Terms of service

Please kindly read the following Terms and Conditions carefully before confirming your order with Bel Bear Bakes. Bel Bear Bakes may at any time, amend, vary or modify these terms and conditions without notice. Any modifications to this site will be effective immediately, and any subsequent use by you of the website will constitute an acceptance of those modifications. Please re-read these terms and conditions, product information and other policies before subsequent use. Your submission of personal information through our website and online store is governed by our Privacy Policy.

1. PRICING, BOOKING, ORDER CONFIRMATION, CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICIES

1.1 Pricing

Final cake prices are based on the cost of cake ingredients and materials, serving sizes, the time and labour required, and the overall design elements incorporated. Quotes are valid for 10 days, unless otherwise specified, and all quotes will be sent to the email address provided in your initial enquiry submission. While a quotation price is valid for 10 days, the event date remains unconfirmed and subject to live availability until a deposit is received. Special pricing and discount promotional offers may be reviewed, changed, updated or discontinued without notice.

Custom cake quotation or pricing may only be provided after completion of either our celebration cake or wedding cake quote forms. Once a form enquiry is submitted, a response will emailed within 3-5 business days, not including any of our closed business days. Bel Bear Bakes reserves the right to cease communication with any potential customers requesting custom cake pricing or information, who are unwilling to complete our website quote forms or reasonably provide us with the necessary information required to assist with quotation or pricing.

Bel Bear Bakes does not provide design-specific quotations or pricing for product configurations or logistical requirements outside our current production range, unknown or unconfirmed event dates, or dates that we are closed, unavailable, or unable to book for any reason. Bel Bear Bakes reserves the right to cease communication with any enquirer who insists on obtaining quotations or pricing for product configurations, logistical requirements, or dates that fall outside these established operational boundaries.

1.2 Availability

We are unable to guarantee custom cake availability for undefine or specific dates ahead of a procedurally complete (form submission based) design enquiry and secured booking. Our online shop system is a live, real-time environment where availability fluctuates constantly based on several intersecting factors, including:

Live sales of our pre-designed collections via our online store at any given time.
The volume of active custom enquiries currently in the consultation-to-invoice pipeline at any given time.
The specific lead times, design, structural, and logistical requirements of each requested design.

Dates are not formally secured until our email consultation process is complete and payment is made on a corresponding invoice. Having space in our calendar at any given time does not guarantee that the lead time for a specific design request can be met, nor does it guarantee availability in the event of a time delay between enquiry, consultation, and invoicing. As our studio operates on a strictly limited production capacity, our custom cake capacity may also be superseded by our real-time online booking system for our pre-designed range at any point in time.

As we do not hold or 'switch off' calendar availability for general or unconfirmed enquiries, a date that appears tentatively available during an initial enquiry may reach total capacity through automated live sales before a custom consultation is finalised. Therefore, our overall advice is that pricing and availability depends on a number of factors such as the date, the lead time required for the design, size, structure, height, portion sizes, flavours, logistics, etc.

To ensure the best chance of availability compatibility for the consultation and booking process, a minimum lead time of at least 6 weeks is generally recommended for even less complex custom cake designs, pending existing calendar availability. For complex custom wedding cakes, a minimum lead time of 12 weeks is recommended, pending existing calendar availability.

1.3 Order Confirmation, Deposit and Payment

Custom Celebration Cakes
The order confirmation date is the date and time payment is received and funds have cleared. We can only take a limited number of orders per week; therefore, we base our schedule on a first paid first-served policy. Once your final cake details have been finalised, and your invoice has been emailed to you, a tentative booking is held up until your invoice due date deadline. No dates are held during the quotation process. In general, a booking is held for 48 hours from when an invoice is issued, with payment due within 48 hours, unless otherwise specified. If payment is not made by the due date, invoices are automatically cancelled, and tentative bookings are voided from our calendar. Unfortunately we're not able to hold calendar space or provide extensions for unpaid orders. Bel Bear Bakes does not extended invoices. If your order is cancelled due to missing your payment deadline, a second invoice may be issued for a fee of $20, provided we have the availability in our custom cake calendar and the required lead time for the cake design allows for an extension. If a second invoice is issued, further order modification requests will not be accepted, and payment will be due within 48 hours.

For larger bookings over $500, we accept a non-refundable 50% deposit to secure and confirm a booking, with the outstanding balance due 2 weeks before the collection or delivery date. All other orders need to be confirmed with full payment. If a custom product over $500 is ordered and required in under 2 weeks, the full amount is due within a 48- hour period of receiving your
invoice.

Custom Wedding Cakes
All bespoke wedding cake quotes are provided in writing by Beal Bear Bakes. Once your quote has been sent to you, your date may be held for 2 weeks, pending our calendar availability. Once your final cake details have been finalised and your invoice has been emailed to you, a 50% non-refundable deposit is required to secure and confirm your order, with payment due within 48 hours unless otherwise specified. Orders and dates are not secured unless a deposit has been paid. If payment is not made by the due date and time, invoices are automatically cancelled, and tentative bookings are voided from our calendar. The outstanding balance is then due 4 weeks before the collection or delivery date. If a wedding cake over $500 is ordered and required in under 4 weeks, the full amount is due within a 48-hour period of receiving your invoice.

