Customer Help Center: Your Questions, Answered

1. Are bakers allowed to prepare homemade baked goods?
Yes, they can! Homebaked Nearby was founded by a former health inspector registered in California, Texas, and with the National Environmental Health Association. Each state has its own cottage food laws, and the regulations can differ significantly between states and local jurisdictions. These laws allow individuals to prepare low-risk baked goods from their homes, as the final products typically do not require refrigeration. Homebakers must adhere to the laws, regulations, and local ordinances relevant to their state and jurisdiction. If you have inquiries about the cottage food laws in your state, please reach out to the department responsible for overseeing cottage food laws. In many states, this responsibility is entrusted to the State Health Departments, Agricultural Departments, or local health authorities.

2. Is Homebaked Nearby a safe platform for ordering baked goods?
Homebaked Nearby was founded by a former health inspector with extensive experience in enforcing food safety standards across multiple states. Our platform is designed to align with cottage food laws, and we require that all bakers adhere to the regulations set by their respective states and local health authorities. Before joining the platform, every baker must provide a valid food handler or food manager certificate, along with any necessary health permits, registrations, or licenses. Bakers must follow Homebaked Nearby’s Food Safety Guidelines, in addition to complying with their state and local health authority requirements.

3. Are payments secure?
Payments are securely processed through Stripe, a leading payment processor also trusted by Amazon and Google. Your credit card will only be charged through the platform at the time you confirm the order, eliminating the need for later payment hassles.

4. How do I use Homebaked Nearby?
Sign-up: Begin by signing up and providing basic information. Please remember to check your junk email if you do not receive a verification email.
Select Baked Goods: Choose your baked goods, specify delivery or pickup, and select the date and time for your order.
Select Bakers and Add Order Details: Pick up to 5 Texas homebakers you're interested in, then include order details like flavors, dietary requests, inspirational photos, and specific instructions. Even if you send requests to multiple bakers, you will only be able to proceed with one of them. Feel free to make additional requests if needed!
Send Request: Click “SEND REQUEST,” and Homebaked Nearby will notify bakers to check their availability for you. The bakers respond with their availability within 24 hours and include any necessary quotes so you can compare prices. There's no more waiting for individual responses; Homebaked Nearby saves the average customer 2 hours of time! You'll have time to organize that junk drawer now! Woohoo!
Navigate to the “Orders & Messages” section: Select either the “Requests” or “Confirmed Orders” tab. Once a request is confirmed, it is moved from the "Requests" tab to "Confirmed Orders" tab. Click on the specific order to access transaction details where you can choose responses like “Pay now” or “Picked up.” Additionally, you’ll receive email updates regarding the order status. Remember to always "Pay now" within 24 hours or the order will automatically expire.
Easy Payment and Reviews: Payment is processed when confirming your order to avoid later payment hassles. Once the order is complete, don't forget to leave your baker a glowing recommendation!

5. What are the costs associated with Homebaked Nearby?
Creating an account is absolutely free, and there are no membership obligations. Each baker's profile displays their fixed prices or minimum quote prices for custom baked goods that require quotes. Once a baker responds with their availability, you can clearly see the final amount before confirming the order. Any applicable sales tax, delivery costs, and a small $5.95 booking fee will also be clearly shown before you pay. This modest fee helps us maintain the smooth operation of Homebaked Nearby for your convenience. Thank you for supporting local homebakers!

6. How far in advance should I place an order?
It really depends on the type of baked goods that you are ordering, but the sooner you order, the better. New orders cannot be placed within 2-3 days of the delivery or pickup date. Orders can be made up to one year in advance. Here are a few typical baked goods with corresponding recommended lead times:
Wedding Cakes: 4-6 months
Special Occasion Cakes (e.g. birthdays, baby showers, and groom’s cakes): 2-3 months
Letter/Number/Shape Cakes: 2-3 months
Cupcakes: 3-4 weeks
Custom Sugar Cookies: 1 month
Pops and Desserts: 1 month

7. Who sees my personal information?
Your information is visible only to the bakers you request or confirm. Delivery and pickup addresses are confidential until you confirm an order. Once you confirm the order, a delivery address will populate for the baker if you selected delivery. If you selected pick-up, your address will remain confidential, and you will be able to see the pickup address of the baker once the order is confirmed. Estimated driving times can be utilized until the order is confirmed, helping both customers and bakers in determining their travel preferences.

8. Do you offer delivery?
Enjoy the convenience of having freshly baked goods delivered at a fraction of the cost compared to some third-party delivery services. Many bakers also offer free local delivery! Please ensure that someone is available at the scheduled delivery window, as the perishable nature of the baked goods makes leaving them on the doorstep less than ideal. It is the customer's responsibility to coordinate a timely delivery with the recipient who can receive the order. Thank you for your cooperation!

