Scammed by Kim’s Cake Creations
I have decided to write this blog, partly as a way to vent, but also as a warning to anyone around the Harrisburg area who needs a cake.
I am a firm believer in moral integrity and good business practices. Honesty breeds loyalty. One of the things that gets to me the most is dishonest people. People in this day and age ought to be forthright and take pride in their work!
To sum up, I wanted a cake for my daughter’s birthday. I had a good friend recommend a woman, I went to her Facebook page and saw other cakes that didn’t look bad and thought it would be a good match since my friend so highly recommended her. My husband picked up the cake the morning of my daughter’s birthday and brought it home and I was just shocked by what I saw.
I attempted to reach some kind of understanding with Kim, gave her the chance to make up for her mistake. Everyone makes them, I can understand that. The responses I got I just could not believe! I honestly would have even been happy if she had just offered to pay the fee for having to cancel the check and gave me a sincere apology for her mistake. Her unwillingness to accept any blame for her “creation” shows how truly insincere her apologies are. She even accused me of STEALING from her, and made claims that many professional bakers don’t finish icing their cakes! Absolutely ridiculous!
Her attitude of “not my problem” and excuses and passing along the blame is just shameful for a business person.
Perhaps writing this blog isn’t the most professional or adult thing to do either but at this point I feel I MUST warn people about who they are getting involved with when they order from Kim’s Cake Creations. I do not see any other way to do that at this point then in this medium.
Here is the back and forth correspondence between myself and business owner Kim. I have changed the name of my friend who recommended me to this unprofessional and dishonest woman for her privacy. I also changed the date of my daughter’s birthday and replaced my real name with “ME.”I also removed all numbers and addresses for privacy sake.
I leave you to decide for yourself if you really wish to take a chance doing business with her.
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- Conversation started October 11
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ME
Hello! Shelly* referred me and said you make awesome cakes and dont charge an arm and a leg lol I was looking for someone to make a milkshake shaped cake for my daughters 3d birthday in November. about 15-20 guests, most of them little kids so small pieces. Would you be able to do something like that? How much might that cost? I will send you a picture of what i mean so you can have a better idea. THANKS!
- October 16
Shouldn’t be a problem. Just need to know the date to confirm if I am open.
- October 16
ME
November *date change*
- October 18
Will you need the cake for the *th? That is a *day. Aslo, the pic looks like it is a cake baked withing a milkshake cup. If that is what you want, I won’t be able to do it. If you would like an all cake milkshake, I would be able to do that. It would need to be just one flavor. I could do it for $25. If you are still interested in me making the cake for you, please let me know the specifics. Thank you, Kim
ME
yep her party is November *th (*day) at 3:30 pm I just sent the pict of the milkshake just as an inspiration for what the cake could look like I was thinking a 3d white cake with like cream filling, like pastry cream. Looking like the milkshake with the “whipped cream” on top, all cake of course lol. And the strawberry, I like the strawberry. that could be modeling chocolate I suppose if a real strawberry would be too small. Up to you, you know what your doing. I could come pick it up as well so you dont have to deliver it all the way to ****. (we live in ***, but her party is at **** in ****) My number is *** (text ok too)
ME
THANK YOU!
Okay, I can do that. I would just need to know what day/time you will be picking up the cake. We live in **** as well. ***** Harrisburg, PA *******
ME
Maybe the morning of the *th? how long will it keep in the fridge?
- October 20
ME
do you think it might taste better with like a strawberry cream filling?
- October 20
I work, but I can make sure that my husband is home when you come. Strawberry filling would probably not be a good idea, from a stability stand point.
ME
ok.
- November 1
ME
Quick question, about how tall will the cake be and about how big around (approximately?) It will be the centerpiece for our buffet table and want to make sure I match everything up accordingly… Also, we have had a few last minutes guests sign on, how much would it be to make the cake for about 30 people instead of 20? Again, 15-18 will be toddlers so the pieces don’t have to be huge. There will be about 10 adults now though.
