Mom-To-Be Refusing To Pay for 'Ruined' Gender Reveal Cupcakes Cheered

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A mom-to-be has received support online for her refusal to pay for a batch of gender reveal cupcakes that she had previously ordered.

In a newly-viral Reddit post, the woman had shared that the batch of cupcakes that she'd ordered from a small business owner had been destroyed after the business owner's dog jumped into them. Since the post was uploaded to Reddit, the woman has been backed in her refusal to pay for the order and the business owner has been slammed for not keeping her dog at bay.

"I found out last week my first baby's gender, and it's a little girl," the woman wrote online, before explaining that she had planned to host a baby shower to fall on the following week.

"I asked a small local business if she could please make 12 cupcakes with pink and blue icing on top, and pink icing in the middle. She agreed and said that they would be ready to collect on Friday evening," she added.

The woman went on to explain that when she went over to the business owner's house to collect her order, which would have cost £25.00 ($31.00), her large dog came running over to greet her and ended up knocking over the box of cupcakes on the floor.

The business owner apologized for what had happened but still demanded that the woman pays for the damaged cupcakes. The woman refused on the basis that the pair had initially agreed that payment would only be needed upon receiving the order.

What Do The Comments Say?

Since it was shared on the social media platform on April 11 by @AITACupcakesRuined, the post, which can be seen here, has been commented on over 3,600 times. The majority of the Redditors engaging with the post have slammed the small business owner for still expecting the woman to pay her for the damaged cupcakes, and have criticized her for being unprofessional.

One user wrote: "Why on earth would you need to pay for something you didn't receive?"

"You shouldn't have to pay anything. Her dog jumped on you end of story. She should have had the dog under control," another user added.

Baking
Stock image of a woman baking cupcakes. The Redditor has been backed online for refusing to pay the small business owner after she failed to present a proper batch of cupcakes to her. Getty Images

Should The Woman Have Paid For The Cupcakes?

The woman continued in the comments section below that the small business owner appears to have a full-time job in a different industry, and that the cupcake business is just a side hustle that she pursues for some extra income. She added that while the pair aren't friends; she had become familiar with her services through a recommendation.

Trinity Owen is a National Financial Educators Council (NFEC) certified financial education instructor and the founder and chief financial officer of The Pay at Home Parent, a careers platform marketed towards stay-at-home parents.

Owen weighed in on how and when it would be appropriate to expect payment in a similar situation, or in the case of friends or family members expecting each other to pay for something that either party isn't keen on paying for.

For Owen, communication and clear boundaries are key to establishing when it's necessary to pay.

"It's important to have open communication and set clear expectations from the get-go," she explained to Newsweek.

By this logic, since it had been initially agreed that the woman should only pay upon receiving the goods, it's in her right to refuse to pay since she went home empty-handed at no fault of her own.

Do you have a monetary dilemma? Let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.

About the writer

Melissa Fleur Afshar is a Newsweek reporter based in London, United Kingdom.

Her current focus is on trending life stories and human-interest features on a variety of topics ranging from relationships, pets, and personal finances to health, work, travel, and family dynamics. She has covered current affairs, social issues, and lifestyle stories extensively.

Melissa joined Newsweek in 2023 from Global's LBC and had previously worked at financial news publication WatersTechnology, tmrw Magazine, The Times and The Sunday Times, Greater London-based radio broadcaster Insanity Radio, and alongside other journalists or producers for research purposes. Since joining Newsweek, Melissa has been especially focused on covering under-reported women's health and social issues, and has spent a large part of her time researching the physical and mental impact of both the contraceptive pill and abusive relationships.

Prior to that, Melissa had been specialized in reporting on financial technology and data news, political news, and current affairs. She has covered data management news from industry giants like Bloomberg and Symphony, alongside the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the U.K economy's 2022-pound sterling crash, multiple National Health Service (NHS) strikes, and the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran.

A show that she produced and presented at the Greater London-based community radio station, Insanity Radio, was awarded 'Best Topical News Show' and the runner up award for 'Best New Radio Show' on the network.

She is a graduate in MA History from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Languages: English, Persian.

You can get in touch with Melissa by emailing m.afshar@newsweek.com.

You can follow her on X or Instagram at @melissafleura.


Melissa Fleur Afshar is a Newsweek reporter based in London, United Kingdom.

Her current focus is on trending life stories and ... Read more