9. How to pickups work?
For pickup orders where the baker offers porch pickup, you can easily select "Picked Up" to confirm receipt of the order. This will inform the baker that you have picked up your item, so they don't have to worry if they are out delivering a cake. Please note, this action cannot be undone, so be sure to only select it when you have picked up and approved of the item.

10. How do I quickly access the website on my mobile phone?
Simply follow your phone's instructions to add it to your home screen as a shortcut. You can simply tap on the icon just like an app! This saves you time, eliminating the need to type in the website every visit to Homebaked Nearby.

11. How do I care for my baked goods upon order completion?
Upon receiving your order, please inspect it promptly. Delicate items, such as cakes and custom sugar cookies, require careful handling and proper storage to prevent damage. Be mindful that external factors such as weather, temperature, humidity, and prolonged exposure without adequate refrigeration can affect the integrity of certain baked goods. Please transport them with care on a flat surface and carry them with two hands from underneath. We recommend having cakes delivered.

12. How can I make small changes to a confirmed order?
The platform does not support changes made to confirmed orders, and it is not recommended, especially changing order dates, as this can lead to confusion. If you need to make a small adjustment that doesn’t affect pricing, such as changing pink frosting to purple frosting, that can be accommodated by messaging with the baker through the platform. Any minor changes need to be approved by the bakers and are at the sole discretion of the bakers. Note: The system will automatically mark the order as received if the date extends beyond 14 days past the pickup/delivery date and time. Therefore, it is not advisable to extend the order date to accommodate a delayed pickup or delivery. Thank you for your understanding!

13. There are no bakers available to take my request, what do I do?
Oh my! We apologize for the inconvenience! While we're expanding our team of bakers, we recommend placing separate orders for different baked goods or exploring our variety of other options. Modifying your delivery preferences, date, or time may generate a new list of bakers from which to choose. Your continued support is greatly appreciated as we work diligently to enhance our services.

14. What is the cancellation policy for customers?
We understand that cancellations can be hard on homebakers, who invest so much time, effort, and resources into baking custom treats. To better support them, cancellations cannot be accepted after an order is paid and confirmed. However, your homebaker is more than willing to offer guidance on preserving your baked goods for a future date! We appreciate your understanding and continued support of homebakers. Thank you!

15. How do I request a future discount or refund?
If your order has incorrect or missing items, please contact your baker immediately for assistance. Your satisfaction is our priority! To qualify for a refund for incorrect items (e.g., receiving vanilla instead of chocolate), 75% of the item must be returned to the baker within 24 hours for assessment. As an alternative to a refund, we encourage you to discuss a future discount with your baker on your next custom quoted order.

If an item is missing or a refund is still needed and the baker cannot resolve it, please submit a 'Help with Order' request using the link in your email notification within 24 hours of the pickup/delivery date and time. If you did not receive an email for a missed order, please email Homebaked Nearby within 24 hours at support@homebakednearby.com (Subject line: MISSING ITEM – REFUND) and include your Transaction ID, order date, full name, email address, phone number, reason for refund, and details of the missing items. We're here to make it right!

Just a heads up, refunds will not be granted for missed pickup or delivery times, nor for dissatisfaction with personal preferences such as flavor, color, taste, texture, or design. Additionally, refunds will not be granted for damages occurring to baked goods after receipt of the order. Please handle your order carefully during storage and transportation. Thank you very much!

16. How do I leave a recommendation?
After an order is received there is a 48-hour waiting period before it is completed. Once it’s completed, you can share your feedback by leaving a recommendation for your baker. We encourage honest and kind reviews, as these homebakers are part of local communities, and your words hold significant value for them. After 7 days, the ability to leave a recommendation will expire. Thank you!

17. Does Homebaked Nearby serve outside of Texas?
We hope to grow responsibly so we can continue to provide great customer service. We're planning to be in other major states in the near future, but for now, y'all order some Texas-sized cakes and cookies!

18. How do the min and max quote ranges work?
When you enter your minimum and maximum amounts for products requiring quotes, your baker will attempt to create a design within this range. If you enter a lower maximum quoted price, it may result in the baker providing a lower level of detail to minimize the time required to meet the lower quote. Please provide a maximum amount that truly reflects the quality of the product you hope to achieve. This will help your baker accurately quote you, ensuring you are content with the final product.

19. How do learn more about using the platform?
Please watch our YouTube tutorials to learn how to navigate the platform, place orders, or even become a baker yourself! Just click on the YouTube icon on our homepage to visit our channel.

20. How do I deactivate my account?
Why on earth would you want to do that!? To deactivate your account, ensure there are no pending requests or confirmed orders that haven't been completed. Next, you may email Homebaked Nearby at support@homebakednearby.com (Subject line: DEACTIVATION). The request must include your full name, the email address associated with your platform account, and a statement requesting deactivation.