No refund for wedding cake deposit

zoecot on 07/09/2015 - 14:17
Last edited 07/09/2015 - 22:54

Hi, I have ordered a cake from a private cake makeer and she ask for 50% deposit in March.
I have emailed to ask for cancellation policy and they said read their website (but not answering the question in email). By the time I read the website it said as well as I cancel it one month before the booking the deposit will be full refunded. I am stupid not having print screen or in writting.

Now, I would like to cancel the booking (which my cake is on 14/11/15) so still have 2 months to go; they said no refund is given and their website is frozen. I did not print screen the website cancellation policy in March. I think they pull down the website so she can update their T&C and refuse to refund me. Can she do that? Or, should she refund me in full due to the fact that I email to ask them in March and their website is not working now. Plus 50% deposit for a wedding cake is a lot to me.

Thz ppl that teaching me using google cache;

google cache have print screen on website on 30 July 2015.

T&C
CANCELLATONS We can only gurantee a full refund of your order if we receive your order cancellation prior to the production of your cake. Any other cancellation refunds will be entirely at Petals, Lace & Cake's discretion.

They still refuse to refund the money…
saying [Production of cakes includes booking time frames, 6 months from your order date your cake is deemed in production. As stated cancellations are entirely at our discretion.] Please note that this definition of production is not on T&C or anywhere on they website. They just tell me now when I show them the print screen.

Funny fact that I have not confirmed the design of my wedding cake and it is on their term and condition saying [Petals, Lace & Cake does not accept responsibility for errors made during the ordering process by the customer; however the order can be edited if it's notified prior to the production of your cake] I guess under this definition my cake is still prior the production.

Poll Options

  • 38
    The deposit should be refunded
  • 1
    The deposit should not be refunded
Food & Grocery

Comments

  • Aap Ke Papa on 07/09/2015 - 14:26
    +10

    What is the website? Have you tried the cached pages? which would have the terms and conditions that you are saying existed?

    • toniyellow on 07/09/2015 - 14:46
      +5

      This ^. If you're not sure how to check the cache try

      Google's cache https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/1687222?hl=en&p=…

      Or try https://archive.org/web/

    • zoecot on 07/09/2015 - 22:44

      Thz….
      google cache have print screen on website on 30 July 2015.

      T&C
      CANCELLATONS We can only gurantee a full refund of your order if we receive your order cancellation prior to the production of your cake. Any other cancellation refunds will be entirely at Petals, Lace & Cake's discretion.

      They still refuse to refund the money…
      saying [Production of cakes includes booking time frames, 6 months from your order date your cake is deemed in production. As stated cancellations are entirely at our discretion.] Please note that this definition of production is not on T&C or anywhere on they website. They just tell me now when I show them the print screen.

      Funny fact that I have not confirmed the design of my wedding cake and it is on their term and condition saying [Petals, Lace & Cake does not accept responsibility for errors made during the ordering process by the customer; however the order can be edited if it's notified prior to the production of your cake] I guess under this definition my cake is still prior the production.

      • what on 07/09/2015 - 23:07

        Sounds like they are making it up as they go along just to avoid giving you a refund.

        I wonder where you can report this cheating company.

        • zoecot on 07/09/2015 - 23:11

          I told them I will report to fair trade…they said go ahead, so I did.

          Very long SMS from them:-
          We are more than happy to
          Speak to fair trading as we are well within our rights to hold on to deposits. Deposits are required in order to protect us from loss of business in situations such as this. Please understand that your change of mind should not equal our loss of business. Hence the purpose of a deposit. Our terms and conditions have never stated that refunds would be returned if orders canceled within a month. I'm not sure where you got that from. Wedding cake orders are taken any wear from two years to 6months prior to wedding date. This is why we do not offer deposit refunds on wedding cake orders. Our terms and conditions state that deposit refunds are at our discretion, should a customer cancel their order prior to 6 months before the wedding date we would consider a refund as we could possibly fill a new order for that booking date, however anything less than 6 months notice we would have no chance to fill a new order on that booking date as couples do not leave it less than 6 months from their wedding date to place their wedding cake order. We certainly do not offer refunds for cancelations such as yours which is 2 months from wedding date and in peak wedding season, as this is not fair to us and is the whole reason why we request a deposit at time of booking, to protect us in situations such as this. We hope you can understand