Express / Online Cake Shop Products
All perishable predesigned cake shop products may be purchased directly via our website shop and availability calendar. Payment must be made in full as prompted, and no deposit payment options are available for this product range.

Nonperishable Gift Shop Products and Everlasting Flowers
Please refer to section 7.3

1.4 Form Entry and Invoicing

Upon receipt of your order, you will be emailed a copy of your invoice. Please ensure all contact details, personal information, the spelling of names, delivery or collection dates and times, design, cake flavour and any requested changes have been adequately documented on your invoice. It is the responsibility of the customer to cross-check all details on the invoice are correct before making payment; please contact us as soon as possible regarding any errors on your invoice. Refunds will not be issued for the failure of the customer to enter the correct the delivery address on form fields or shop entry shipping or delivery field.

1.5 Cancellations and Refunds

While it rarely happens, sometimes cancellations and schedule changes are unavoidable. For any changes to delivery and setup times, provided we have capacity and a reasonable amount of time is provided, we will always endeavour to work flexibly with any client to change or otherwise offer alternative arrangements where possible, at our discretion.

Online Shop and Express Cake Product Cancellation and Refund Policy
Our Online Shop and Express Range product designs are set, and we do not offer any further customisation on this range. Once an order is placed, it is not possible to change or modify sizing, flavours, or any design components. Our production schedule is locked to the specific product and components authorised at checkout; we do not permit the exchanging or swapping of one pre-designed product for another, regardless of price parity.

All Online Shop and Express Range orders are processed as a unified transaction. We do not offer partial refunds, credits, or cancellations for individual components of an order for change of mind. Full refunds will not be issued for customisation requests or delivery cancellations made by a customer after an order has already been placed (please refer to section 4.2). Bel Bear Bakes does not swap out or credit Express Cake or Online Cake Shop range purchases for custom cake orders.

Pickup and delivery dates are final and refunds will not be issued for any date entry errors or date change requests that can't be accommodated. Requests to move a collection date forward (early) will not be accommodated due to strict production timelines. Any request to move a collection date back (later) is strictly limited to a maximum of 24 hours from the original collection window. Any request to move a collection beyond this 24-hour window, including to a following week, is considered a formal date change. Such requests will not be accommodated and will be treated as a cancellation subject to our standard cancellation policy below. All date and time-window adjustments, including same-day time changes, require a minimum of 3 business days' notice via email. All requests are subject to studio capacity and product compatibility and are approved solely at our discretion. Changes are not confirmed until you receive a revised automated confirmation; if no response is received, the original scheduled window remains final. Pickup time requests that fall outside our in-studio opening hours will not be accommodated.

Our standard charges for cancellations are as follows:

For an order cancelled more than 7 days before the scheduled pickup or delivery date, a 80% refund will be issued.
For an order cancelled less than 7 days before the scheduled pickup or delivery date, no refund will be issued.
Custom Acrylics: Any custom acrylic cake toppers or bespoke accessories are non-refundable once an order is placed. In the event of a cancellation, these items are excluded from the 80% refund calculation or any applicable store credit offer.

*Store Credits: At our discretion, a store credit may be issued under certain circumstances. If a store credit is issued, it will be valid for 6 months from the date and time your original order was scheduled for pickup or delivery. Store credits are applicable to our online cake shop products only and may not be redeemed for custom celebration or wedding cake orders. A store credit cannot be refunded partially or in full. A store credit cannot be transferred to another individual or party. Once a store credit is redeemed, no refund or additional store credit will be issued for change of mind or circumstance on any new order placed. If a store credit isn’t redeemed by its expiration date, no extension will be provided.

Custom Celebration Cake Product Cancellation and Refund Policy
Once an order is confirmed, it is not possible to change or modify sizing, flavours or any major design components and partial refunds will not be issued for the requested removal of any design elements, delivery or equivalent (please refer to section 4.2). If you have no other option but to cancel your order, we accept weekday cancellations via email before 4:00 pm, up to 4 weeks before your event. All deposits are non-refundable, and an additional cancellation fee may apply if an insufficient notice period is provided before cancellation. This is solely to cover costs incurred in the purchase, priority and preparation phase of the order.

Our standard charges for cancellations are as follows:

For an order cancelled more than 7 days before the scheduled pickup or delivery date, a 50% refund will be issued.
For an order cancelled less than 7 days before the scheduled pickup or delivery date, no refund will be issued.

*Order Postponement: At our discretion, Bel Bear Bakes may allow orders to be postponed for up to 6 months, provided we receive written notification with a request more than 4 weeks before the booking date. The original order date can only be rescheduled once within the 6-month period. The postponement of an order will only be permitted if no design, size, flavour and pickup or delivery changes are required to accommodate the new booking date. If these conditions can’t be met, a 50% refund may be issued instead, in line with our standard refund policies.

