To think a full refund should have been offered

[wowzawoo]

I picked up cake today for DC birthday party - looked gorgeous but it stunk of smoke! The house smelled too but I thought maybe the cake would be okay - but when I checked at home it really smelt strongly.

I messaged the lady and said I thought the cake was wonderful looking but I wouldn't eat it or serve it because of the smell of stale smoke and asked for a refund also said happy to return the cake to her.

She has apologised and said no one smoked around the cake, she said she would refund my money minus the deposit.

Now, I am okay with this because actually I feel sorry for her, clearly she doesn't know how bad her house smells and then in turn the cake. But really I feel she should have offered a full refund.

Aibu to think this? Every time I look at the cake I feel sorry for her and then doubt my thought that she was being unreasonable to, one sell a cake like that and two that she should have offered a full refund.

I am out of pocket because I have lost the deposit and had to go to a supermarket and buy another cake.

Seller sells through FB page and has five stars!

See above mrskevinclinton. Birthday party food. Tasted of smoke.

YANBU, OP. Sounds revolting, and you should not be out of pocket, in my opinion.

"you should have stipulated that at the time of ordering"

You should have also stipulated that you would prefer the cake not to smell of shit, or rubbish, or rotting corpses.

It's not reasonable to expect a cake-maker to anticipate all these faddy requirements people have nowadays.

So funny that people think your lying about the smelly cake OP 😂😂

She should have given you back the full amount, anything edible should be made in a clean hygienic setting and a smokey atmosphere is not hygienic.

Freudian - I’m baffled. I actually think if I made and sold cakes for a living, I’d be rather insulted if someone asked me beforehand if anyone would be smoking around the food, or stipulated that it should not smell of smoke. In the same way that I’d be insulted if they asked me to ensure it did not smell of fish or of garlic. People who buy cakes want them to smell (and taste) of cake...

My DC used to bring home fairy cakes they'd made at their Dads that stank of smoke. They went straight in the bin. DC wouldn't eat them, but they loved making them.
No way would I serve a cake that smelled like that, and indeed she should not be selling them without a hygiene certificate (scores on the doors) which would have flagged up the issue to her.
The scores on FB can be edited/deleted by the page owner, so always go with a professional firm or personal recommendation rather than FB reviews.

Yes you should have got a full refund imo. Freudianslip is being ridiculous!

Some parts of a contract are implied! You shouldn’t have to state to you don’t want your cake NOT smelling of smoke that’s ridiculous! 😂

Has anyone ever in their life eaten food that smelt or tasted of smoke??

Isn't that what culinary smoking gadgets do? Don't smoked meats smell of wood smoke?

YANBU, Op!

It will be the box and the icing that has absorbed the smoke smell from in the house if people are smoking in the kitchen. If she is a registered business this is not allowed.

There's not a lot of point in charging a deposit if you're going to give it back. I'd feel happy that she was prepared to refund the balance.

Crap! Bold fail!

Unless it was commercially made, in which case it's reasonable to expect no smoking nearby, you should have stipulated that at the time of ordering. I think losing your deposit is reasonable, she made the cake you asked for and it's cost her time and money.

Nonsense.

Assuming you are in UK:
Anyone preparing food for sale must be registered with environmental health, and adhere to strict hygiene standards including filling out a daily diary, recording all suppliers etc etc...

I’d not feel guilty one bit. She sounds disgusting. I’d be reporting it to environmental health. Pound to a penny she has never even notified them of her business... not to mention HMRC!

It was commercially made. She made it, you bought it for an agreed price. It was a business transaction.

it is too late, you accepted it and took it away. she said she would refund you.
write off the deposit and be careful who you buy from, be in less of a hurry to accept things, in future

*I’d not feel guilty one bit. She sounds disgusting. I’d be reporting it to environmental health. Pound to a penny she has never even notified them of her business... not to mention HMRC!
*

why so judgmental over the smell of smoke? what next?

I would check your local council’s health and hygiene certification criteria to see what they state. The Health and hygiene laws around food prep are very strict i.e. you cannot prepare food in an environment where animals will be at any time for instance.

Does she have a valid health and hygiene certificate anyway? If so I would ring the council on Monday and report her, it is in fact illegal to smoke in food preparation areas so if she has a certificate she’s breaking the law, and if she doesn’t she’s breaking the law.

Added to which you have the cake as evidence so no, I wouldn’t offer to give it back. Let her keep the deposit in lieu of the cake not being returned and then speak to the council on Monday, give her a 1 star review and stipulate why.

And anyone suggesting that the OP should be obliged to state that she didn’t want people smoking around the cake is being ridiculous.

Always easier to blame someone else though I guess.

Always easier to follow hygiene and environmental health rules so you don't have to give people their money back because you've been smoking fags over their cakes

If she's running a food business and isn't registered/monitored then she has no business running it. I'd be tempted to report her. if she's thick or heedless enough to smoke, or bake in a smoky environment, she might be using the loo and then making people's cakes, or God knows what else.

Smell of smoke on food to be consumed... yea I’m cool with being judgmental about that. Vile.

That's awful. People shouldn't bake for others or make anything for others when there's a strong smell present, especially smoke. Yuck. I couldn't have eaten it.

How many times does the OP need to say she didn't eat it?!

Only on Mumsnet should you accept a cake stinking of smoke and be expected to tell your local cake maker it shouldn't.

'yes so fondant icing please, some nice writing, jam in the middle, vanilla sponge. Oh and can you ensure that the cake doesn't drink of smoke, many thanks'

The cake maker has a reputable business, OP says all the reviews are five star. And the cake maker has said no-one smoked near the cake. I would not be offering a full refund simply because OP caught a whiff of a fag when collecting the cake and went into a panic.

Imchangingmyname

Jesus Christ yes. I would expect a full refund and an apology

I am exceptionally anti-smoking; absolutely can’t be around smokers whatsoever.

However, I think YABU and she was right to keep the deposit as it cost her time and money to make the cake. The fact that you didn’t use it doesn’t negate that.