- November 7
It will probably be about a foot tall. In order for it to serve more people I can place it on top of a square cake that looks like a tablecloth. Price would be $35. Do you still want all white cake?
ME
That sounds great! all white cake is fine, dont want to make it too complicated. Doing a 3d cake is complicated enough! …do you want me to send you a picture of the tablecloth we got for her party?? I don’t know if you would be able to match it??
ME
our cups and tablecloth.
—-Pictures of cups and tablecloth—–
- Monday
ME
What time tomorrow is good to pick up? my cell number is ***** we will be needing to be at the party by 3pm to decorate, its in ***** so maybe we can pick up ion the way? how long can the cake stay out? or should we refrigerate when we arrive?
- Monday
I do not have to be at work until 8:15 AM tomorrow and my husband will be home util at least 8:45. If that doesn’t work for you, you can pick it up about 2:30 PM. I will just make sure that my husband is home at that time. The cake can stary out, it won’t need to be refrigerated, unless you want too.
- Monday
ME
we can pick up between 8-8:30 if that works
That works out perfectly.
- Tuesday
ME
Kim, hello. This is ******’s Mom. I left you a phone message also – ***** is very busy getting ready for Pumpkinhead’s* party and asked me to contact you about the cake. Honestly, we are BOTH very disappointed in this cake! (***** is actually furious!) We were expecting a 3D cake – which would have a fondant cover, it does not, and even without the fondant cover, which we could’ve lived without, the quality of the cake is unacceptable! The filling is oozing out of the sides, the milkshake glass is leaning to one side, (we are afraid it’s going to fall over!) and parts of the cake show through the frosting – ie; not enough frosting on the cake! It just looks like crap. We did not drop it or anything like that. We have pictures of how it looked like when we picked it up. We are trying to “fix” it best we can. We went to the store and bought $10.00 worth of fondant to try and wrap the cake, (keep it from falling over!) but with so many other things we have to do today I don’t know if this’ll work. We will probably just have to call Tops and get a sheet cake for Pumpkinhead’s* party! These cakes cost $40.00 or more! (AND -One more thing for us to do today!) ***** has called the bank and stopped payment on your check. A $10.00 fee. We don’t have a lot of money, and **** said she used you because you came so highly recommended, and from the photos you have have posted on your FaceBook page, your cakes look much different that the one we have for Pumpkinhead’s* party! ****** just told me there’s a giant crack going down through the middle of the cake! Again, VERY UNACCEPTABLE. Bottom line here Kim, obviously we are not paying for this and expect you to pay us the $10.00 for the fondant and the $10.00 check fee. And, if the fondant that we bought to “fix” this does not make a cake fitting for a little girl’s 3rd birthday party, we expect you to pay for the generic “replacement” cake that we may have to purchase at the last minute! You have both our phone numbers.
- Tuesday
I am sorry that you are upset with the cake. The cake is in fact 3D. Also, I reviewed our correspondence and nowhere in our conversation did **** state that she wanted the cake covered in fondant. As far as the “not enough frosting on the cake”, that can happen with any bakery, and frequently does. The cake will not fall apart or fall over, as it is secured with wooden dowels. There were no giant cracks down the the center of the cake when I left it this morning. What happens during transport, is not my issue. If the cake is not supported correctly, then it may cause crakcing (if, you did not hold the cake underneath, but held it, on either side). Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the cake, as it was, prior to pick up, so I guess that’s my issue. If you would have spoken to me, prior to stopping payment on the check, I would have gladly given it back to you.
ME
Kim, these are the pictures we took. It’s the weight of the top that is causing the filling to ooze out the sides and the cake to crack, not the way the box was carried. A professional baker would NEVER leave cake showing through the frosting, and the dowels are useless if the cake is set upon them crooked. We removed the layer of the frosting on the top part of the cake to put on the fondant, and noticed those layers are on the dowel off center. See the picture. Even with the fondant, the cake looks like crap. Plus, now the chips have started to slide down the side of the cake too. It’s been sitting on the counter all day. We went to The PA Bakery and bought two cakes from them for $50.00. ****** showed them pictures of your cake, and they said, “we can’t believe she let you walk out of there with a cake that looks like that. We would never sell a cake that looked like that. It looks messy and half done.”