If postponing an order, a new booking must be made within a 6-month period, provided we have availability for the new event date when a new date request is made in writing. A lead time of at least 3 weeks is required when booking your new date. If requesting an order postponement and a postponement is granted, if no new booking is made within a 6-month period, a 50% refund will not be issued. Any request for an additional date change once the new date has already been booked into our calendar will not be accommodated, and no refund will be issued. Bel Bear Bakes reserves the right to refuse to postpone a booking if we believe postponement is not a viable business option.

Custom Wedding Cake Product Cancellation and Refund Policy
Once an order is confirmed, it is not possible to change or modify sizing, flavours or any major design components and partial refunds will not be issued for the requested removal of any design elements, delivery or equivalent (please refer to section 4.2). If you have no other option but to cancel your order, we accept weekday cancellations via email before 4:00 pm, up to 4 weeks before your event. All deposits are non-refundable, and an additional cancellation fee may apply if an insufficient notice period is provided before cancellation. This is solely to cover costs incurred in the purchase, priority and preparation phase of the order.

Our standard charges for cancellations are as follows:

For an order cancelled more than 4 weeks before the scheduled pickup or delivery date, a 50% refund will be issued.
For an order cancelled less than 4 weeks before the scheduled pickup or delivery date, no refund will be issued.

*Please note that single tier wedding cakes fall under our custom celebration cake refund policy.

Change of Mind
Please note that full refunds will not be issued for change of mind, incorrect date and time entry via our shop or website forms, change of circumstances, or failure of the customer to notify us of any incorrect information on the invoice. Any order scheduled for a collection that is not collected will not be refunded, and any perishable products will be disposed of 48 hours after the scheduled collection date has lapsed. Any processed refunds are returned to the account the order was placed with within 3-7 business days.

Collection and Transport
Pickup is from Gladstone Park 3043 and all order collections are scheduled by appointment only. Afterhours pickup requests will not be accommodated. Once a cake has been collected and has left our studio, it is the responsibility of the customer to ensure it arrives safely at its destination. Bel Bear Bakes will not be held liable or issue refunds for any damage that may occur to your cake product once it has left our studio, including during collection or transport.

Change of Delivery or Pickup Information
Once an order is placed for delivery, it may not be changed to a pickup option, and refunds will not be issued for change of mind on delivery at any point after making payment on any orders. Delivery address changes will not be accommodated. Once an order is placed for pickup, it may not be changed to a delivery option, and refunds will not be issued for change of mind on pickup at any point after making payment on any orders.

Incorrect Delivery Information
Refunds will not be issued due to the customer’s failure to enter the correct delivery address in our shop entry, shipping fields, or website forms. Any order scheduled for collection that is not collected will not be refunded. If incorrect details are provided, subsequent re-delivery will not be accommodated.

Incorrect Delivery Service and Venue Logistics
As standard, all online orders include a Standard Courier Service (third-party drop-off) only, which operates within fixed delivery windows. This standard service strictly excludes venue coordination, adherence to specific "bump-in" schedules, navigating the interior of buildings, or managing logistics with venue staff. If a venue requires in-house setup or logistics management, this Premium Delivery service must be requested, finalised, and paid for prior to your initial order confirmation.We do not accommodate post-purchase upgrades to the Premium tier, and standard delivery details cannot be altered after booking under any circumstances. If an order is placed under Standard Delivery for a venue that strictly requires Premium logistics, or if a customer fails to provide mandatory venue contact information at checkout, Bel Bear Bakes reserves the right to cancel or void the order in accordance with our standard terms. Bel Bear Bakes is not responsible, and will not be held liable to issue refunds, where a delivery is mismanaged by venue staff or fails due to the customer selecting an incorrect delivery service tier that does not meet the venue’s specific requirements.

Order Cancellation Due to Logistics
While delivery is recommended for large or tiered orders, we may be unable to offer delivery due to scheduling limitations. Bel Bear Bakes reserves the right to void or cancel an order if a standard online shop order is placed for a location requiring Premium logistics, if an online customer attempts an unauthorised post-purchase address change to a venue, or if a custom cake client fails to provide mandatory venue access and contact details. In such instances, the order will be voided at zero cost or cancelled subject to the respective online shop or custom booking policies outlined in our Terms of Service.

Absence of Recipient
For business locations or multi-level buildings or apartment and unit blocks, deliveries will be made via the delivery dock or reception. It is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that someone will be present at the delivery address to receive your order at the allocated delivery time. Bel Bear Bakes will not be able to wait at a delivery location in the event there is no authorised person to receive the order. If no one is present at the address, your order will be left at the doorstep or primary entrance. Bel Bear Bakes is not responsible and will not be held liable to issue refunds for lost or damaged deliveries made in the absence of the recipient.

Early and Late Arrival
Our arrival time cancellation and refund policy includes, but is not limited to, order collections, drop offs, and design consultation appointments.

Customers who arrive before opening hours, or earlier than their scheduled pickup window, may be required to wait until opening time or return during their scheduled window. Customers who arrive later than their scheduled pickup window, or request to arrive later, may not be able to collect their orders on the same day.

