hi im new to this and need help

d_marie

hi i make cakes from home for family and friends and recently made a 3 tier wedding cake for a friend of a friend.. she has since complained about it and demanded her money back which to be honest only covered the cost of making it.. she has since threatened to report me to trading standards.. i am very upset by this as i have never had any compaints before... i am not a business its just a hobbie really.. whats the worst that can happen please help x:(

antrobus

If your hobby is cake making and you happily make cakes for your friends and family in return for a contribution towards the cost of the ingredients then you are not trading as a cake maker and ultimately have nothing to fear from trading standards. The worst that could happen would be that trading standards would contact you, you'd explain to them what the situation was, after which nothing would happen.

Exactly what was the nature of the complaint? Did the 'friend of a friend' just not like the taste?

paddyrg

If you did a wedding cake for the cost of making it, the buyer was getting it cheap in the first place. You're a hobbyist, and charged a hobbyist price, not a professional price she would have paid a professional baker.

Personally, I'd suggest (in kinder words) that she is welcome to return the cake for a full refund. If she doesn't return the cake, she obviously accepted it, so she can whistle. (Actually I'd tell her to whistle anyway, but it seems kinder to offer a refund on return)

d_marie

hi and thanx for the replys i had made the cake and she even came to see it before i took it to the venue to set it up for her.. and she was very happy with it .. then exactly 1 week later she contacted me to say she was very unhappy with her cake and that it has started to sink and the roses had fell off.. and wanted a full refund... when i left the cake it was in perfect condition and in my experiance this could only happen if it was to hot in the hall or some1 moved or bumped the cake... i had offered to give her a refund untill i had been told that it wasnt only my cake she had complained about.. and tried to get a refund for .. she just wont leave me alone ive had messages .. phone calls and letters from her threatening me with trading standards and small claims courts.. my faith in humanity if slowly fadeing... :mad:x

steve1980

Tell her to do her worst. Trading Standards won't take the case and a judge will throw it out instantly.

Where is the cake now? Was it cut up and given to guests? Has she kept it? Did someone take pictures of it to show the damage?

antrobus

d_marie wrote: »

.. she just wont leave me alone ive had messages .. phone calls and letters from her threatening me with trading standards and small claims courts.

Make a complaint at your local police station. Tell them of the 'distress' and 'anxiety' caused to you by these communications.

d_marie

apparently she has still got the cake but not gave me it... i did tell her to bring it 2 me and she said "aye so you can keep my money and my cake" (lol) she hasnt produced any pictures either.. i did see 1 of her cutting it on facebook and it looked fine.. i have a picture i took just before i set it up ... i have made this same cake many times and never had a complaint x

paddyrg

I wouldn't worry about it. After all, what does she think she's going to do about it? Trading Standards won't care (you're not trading), police will ignore her, she can try taking you to small claims court, but with no evidence of returning the cake, etc and you providing your photos of the cake as supplied plus the photo of them cutting it, it is laughable. Sounds like she is being a petulant child, who should have had more smacked bottoms as a 2 year old.

wonka

Just tell her that on receipt of the cake you will refund her. She won't return it cos it's been eaten!

It's pretty obvious she is a bully and just trying it on. If it was me I would politely offer a refund, but only in return for the cake. When she declines, tell her you're happy for her to go to trading standards or small claims court and defend yourself.

What does your friend who recommended you to her have to say?

kazwookie

Tell her to get on and report you to TS, call her bluff, tell TS exactly what you have told us.

Get her to go and whistle, or something a bit stronger!!