        • what on 07/09/2015 - 23:17

          @zoecot:

          T&C
          CANCELLATONS We can only gurantee a full refund of your order if we receive your order cancellation prior to the production of your cake. Any other cancellation refunds will be entirely at Petals, Lace & Cake's discretion.

          This statement is very clear and no matter how they twist it to try and suite their cheating ways. It definately states that that they can guarantee a full refund prior to production of your cake. What a load of rubbish they are throwing at you - the cake is in production once the order is taken. A cake is in production when you start cooking it.

        • toniyellow on 08/09/2015 - 09:14

          @what:

          Yes I would agree. If they are going to invent their own definition of production, they should make it clear in their terms and conditions, otherwise I feel like this that is misleading and deceptive conduct which the Department of Fair Trading should be interested in (though I'm not a lawyer). A normal person would not assume a cake has been 'in production' since March, especially as you say you hadn't given them any details of the design so it isn't like they're sketching away in their attic. They only thing they have been producing is a tiny amount of interest on your deposit money

          I would think would be more reasonable if they charged a small fee to hold the date, and a larger deposit that could be refunded up until the supplies were bought

          Their facebook page mostly pictures cakes for non-wedding occasions so the "wedding season" excuse is just trying to profit from wedding mania. Surely they will get a birthday or christening cake on the same date with this much notice if they are that in demand. I agree with the post below suggesting you complain on their facebook page. They only have positive reviews at the moment. It will get their attention quickly.

      • daalinz on 08/09/2015 - 08:32

        Absolute rubbish.

        They only need to get ingredients for the cake maybe a week or two before. How can they justify keeping a deposit? I can understand them keeping it if it's days or weeks before the event.

    • CheapandUsed on 07/09/2015 - 15:53
      +1

      Face to face and/or Facebook.

      I've noticed alot of wedding suppliers get their referral business through facebook, so if they have a page I'd pose the question on there.

  • what on 07/09/2015 - 14:32

    Certainly seems unfair if you cannot get your deposit back. I hope it all works out. What is the website?

  • DrStinge on 07/09/2015 - 16:55
    +2

    Just curious - what's a wedding cake cost these days?

    It would have to be a super small business if they took their entire website down for just one cancellation. I think it sounds more like they're having financial troubles if they can't keep their website afloat + honour the refund.

    What method of payment did you use?

    • zoecot on 07/09/2015 - 22:47

      she is a home business making cake, i pay by bank transfer~

      The cake nowadays cost 600-800, she do 400…..well, now i understand why. But still, I pay 200 for deposit & want the money back. I cancel the cake order as a friend wanna make my cake as gift.

  • Olokun on 07/09/2015 - 19:33
    -1

    Should be able to get a copy of the required webpage through the Wayback Machine

  • Geewhizz on 08/09/2015 - 05:54

    Online reviews - WOMOW would be a good place to start. While I can understand her viewpoint that your cancellation has cost her other business around the same time, 50 per cent is a bit steep. Then again, she'd more than likely have taken a second order for the same time if someone had asked.

  • martinj on 08/09/2015 - 11:21

    Obviously this company needs to have a clearer deposit policy.

    Overall though, I think there should be an expectation that if you've put down a deposit and you cancel, the deposit is lost. Otherwise what's the point of a deposit?

  • justinh93 on 03/11/2015 - 20:22
    +1

    what a scam…. these companies need to go under… hope you get your money back!

    • justinh93 on 03/11/2015 - 20:24

      I just gave them a 1 star on FB. lol

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