Refunds will not be issued if customers fail to arrive during their allocated pickup window. Because our studio is closed Sunday through Wednesday, any missed pickup on a Saturday will result in the order being automatically discarded at closing time, and no refunds or store credits will be issued. Late arrival to a design consultation appointment will result in a shortened consultation, or where this is not possible, immediate appointment cancellation with no refund.

If a scheduled pickup window has lapsed between Thursday and Friday, missed collections are automatically rescheduled by our automated system for your original time slot on the next consecutive business day. We do not offer manual rescheduling or time-slot consultations. If you do not arrive during this auto-rescheduled window, the order will be discarded within 48 hours of your original lapsed window. All designs featuring fresh florals or delicate perishables are prepared strictly for same-day collection. Bel Bear Bakes is not responsible for the condition, wilting, or aesthetic degradation of any elements resulting from a missed pickup. By missing your original window, you accept the product 'as is' at the time of the rescheduled collection.

Storage and Display
Bel Bear Bakes will not be held responsible for, or issue refunds regarding, incorrect display, storage, or serving conditions once products are in the possession of a client or public venue. We are not liable for condensation, melting, or structural damage occurring when products are displayed for more than 4 hours, or stored or displayed in environments including: direct sunlight; outdoors; humid, moist, or poorly ventilated areas; spaces lacking refrigerated air-conditioning; or temperatures exceeding 21 °C.

Customer Dissatisfaction
Customer satisfaction is of the utmost importance and priority to us. Refunds requested due to customer dissatisfaction will be assessed on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of Bel Bear Bakes. Refunds will not be issued under circumstances where dissatisfaction has arisen from design concept, decorations or colour shades, where the final product reasonably aligns with the advertised or agreed upon design, or where our substitution policy has been utilised, as outlined via acceptance of our terms and conditions of sale and service.

While we strive for perfection, any minor errors or omissions will be addressed via a partial refund or store credit proportional to the error. Full refunds are not available for products that have been served or consumed; a full refund request requires the return of the product (at least 80% intact) to Bel Bear Bakes for quality assessment within 24 hours of delivery/pickup.

Documents
Bel Bear Bakes does not provide electronic copies of any private business records to third-party venues or vendors. Any document arrangements made between a customer and their nominated venue prior to purchasing have been made independent of Bel Bear Bakes. Bel Bear Bakes is not legally obligated to provide its business records to any third-party venue, as we are not their customer and therefore no direct contractual agreement exists between Bel Bear Bakes and the third-party. Without a contractual agreement for an exchange of goods and services, Bel Bear Bakes does not consent to have its private business records governed by a third-party privacy policy. Refunds will not be issued in the event of a third-party venue refusing to serve our products, on the grounds that a request for third-party business records was denied

Security & Safety Non-Compliance
Due to the perishable nature of our products, all items sold by Bel Bear Bakes (including Tasting Boxes, Pre-designed cakes, and Custom orders) are excluded from refunds once production has commenced.

Order Acceptance & Security Audit: All orders are subject to a manual security review before a contract is formed. We reserve the right to void or refund any order that triggers high-risk indicators (including anonymising proxies, VPNs, or mismatched billing data). If an order is voided during this review, no funds are captured, no contract of sale exists, and the transaction is reversed immediately.
Automated & Scripted Orders: To ensure the safety and scheduled production of our products, all predesigned orders must be placed through our official website interface, including the mandatory selection of a pickup or delivery date. Any order generated by bypassing our standard checkout process (via direct permalinks, automated scripts, or "botting" software) is considered a breach of our security protocol. We reserve the right to immediately void or refund any such order, as no valid contract of sale exists without a confirmed production slot.
Mandatory Security Protocol: As detailed in our Terms of Service (Section 13), our studio is based at a private residence. The provision of a current, original, plastic government-issued photo ID card and the completion and signature of our Studio Collection Log are mandatory conditions of every collection and essential to the contract. These protocols are in place to ensure orders are released only to the authorised party and to ensure the safety of our visitors and team.
To ensure your order is released to the authorised party, the person collecting must present a valid government-issued photo ID at our studio. The completion and signature of our Studio Collection Log is a mandatory condition of every collection. These protocols are in place for the safety of our visitors and team.
Information Privacy: We are strictly unable to provide our studio address or privileged order information to any parties that are not directly confirmed customers.
Customer Responsibility & Forfeiture of Payment: It is the sole responsibility of the customer to ensure that any party they have nominated to collect or receive a delivery is fully informed of, and complies with, all Storage and Security Protocols. The customer agrees that any nominated representative acts as their Authorised Agent. If a collection is denied at the studio because the customer (or their agent) refuses to comply with our security protocols, fails to provide valid Photo ID, refuses to sign our Studio Collection Log, or fails to provide the appropriate order information, the order is forfeited. In these instances, no refund, credit, or replacement will be issued.
Production Finality and Loss Mitigation: As all Bel Bear Bakes products are bespoke or predesigned, made-to-order, and highly perishable, they are produced exclusively for your specific booking date and cannot be resold, repurposed, or stored for future sale due to strict health, safety, and hygiene regulations. Consequently, in the event of a security breach, a failure to provide a government-issued Photo ID that matches the buyer or authorised agent, or a failure to follow established collection protocols, the full purchase price is non-refundable and will be retained in its entirety to cover the costs of specialised labour, ingredients, and the administrative resources exhausted by the order.

