New York Woman Says a Small Business Owner Ruined Her Best Friend’s Birthday. Then Made Her Beg for an $80 Refund: ‘In Your Best Interest’

A New York woman says a birthday surprise for her best friend’s 30th celebration unraveled after a custom cake never arrived. She claims the bakery failed to complete the scheduled delivery. She then alleged the business stopped responding to repeated calls and refused the $80 refund. The story comes from TikTok creator Alyssa Chanel (@Alyssachanel). Her video detailing the experience has sparked discussion about customer service expectations.

According to Chanel, she called the bakery about a week before the celebration to avoid any last-minute problems. She said the employee who took her order assured her the cake would arrive at the restaurant on Friday, the night of her friend’s birthday dinner. When she arrived at the restaurant, however, the staff told her no cake had been delivered.

Chanel said she immediately tried calling the bakery several times. She discovered the shop had already closed for the evening. Realizing the cake would not arrive that night, she decided to contact the business again the following morning.

Things reportedly got worse the next day

However, Chanel said Saturday brought more frustration. Despite calling “three or four different times,” every call went straight to voicemail.

By Sunday, someone finally answered the phone. Chanel said she spoke with the same employee who had taken her original order. According to her account, he acknowledged the missed delivery, telling her, “Oh yeah, we saw you calling yesterday. So sorry, but the cake didn’t get delivered on Friday.”

Chanel said she asked for the cake to be delivered on Monday, her friend’s actual birthday. This came after it had already missed both planned celebrations. She also requested a full refund. According to Chanel, the employee replied, “We’re happy to do the redelivery, but asking for a refund feels like a bit much.”

That response became one of the most discussed parts of her video. “A refund feels like a bit much,” one commenter wrote. “Oh, I’m sorry, not receiving the service I paid for feels like a bit much too.”

Another viewer questioned whether accepting the delayed order would even make sense, commenting, “Also…now you’re paying full price for (at least) a 3 day old cake.”

Chanel: “It is in your best interest to give me this refund”

Chanel said her frustration extended beyond the missed delivery itself. Having previously worked in customer-facing jobs, including fast food, grocery retail and as a lifeguard, she said she learned that businesses should make every effort to fix mistakes when they occur.

She said she eventually told the employee, “Sir, listen, I don’t know where you sit within the organization of this business; however, it is in your best interest to give me this refund.” According to Chanel, she reminded him that online reviews and viral social media posts can significantly affect a company’s reputation. She argued that correcting mistakes quickly can turn disappointed customers into loyal ones.

Her TikTok has since prompted hundreds of comments from viewers debating how businesses should handle missed orders and whether offering both a refund and a replacement would have been the appropriate response. Chanel did not identify the bakery by name in her video, and the business had not publicly responded to her claims at the time of her post.

(Featured image: Alyssa Chanel (@Alyssachanel) via TikTok)

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