented, and I feel sad that it has come to this. But I feel like I’m being taken for an idiot at this point. WWYD?

Maybe send her a final message (and a nudge on FB to say you have) saying you expect contact from her to finalise details by end of Monday otherwise you'll assume it isn't going ahead and will expect your deposit to be returned.
This is what I would do.

Have a great wedding with or without cake.

If you get stuck go on your local area's Facebook cake - bound to be someone who can help at short notice or someone will recommend someone who can help! Good luck

FWIW - we agreed all the cake details. Large square choc base with slabs of choc around the edge which we would give out in the even-do (or B list guests according to a different thread..) The rest were individual cheesecakes of different flavours with choc slabs around the edge and berries... We did not end up getting this on the day but everyone enjoyed the alternative individual cakes that arrived so we didn't worry about it. Weddings are soooo stressful before but on the day nothing really matters, honestly x

That cake isn't coming. She either has realised that she can't make it for some reason or just can't be bothered so I think she is hoping that by ignoring you a new cake will be ordered elsewhere. Social media post asking for a refund is needed, plus a review if she has a business. Get yourself off down M and S and see if they can get one in time - bit of ribbon and some flowers on the top and you are sorted

You have told her you want a 3 tier fruit cake/2 tier chocolate & sponge or whatever I presume.

Adding blue/tartan/neon/diamanté ribbons and icing roses/daisy/nettle leaves won’t take an experienced baker more than half a day.

Send her a final email saying “ this is what we want, if you can not deliver for our January XXth wedding I presume we will get our deposit back.”

No, we still had questions on the actual cake flavours not just decorations

Let’s be honest - the cake isn’t happening. She probably didn’t add you to her calendar last year or whatever and has since forgotten about your cake. You’ll probably get some faff apology next month

Hopefully you paid with card or PayPal so you can dispute the deposit payment. If you unfortunately paid with bank transfer then you should definitely kick up a fuss on social media and leave her a negative review.

She is unreasonable to not freeze cakes. It is well known among cake makers that it improves the crumb and makes them more moist

e.g. www.cakecentral.com/forum/t/687120/im-convincedfreezing-cakes-rocks

::completely missing point of thread::

It's probably not this but I've got a thing at the moment where all my emails are going to people's junk folders? Which is helpful.

FB Messenger is the answer as always.

I think the only way to divide an estate fairly is to split it equally between children. And little treasures also split equally. Otherwise you run the risk of really upsetting one of your children/grandchildren and that’s awful

Oh ffs wrong thread entirely!

Sadly i cant see you getting your cake from this lady. I hope you manage to sort something out and have a great wedding day when it comes

I would just say due to non response to your X amount of emails over X period of time and it now being only one week to the wedding and you haven't been able to confirm flavours or communicate you have lost all trust in them as a business and no longer want the cake and would like your deposit back as a goodwill gesture due to the poor service you have received and feeling forced into cancelling.

I would call her out on social media and demand my money back.

I would not have any confidence in this person making my wedding cake at all

We had issues with a local cake maker. In 2016 booked her to make my sons bday cake....conformed and paid and then on the day.....nothing......kept calling and emailing and at 330pm she replied she had got her days mixed up 😳 we did get the cake at about 530pm but it had missed his party so we had a massive cake for just us. She offered a discount for next order ....which when we placed one we had to remind her of and it was awkward.
Her cakes are amazing though and she caters for our quite difficult dietary requirements so we thought the stear we would give her another try. Her fb page is always v active and she’s highly praised.

Booked for 3 dates. All confirmed. Then she went awol until 2 said before the first cake was due 😳 so I panicked but it was an amazing cake. The next one was clearly rushed and I was not impressed.
She had said yes to the third date then said actually she wasn’t sure would let us know.....heard nothing then saw in fb her “last cake of 2017” so clearly she wasn’t going to honour the third cake! Cakes are lovely when we get them but won’t use her again as she’s too disorganised

I think you will get that cake.

She's probably up to her eyes in it plus often being artistic doesn't always go hand in hand with being organised at administrative type stuff. Putting your work on fb is fun but replying to emails isn't.

I'm not 100% clear on what is outstanding on your side. I know you want to lay the money, but if you were given s price and paid the deposit, surely you can just do the maths yourself? You must already have her payment details?

She does sound flakey but I still think she'll do your cake. She'll be starting it on Monday and you'll hear then or on Sunday night.

What else needs to be established?

Is cancel the cake the new cancel the cheque? ;)

Oh dear what a shame, if you don't get an actual cake I hope she gives you your deposit back.

Our wedding cake was from Waitrose but it wasn't in the wedding range.
They were able to deliver sooner than m&s.
I chose 3 heart shaped cakes, all different flavours (chocolate with chocolate buttercream, vanilla with vanilla filling and lemon with lemon cream) and then popped some sugar flowers on and some edible glitter. Think they were something like £20 per cake? Cake(s) were a hit, although dh fed himself the first slice and not me and a family member took a whole cake home without asking us...

Any updates?

Get a few of the English cheesecake company's cakes. They're SO good, lol. They do wedding cakes, but not sure of what their time frame is. A nice little backup.

Adding blue/tartan/neon/diamanté ribbons and icing roses/daisy/nettle leaves won’t take an experienced baker more than half a day

Well that depends. Depending on how many roses for example it could take a lot lot longer, they need to be made in layers and dry. OP I hope you get your cake, regardless of whether it is essential or not, you ordered and paid a deposit. It is ridiculous top say shes been too busy working to reply, I make cakes and if someone messaged me I might not always be able to reply straight away but I would reply, Im not working 24/7!

Very curious as to whether the cake turned up or not in the end.

often being artistic doesn't always go hand in hand with being organised at administrative type stuff. Putting your work on fb is fun but replying to emails isn't.

Not an excuse. If someone's running any kind of business which involves other people's money, they need to get organised. Keeping up with the boring admin stuff as well as the fun stuff is part of being a grown up.

I'd call and leave a voicemail. Maybe your emails have been going into her junk folder? Check your junk folder too in case she has been replying and emailing you and they've gone into your junk folder.

Mercia

I didn't say it was an excuse.