Customer Conduct
Bel Bear Bakes reserves the right to cancel orders and refuse to engage in business with any uncooperative customers (or potential customers) who are disrespectful, or unwilling or unable to comply with our business policies or procedures; including but not limited to, completing the required website forms to obtain pricing, making payment by an invoice due date, or providing any other necessary information required to process or confirm an enquiry or order.

2. CAKE COLLECTION, DELIVERY, STORAGE AND DISPLAY

2.1 Collection, and Transport

Pickup is from Gladstone Park 3043 and all order collections are scheduled by appointment only. Afterhours pickup requests will not be accommodated. Once a cake has been collected and has left our studio, it is the responsibility of the customer to ensure it arrives safely at its destination. Bel Bear Bakes will not be held liable or issue refunds for any damage that may occur to your cake product once it has left our studio, including during collection or transport.

2.2 Delivery and Shipping

Service Tiers and Venue Logistics
As standard, all orders are delivered during specific windows and our standard delivery rates apply (as quoted at checkout or via custom quotation). To ensure our delivery routes remain efficient, we are unable to offer specific time requests within these hours. Online orders include a Standard Courier Service (third-party drop-off) only.

Standard Delivery (Default): This is a point-of-entry service only. Items are handed to venue staff at the primary reception or entrance gate. Drivers will not enter the event space, navigate the interior of the building to locate specific rooms/tables, or unpack items. This tier does not include venue coordination, adherence to specific "bump-in" schedules, or managing logistics with venue staff. Any venue correspondence received by Bel Bear Bakes will be redirected to the Customer. Delivery occurs within a standard morning window (typically 11am-2:30pm).
Premium Delivery (Upgrade): Includes entry to the event space and placement of items on the designated display table. Setup is strictly conditional on the venue being maintained under 22°C. If the environment is unsuitable, we reserve the right to revert to a "Plan B" handover to venue staff for fridge storage to ensure food safety. This tier includes logistics coordination with the venue/coordinator via email prior to the event. This service excludes styling non-bakery items (flowers, toppers, signage) or cleaning of the display area.

Premium Delivery must be requested, finalised, and paid for prior to your initial order confirmation. We do not accommodate post-purchase upgrades to the Premium tier, and standard delivery details cannot be altered after booking under any circumstances. Provision of all requested logistics information, including third-party venue coordinator contact details, is a mandatory condition of the Premium Service at the time of booking. Bel Bear Bakes is not responsible, and will not be held liable to issue refunds, where a delivery is mismanaged by venue staff or fails due to the customer selecting an incorrect delivery service tier that does not meet the venue’s specific requirements.

Delivery Boundaries and Access
For business locations, multi-level buildings, apartment blocks, or event venues, deliveries will be made strictly via the delivery dock, reception, or primary entrance. Drivers will not navigate the interior of the building to locate specific rooms or display tables. It is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that an authorised person is present at the primary entrance to receive the order at the allocated delivery time. All on-the-ground logistics and venue setup services are managed by authorised delivery and setup handlers, which may include independent third-party couriers or studio personnel. A single outbound voice call may be attempted on arrival strictly as an optional courtesy at the handler's sole discretion based on transit safety and real-time site conditions. Direct phone contact is never guaranteed, and delivery handlers do not provide text message (SMS) updates or digital notifications under any circumstances. Any custom delivery notes requesting text message updates, arrival alerts, or alternative contact methods will be systematically bypassed. The delivery handler will not be able to wait at a delivery location in the event there is no authorised person to receive the order. If no one is present at the address, or staff are unavailable at the gate/entrance within 10 minutes of our arrival, your order will be left at the doorstep or front entrance. Bel Bear Bakes is not responsible and will not be held liable to issue refunds for lost or damaged deliveries made in the absence of the recipient.

Public Venues and Third-Party Requirements
If booking a cake delivery to a public venue, you are providing Bel Bear Bakes with direction and consent to deliver your purchased cake to your nominated location, where it will be received, stored, and served by a third-party venue. While we may provide clear recommendations regarding safe storage and display conditions, any alternative arrangements made for your cake after the time of delivery will be an agreement made between yourself and your nominated venue. Bel Bear Bakes is not responsible or liable for any damage that may occur to your cake once delivery has been safely completed and our contract has ended. Responsibility for the cake (including transport to the table, temperature control, and setup) passes strictly to the customer upon handover. If the venue has set out an indemnity or exclusion clause for any damages that may occur to your property once the product has left the possession of Bel Bear Bakes, consent will be an agreement made solely between yourself and your nominated venue, independent of Bel Bear Bakes.

For the avoidance of doubt, Bel Bear Bakes enters into a contract exclusively with the Customer. We do not have a contractual or legal relationship with any third-party venue, event coordinator, or catering staff. While we may provide product specifications or allergen details to a venue as a professional courtesy, this does not create a duty of care toward the venue or alter the lines of responsibility. The Customer remains the sole point of contact for all decisions; any venue inquiries or requests for documentation will be redirected back to the Customer. Bel Bear Bakes will not be held liable for allergic reactions, damage, or product deterioration resulting from a venue's failure to follow our instructions or the Customer's failure to properly brief their venue staff. Any such failure constitutes a breach of these Terms, and the Customer agrees to indemnify Bel Bear Bakes in accordance with Section 12.