This is how the cake looked upon arrival. we did nothing but carry it into the house.
This is the cake upon arrival, unaltered
After we added fondant to try and rescue it
after we scrapped off a little icing, you can see how poorly it was constructed
After we scraped off a little icing to prep for fondant. total time sitting on the counter was under an hour. you can see how the top of the cake is sinking into the bottom and cracking it
the cake upon arrival unaltered
another view after we scraped off a little icing to prep for the fondant. you can see the poor construction and how it is leaning and sinking into the bottom causing the bottom to crack. total time out on the counter was under an hour.
I apologize for not calling, but I am at work and I am unable to use my cell phone and I cannot use my work phone for personal call. I am writing this on my break, so it has to be quick.
I am not a professional baker, nor does my facebook page say so, and……… trust me professional bakers do let cake show through the frosting. I have paid for enough of them to know. It even happend with my wedding cake.
Bottom Line:
1. You took possession of the cake and provided payment and took it from my home. This implies that you were satisfied with the product. (Did you say anything about your concerns to my husband?) You did not have to take the cake. You could have refused it and refused to make payment.
2. You modified the cake on your own. You bought the fondant to try and fix what you thought was wrong. You did not ask me to replace the cake. I would have more than gladly made a new cake. I would have even delivered it for you.
3. You stopped payment on the check, but still have the cake, so technically you have stolen from me.
I am sorry that you were unhappy and you were stressed out about this. I hope your cakes from PA Bakery are wonderful, and again I am very sorry.
Thank you,
Kim
- Today
I am absolutely flabbergasted that you think this is good business management. I did not pick the cake up, my husband did. I trusted that you could do what I was paying you for. Your refusal to take responsibility for your mistake is just incredulous!
You have done nothing but make empty apologies and try to shove the blame off on us.
We “modified” the cake in order to try and salvage it since my daughters birthday was only hours away. I did not ask you to replace the cake because I wanted a cake that I could present to our guests that would be done correctly.
Later that night we also dissected your cake. True there were dowels, off centered. The cake was burned into about a half inch in. The cake was rock hard and difficult to cut, and although I did not taste it, my mother said it “tasted strange. not sweet or fluffy but just had a weird questionable flavor.” We then chucked the whole thing in the garbage.
Your right, you are certainly NOT a professional baker, and you never will be with your “talent” and lack of professionalism.
Shame on you for scamming us.
I suppose I will just have to live with the lesson learned. You can be sure that I will be blogging about this incident, along with pictures. I suppose that is all I can do.
This matter is closed.
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I have currently not received any further correspondence. The PA Bakery was able to supply us with beautiful and tasty cakes in time for my daughters party. They are amazing and I will be giving them all my business in the future. The staff was so friendly and understanding! My daughters party was a success and I can’t wait to leave this whole stressful mess behind us!
Anyway, I hope I have at least saved some of you out there looking for a cake for your special occasion from having to go thru any issues with this person. If I have then at least I can take comfort in that!
PS:
Here are the pictures from the PA Bakery of the cakes we picked up last minute. They were delish!
Now THAT’S how you do a cake!
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UPDATE: 11/15/13
received a reply yesterday:
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I did not scam you. It did not get paid. Sorry you feel that way. Cake was not burnt. Never trying to be a professional baker. Unfortunately the pictures are not a very good representation of what the cake looked like when it left my house, because all I saw were pictures after you modified it. I look forward to your blog. Everyone has their opions. Again, I am sincerly sorry that you did not like the cake. Matter closed.
_____________________________________Again she “apologizes”, but still refuses to accept the blame that she made a mistake and gave us a junk cake.
The pictures I posted on here are the exact ones I sent her, including the pictures of the cake exactly as it looked upon arrival before we tried to rescue it. She even tries to say the cake wasn’t burned! When we download the picture into the computer you will be able to SEE how much the cake was burned ion the inside.
It really gets under my skin when people don’t take responsibility!
Inside Pale 
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