ComplaintsforSweet Clementine LLC

• Initial Complaint

  12/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I contacted the vendor for a cake to be made in my wedding on 01/14.2023 at the hyatt hotel and we agreed upon everything the communication was made through my contracted wedding planner which handeled the communication in a professional manner. the vendor did not provide detailed explanation of the size of the cake in inches per each tier then when I requested this information it was small for us and we requested larger cake size the vendor requested price adjustment which I agreed upon and I proceeded with deposit payment after that me and my fiancee found another vendor that will provide us the same exact measurement for the cake requested from sweet clementine vendor but the new vendor will provide all cake tiers "real cake" while sweet clementine will provide only 2 tiers real and two tiers fake however I decided to stick with sweet clementine because they were able to accommodate our request this is was in october although they communicated back in october in a very rude and disrespectful way as seen in my uploads. then just ************************************************************************* under the bus. I believe this is was their intention from October and even they did it in a disrespectful way.

  Business response

  12/23/2023

  Good morning, 
  

  Sweet Clementine LLC is a small business dedicated to custom cakes, predominantly wedding cakes. We require all our customers to sign a contract outlining the cake to be made and price. In order to move forward with the contract, a non-refundable deposit is required to be paid to make sure that day is booked. 
  First, we sympathize with wedding parties and understand it is a stressful time. To reduce anxiety, we strive to be as detailed and organized as possible. Part of that is having open lines of communication between couples and wedding planners alike. As a mother and daughter team in this business our intention was never to negatively impact the couples wedding experience.
  

  Upon meeting a customer, whether by phone, email or in person, we discuss the customers wishes, visions, ideas and requirements. We begin crafting an initial design for the cake. Once the initial design is planned, we create a sketch and present it to them to approve or make any alterations. We also provide the customer with a cake tasting box for the couple to enjoy and sample the different flavors. The size, design and layout of the cake depends on factors such as the couples budget, number of servings, and customers wishes. The cake size is variable and is dependent on the number of layers, dimensions, and design. We also specialize in tall cakes, and therefore, the taller the cake, the more servings it is for. 
  

  Our point of contact for this customer was Mr. ******** event planner named *********************************. When ********************* contacted us on August 3rd, 2023 via email, we began the process of designing the wedding cake based on the couples expressed wishes to *********************. The bride and groom never participated directly in this process and we never had any direct communication. This is not uncommon as this is a standard practice of communicating with a third party. The contract was drawn-up and sent to ********************* on September 7, 2023 via email and was made available for the bride/groom to execute electronically. The bride and groom paid the non-refundable deposit of $150 on September 7, 2023, however, did not sign the contract. Rather, there was additional communication with ********************* regarding design details of the cake. From August 3rd to our last email on December 13th we communicated over 32 emails.
  

  We communicated with ********************* via emails and texts, however the demands and wishes of the couple became more unclear. The design wishes and requirements ********************* was attempting to convey became unclear and created confusion between us. While we were working on the design and sketch, ********************* continued to voice a desire for alterations and modifications. The first sketch was provided on September 27th, 2023 to ********************* via text. The contract has still not been signed. On October 11, 2023, ********************* requested a second sketch via email. On this specific email, ********************* ccd the bride and groom to the email. In this communication, ********************* asked to make the cake larger. We immediately began outlining the changes and new dimensions for each tier. The couple wanted a four tiered cake with the first tier measuring 12 inches. It appeared they wanted these dimensions and sizing, however, they did not want to increase the servings. As stated, we work with tall cakes and could offer two real tiers and two faux tiers, which is something we often do when the client wants a taller cake, but does not want to increase the amount of servings. Due to the changes in the design, there was an increase to the price of the cake. We tried to be as accommodating as possible with all the desire for changes.

  After these modifications to the design were made, we resent the contract to the bride and groom on October 16, 2023 via email. The contract now has the additional changes to be made, including the increase in tiers and design. We requested for it to be reviewed and signed promptly to ensure it accurately reflected our agreement and design. 
  The contract was never signed by the bride and groom. 
  

  On October 19, 2023, ********************* emailed requesting for us to lower the price of the designed cake; remove the delivery charge; and/or to refund the bride and ****** $150 deposit because the couple had gone over their planned budget. We advised that we would be unable to make these requested discounts as this contract had been quite time consuming to-date. We had put in a lot of time, effort, and expertise into the process to ensure the bride and groom were satisfied with their vision. Additionally, we informed the planner that we had already turned down other weddings due to this cake. Despite not having a signed contract, we did have a non-refundable deposit because it prevented us from booking other customers. To be accommodating, we did offer to allow the bride and groom to use the non-refundable deposit towards a future cake, if they so decided to cancel with us for the wedding date. 
  Due to the increasing issues surrounding the design and price of the cake, and still without a signed contract, we decided to cancel the cake on December 13th, 2023. To help alleviate the couples budget concerns, we did refund the $150 on that same date. 
  

  We ultimately felt cancelling this order was in the best interests of all parties as there was a breakdown in communication and budget concerns. Sweet Clementine LLC is a professional company that follows its guides and will always honor their customers and contracts. 
  

  I am attaching the three un-signed contracts, as well as the invoice where NON-REFUNDABLE is explicit and the sketch where the cakes were detailed. In addition, I am attaching the email and text communications with *********************. Together, these show that any communication issues were created by ********************* and/or the wedding couple and we made attempts to clarify those issues on multiple occasions and with a contract. 
  

  Lastly, we have been in business for three years in ***** but we have more than ten years of experience in the cake making and customer service industry. We have created hundreds of wedding cakes and have worked with remarkable event planners and customers alike, and not had a situation like this arise. In addition to the BBB complaint filed by *******************************, ********************* and the wedding couple wrote scathing ******** reviews of our company and posted in ***** Wedding Groups, which we believe are untrue and mischaracterize our interactions and communications. This has negatively impacted our company and me personally, and I wish for it to be addressed, rectified, and put behind us. 
  

  Thank you for your time and attention. If there are any additional concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at ************ or **********************************.

  
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