*Privacy and Security: For data security, Bel Bear Bakes does not provide electronic copies of insurance or business records for third-party storage. We do not sign third-party waiver forms or indemnity clauses. If a venue refuses entry to our driver based on these policies, or due to a lack of prior coordination by the Customer, the delivery will be completed at the venue’s primary entrance/gate. In such instances, Bel Bear Bakes is not liable to issue refunds for service failure.

Changes and Cancellations
Once an order is placed for delivery or pickup, it may not be changed, and refunds will not be issued for change of mind at any point after making payment. Delivery address changes will not be accommodated. If incorrect details are initially provided, subsequent re-delivery will not be accommodated. Your order will proceed to the original address provided, and no refunds will be issued.

If sufficient venue contact and access information is not provided at the time of payment, or if a customer fails to disclose and secure the Premium Service necessary for the venue's logistics, Bel Bear Bakes reserves the right to cancel the order. In such instances, the standard refund policy applicable to your order type will apply.

Shipping
Bel Bear Bakes does not offer domestic or international shipping on any
products.

2.3 Storage and Display

General Storage and Display
Buttercream will soften during transport; please ensure your cake is placed back into the fridge after delivery, or as soon as you arrive home or at your event location. All cakes should then remain in the fridge (maintained at or below 5°C) and may be brought to room temperature 30 minutes before serving; or right before event commencement if going on display. While on display, cakes must be kept away from any direct sunlight, and the temperature should not exceed 21 °C. The time between display commencement and cutting should not exceed 4 hours. Our cakes are not suitable for outdoor weather or events and should under no circumstance be displayed outdoors.

During warmer weather, if your home or venue is equipped with a refrigerated cooling system, provided the temperature is under 21°C, the cake can be on display for 4 hours before serving. If your home or venue has an evaporative cooling system, your cake must be kept in the fridge or commercial cool room (maintained at or below 5°C) and brought to display only 30 minutes before serving. This is because moisture from evaporative cooling disrupts the buttercream and will result in obvious condensation and eventual melting of the buttercream. Bel Bear Bakes will not be held responsible or issue refunds for any incorrect general display, storage or serving conditions of cake products once in a client's or public venue's possession.

Leftover cake (excluding decorations) may be cut into slices, placed into an airtight container and stored in the fridge. Alternatively, leftover cake may be cut into slices, sealed with plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 30 days. Any unconsumed cake stored in the fridge (including after thawing frozen cake) should be disposed of after 5 days.

Bel Bear Bakes will not be held responsible for any condensation, melting or structural damage that may occur to our products where the storage or display setting is: outside a functional fridge or (maintained at or below 5°C); in direct sunlight; outdoors; a humid, moist or poorly ventilated area; or lacking a refrigerated cooling air-conditioning system.

Wedding Cake Display
Tiered wedding cakes may be displayed on the allocated cake display table directly by Bel Bear Bakes, unless we are otherwise instructed by the venue. If temperature conditions aren’t met, Bel Bear Bakes will direct the venue staff to make alternative arrangements for the cake according to our wedding cake display recommendations below. Temporary fridge space at the venue may be required if the room temperature is too warm for the required display time. Bel Bear Bakes will fully inspect and photograph the product prior to departure. The room temperature may also be checked and recorded with a temperature probe prior to our departure.

If the indoor display room temperature is below 22°C, the cake can be on display for a maximum of 4 hours before cutting.
If the indoor display room temperature is between 22°C -23°C and it can’t be brought down, the cake can be on display for a maximum of 2 hours before cutting.
If the indoor display room temperature is between 23°C -24°C, and it can’t be brought down, we strongly recommend storing the product in a fridge or commercial cool (maintained at or below 5°C) and only bringing it to display 30 minutes before cutting

3. CAKE DESIGN CONSULTATION

Our consultations are capped at two persons and include either a standard, premium, or deluxe tasting box selection. Off-menu flavours not available for tastings. Design consultation appointments may be scheduled and paid for directly via form submission.

Prior to your appointment, we will send through some initial base pricing as a guide. During consultation, we will work collaboratively with you to create a design, and your purchased tasting box can be taken home for tasting after the consultation. Following consultation, we will generate a detailed design plan and accurate quote so you can check over the details of your design carefully.

Tasting cakes are pre-prepared specifically and in time for scheduled appointments and tasting box pickups. Refunds will not be issued if you fail to attend your scheduled consultation or collection appointment.

4. CAKE DESIGN AND ORDER MODIFICATION REQUESTS

4.1 General Design Policy

All our cakes are handmade; therefore, slight variations may occur in colours, decorations and the overall design. Due to the artistic and creative nature of the design process, together with the availability of speciality décor or florals, it is also not possible for us to identically recreate any of our previous cakes. Bel Bear Bakes does not copy other bakers' designs. We have our own decorating style and will adapt your cake inspiration or idea to create something unique for your special occasion. Bel Bear Bakes reserves the right to decline custom cake and decoration requests that do not align with our brand or design style.

