AIBU to expect the birthday cake booking date changed without extra charge?

[JavSurge]

We had to cancel DD's birthday party the day before due to her having S&D. We'd have gone through with it if it was a runny nose but not S&D, as much for our guests as well as her.

Anyway, most of the vendors (hall, entertainment etc) have honoured bookings in changing the date without charge given the circumstances.

As for the cake, she wants to charge us again. Now, for context, she had not finished the cake, had not started icing or decorating it. What's more, once I informed her the party couldn't go ahead, she said she'd pop the sponge in the freezer to be used for another time.

Now we have a new date arranged I have contacted her (2 days later) and asked if the sponge will last (Google says it will) until the party in a couple of weeks and if she's available to decorate it and deliver it on that date.

She's come back saying she didn't freeze it in the end and instead gave it to her neighbour, and now expects us to pay again for a new cake?!
If she'd iced it and it was ready to go then I would completely understand. However, given that it's just a change of date, am I being unreasonable to have expected her to just to use the sponge for us, or even used the sponge for another customer and then made it fresh. Either way to me seems reasonable as she'd not be using extra resources or time.
I can of course understand she might have got an extra customer (money) on the later date but it wouldn't have caused her extra costs.

Am I being being completely unreasonable?
If the cake was decorated I'd have never asked her to redo the whole thing for free but given that she said she was freezing the sponge surely it would be reasonable for her to do it free of charge (or a nominal fee if anything extra is needed)?

This type of job is time reliant - you need a cake ready at X so they need to make it at Y. This is their job. They have allocated eg 3pm to 4pm on Monday, I’ll be making a cake for Sandra. You can’t just cancel and expect them to just suck up that hour that they’ll no longer make any money in.

But the cake was made and usable, if it had been frozen, as promised. The making of the cake hadn’t been cancelled. The cake had been made in the time slot allocated to making the cake and been paid for!
You may want to argue that the time allocated to decorating the cake is now an empty slot, but she can utilise another empty slot in the future. So swapping one empty slot for another - no loss.

You may want to argue that the time allocated to decorating the cake is now an empty slot, but she can utilise another empty slot in the future. So swapping one empty slot for another - no loss.

you cannot possibly be being serious? Yes, the decorating of it is obviously the bit I’m referring to. You cannot seriously think an empty slot tomorrow is the same as an empty slot in the future? Rather blooming obviously, the empty slot tomorrow is going to be a lot harder/likely impossible to fill.

and obviously, yes, the sponge bit being put in the freezer is fine and belonged to the op. That isn’t the bit I am - exceptionally patiently if I do say so myself - trying to explain to those who don’t get it.

I’ve asked chat gpt for help explaining it because I’m giving up. Here’s a screen shot.

But the OP didn’t ask for a refund.
the cake maker said “I have decorated it so I can freeze it for a later date”

cake maker still got paid the full amount (including delivery fee), said they’d freeze the cake, gave that cake away and the OP is left with nothing other than potentially having to pay the same again.

the cake maker should have given the OP the cake as it was or stated “I’ll still decorate it to a degree and deliver tomorrow as it’s been paid for in full”

the cake maker should not have said/done “I’ll freeze it for a later date. Actually I’ve given it to someone else!”

OP you haven't been very clear here. You implied you'd been asked to pay the full amount again.

the fact you've posted without knowing what you have to pay and the fact you think you should pay nothing when she's blocked out time for you is a bit cheeky.

You should ask her to tell you what you will owe her next time so you can budget and decide if it's feasible and she should be able to confirm this as it sounds like she isn't being clear either.

But for all you know she's going to give you a new one for £20...

OP don't forget this woman now has to block out time at a later date to decorate this cake for you (even if she had frozen the other one) but actually bake it as well.

You’ve paid £200 already for a cake, does she want you to pay a further £200? But where’s your cake that you initially paid for, she didn’t give that to you, regardless of the party being cancelled, you paid for a product that you didn’t receive, she said she’s freezing the cake implying she’s keeping it for you. If she wasn’t going to have you reschedule, she should’ve given you the option of her decorating the cake anyway and giving it to you as you’ve paid or asking you get back in touch to reschedule.

To be fair a lot of those examples I would expect with 24 hours notice to lose the payment because its too short notice to find replacement business. My Daughter cancelled a driving lesson short notice the other week as she was unwell and I paid the full price, I was told it wasn't necessary but I wouldn't want them to be out of pocket at short notice. Ive done the same with a massage in the past.

To me short notice cancellations do require costs covered. What I dont agree with is the baker deciding to essentially donate your paid for product to someone else whilst keeping the full cost. You should have been offered the cake anyway or perhaps a replacement date at a slightly reduced cost. I dont think they should have given the cake away at all without communication but I also think its a bit much expecting a replacement date with no extra charge. There should be a middle ground. You either pay for 2 cakes and get 2 cakes or you cover the lost costs and then pay full price for the new one.

I do agree with this too, I wouldn't be pre-emptively annoyed when you dont know what they will suggest yet. I think get the cost first and then see what is reasonable.

It's not just the cake, it's her time. She would have blocked out time for your cake, which means she would have had to say no to other people. I think she's being very generous in not charging you for the full amount regardless.

What do you mean she is being generous? As far as I have read she has been charged full price and had no cake at all? The only thing that isnt clear yet is if the replacement case is expected to be full price but im failing to see any generosity here at being charged full price and having her cake given away?

You cancelled the service you paid for.
You cancelled the goods you paid for.
You didn't mention rescheduling the cake.
You didn't ask for the baked cake.

To her, you've said no longer required.

You're being unreasonable. Annoying yes as your head would have been all over the place but you weren't explicit. She's also running a business and would take what you say at face value.

The cake maker should have still delivered the cake the OP has paid in full for! Not given it away to someone else!

But the cake maker also said she would freeze the cake. That to the OP implied she was saving it for her.
As I have said it's poor communication on both sides. OP could have said she needed to cancel but would be rebooking once a new date was confirmed. The cake maker could have been clearer that the cake had been made, she initially thought she could freeze it but then couldn't so would the OP be able to collect or she could still deliver considering that had been paid for.
The cake had not been decorated so I do feel that when a new cake is booked this should factor in e.g. OP paid £200 but cake was only baked so cost £120, so £80 credit towards a new one including free delivery.
However I do think the fact she gave OPs cake away without asking means a bigger discount should be given as technically OP had paid for the cake and I expect would have taken it if she knew it was just going to be given away!