4.2 Customer Design and Order Modification Request Policy

Custom Cake Products
Once an order is confirmed, it is not possible to change or modify sizing, flavours or any major design components, so please ensure you are satisfied with your preferences before making payment. Any subtle or small changes must be requested at least 4 weeks before the collection or delivery date, and these must be confirmed in writing by Bel Bear Bakes. Any changes to the previously agreed design may incur an additional cost. Partial refunds will not be issued for the requested removal of any design elements,
delivery or equivalent.

Once a delivery is booked in and paid for, it may not be changed to a pickup option, and refunds will not be issued for change of mind on delivery at any point after making payment on any orders. Once a pickup is booked in and confirmed, it may not be changed to a delivery option, and refunds will not be issued for change of mind on pickup at any point after making payment on any orders. Any pickup time requests that fall outside our in-studio opening hours will not be accommodated.

Bel Bear Bakes reserves the right to cancel invoices and tentative calendar bookings where late notice design and general order change requests, that can't reasonably be accommodated, are requested within 5 business days of an invoice payment deadline. Bel Bear Bakes does not accept order modification requests made within 72 business hours of a payment deadline. For further order changes made within 72 business hours of a payment deadline, a second invoice may be issued (for a fee of $20), provided we have booking availability and a sufficient enough lead time to fulfil the equivalent order. If a second invoice is issued, further order modification requests will not be accepted, and payment will be due within 48 hours.

Online Cake Shop / Express Cake Products

Our Online Shop and Express Range product designs are set, and we do not offer any further customisation on this range. Once an order is placed, it is not possible to change or modify sizing, flavours, or any design components. Our production schedule is locked to the specific product and components authorised at checkout; we do not permit the exchanging or swapping of one pre-designed product for another, regardless of price parity.

All Online Shop and Express Range orders are processed as a unified transaction. We do not offer partial refunds, credits, or cancellations for individual components of an order for change of mind. Full refunds will not be issued for customisation requests or delivery cancellations made by a customer after an order has already been placed. Bel Bear Bakes does not swap out or credit Express Cake or Online Cake Shop range purchases for custom cake orders.

Once and order is placed for delivery, it may not be changed to a pickup option, and refunds will not be issued for change of mind on delivery at any point after making payment on any orders. Once an order is placed for pickup, it may not be changed to a delivery option, and refunds will not be issued for change of mind on pickup at any point after making payment on any orders. Any pickup time requests that fall outside our in-studio opening hours will not be accommodated.

4.3 Provider Design and Order Modification Request Policy

If a rare circumstance should arise where we need to modify or cancel your order, we will endeavour to provide you with as much notice as possible and propose a suitable alternative arrangement to accommodate your order. If you are not satisfied with our suggested alternative or an alternative option is not possible, you will be refunded the full cost of your order.

4.4 Product Unavailability and Substitution Policy

While it rarely happens, sometimes certain ingredients or materials may be out of stock, out of season or become obsolete. If a situation like this should arise, without consultation, we will endeavour to source a replacement item to reflect the original product as accurately as possible. Flowers are subject to seasonal availability and some flowers may be substituted for similar flowers to reproduce any pictured arrangements. Arrangements received may not be identical to images displayed on our website or other platforms.

To ensure structural integrity and aesthetic balance, Bel Bear Bakes reserves the right to modify the configuration, placement, and application format of all design elements including acrylic accessories and custom messaging where necessary to ensure compatibility with the selected cake size or design. These technical adjustments are made at the sole discretion of the studio without prior notification to ensure a professional finish. All final arrangements and finishes remain at the discretion of the studio and may not be identical to images displayed on our website or other platforms.

5. NON-EDIBLE ITEMS

Non-edible materials including (but not limited to) fresh, artificial, preserved, dried, and paper flowers, toys and figurines, acrylic and cardstock cake toppers, foams, dowels, cake boards etc. may be used for the design and construction of our cake products. They are used strictly for decoration purposes (dowels for internal stabilisation) and should not be consumed under any circumstance. Please be advised that many of our non-edible decorations are delicate and flammable. Open-flame candles must not be used near these items, and all decorations must be removed entirely before lighting candles. Bel Bear Bakes accepts no liability for any injury, loss, or damage resulting from the consumption or misuse of non-edible items, including fire-related incidents.

6. DIETARY

Our products contain gluten, wheat, dairy, milk products, peanut and treenut products, soy and egg. Products may also contain lupin and added sulphites in concentrations of 10 milligrams per kilogram or more (≥ 10 mg/kg). Products are prepared in a kitchen where small traces of the following allergens may also be present: sesame seeds.

While some of the above allergens may not be directly added as ingredients, and care is taken with preparation area and equipment cleanliness, the same kitchen is used to prepare products containing any allergens. In addition, ingredients may be sourced from manufacturers that do not separate their production lines. Therefore, there is always a possibility traces may be present in all our edible products.

Certain products directly contain intended allergens. Furthermore, due to the risk of cross-contamination, our products are not suitable for anyone with severe, life-threatening, or trace-level food allergies (including any declared or undeclared allergens).

The client accepts full responsibility for communicating any allergen risks to their guests and any third-party service providers (such as venues or caterers) who may be handling or serving the product. Bel Bear Bakes will not be held liable or responsible for allergic reactions resulting from a client’s failure to disclose allergies, a failure to communicate risks to guests/venues, or any other form of customer negligence. To manage real-time cross-contact risks during production, the Studio retains full operational discretion to apply protective allergen declarations or warning labels (including a "Contains" designation) to any product or packaging regardless of the baseline flavour profile ordered, and the presence of such protective labelling does not constitute a product defect, an order variation, or a breach of contract.

Bel Bear Bakes offers set flavours and will not alter ingredients or flavours to accommodate customer requests that fall outside our flavour menus. Bel Bear Bakes reserves the right to cancel or refuse to take on orders where customer flavour requests or preferences can't be accommodated.

7. EVERLASTING FLORALS | NONPERISHABLE GIFT SHOP PRODUCTS

7.1 Lead Times

For all floral arrangement purchases, a minimum lead time of 2 days is required (unless otherwise specified) You will be prompted to specify the date and time window for pickup at checkout.

7.2 Pickup and Delivery

Pickup is from Gladstone Park, VIC, 3043. Pending order processing, you will receive a confirmation email with the pickup address. You will then be contacted via phone or email within 24 hours to schedule an exact pickup time between Tuesday and Saturday.

7.3 Floral Design and Substitution Policy

Our pre-designed everlasting floral arrangements may be constructed with a mix of preserved, dried and artificial flowers. Items are individually crafted and will either be in stock (shop orders) or made to order (custom orders)

Shop orders will arrive as photographed. However, there may be slight variation in colours and lighting due to photography and picture quality; items may not be identical to images displayed on our online shop or website galleries. For custom orders, while we will try to keep floral designs as close as possible to the displayed image (or your inspiration image), flowers are subject to market availability. Some flowers may be substituted for similar flowers to reproduce pictured arrangements.

7.4 Refund and Return Policy

Change of Mind
We do not offer direct exchanges or order modifications on processed shop orders for change of mind. If order cancellation is due to change of mind, provided your item has not been collected or delivered, a full refund can be processed less any applicable credit card or third-party processing fees. If your order is already on board for delivery, you will be charged a cancellation fee equal to the delivery cost, and the outstanding amount will be refunded. Any processed refunds are returned to the account the order was placed with within 3-7 working days. If you have any concerns about your refund, please don't hesitate to contact us before ordering.

Faulty Items
Upon collecting your item, you will be given an opportunity to inspect your arrangement before departure thoroughly. A photograph will be taken to ensure the product has left the studio in optimal condition. Due to the organic nature of preserved and dried flowers, time is of the essence when establishing what may have gone wrong. If your order has been delivered and you believe it to be faulty, please contact us within 48 hours to inform us of what the issue may be. You will also be required to provide us with photos that can be compared to any photos taken by us at the time of delivery. If any damage has occurred after the delivery stage due to incorrect care upon arrival, and you have not contacted us within 48 hours to troubleshoot, unfortunately, no refund can be issued.

Incorrect Delivery Information
Refunds will not be issued for the failure of the customer to enter the correct delivery address on our shop entry shipping or delivery field. Refunds will not be issued for the failure of the client to notify us of any incorrect information on an invoice. Any order scheduled for a collection that is not collected will not be refunded. If incorrect details are initially provided and subsequent re-delivery is required, you may be charged an additional delivery fee equal to the new delivery cost.

8. PHOTOGRAPHY

All product designs and intellectual property rights remain the property of Bel Bear Bakes. We reserve the right to use images of your cake for any form of marketing, including web-based promotions, brochures, galleries and other social media platforms. Photography props including backdrops and cake stands used across our website are for presentation and marketing purposes only and will not be included with any product purchases.

9. THIRD-PARTY LINKS

Certain content, products and services available via our service may include materials from third-parties. Third-party links on this site may direct you to third-party websites that are not affiliated with us. We are not responsible for examining or evaluating the content or accuracy and we do not warrant and will not have any liability or responsibility for any third-party materials or websites, or for any other materials, products, or services of third-parties. Bel Bear Bakes is not liable for any harm or damages related to the purchase or use of goods, services, resources, content, or any other transactions made in connection with any third-party websites. Please review carefully the third-party's policies and practices and make sure you understand them before you engage in any transaction. Any complaints, claims, concerns, or questions regarding third-party products should be directed to the third-party.

10. PROHIBITED USES

In addition to other prohibitions as set forth in the Terms of Service, you are prohibited from using the site or its content: (a) for any unlawful purpose; (b) to solicit others to perform or participate in any unlawful acts; (c) to violate any international, federal, provincial or state regulations, rules, laws, or local ordinances; (d) to infringe upon or violate our intellectual property rights or the intellectual property rights of others; (e) to harass, abuse, insult, harm, defame, slander, disparage, intimidate, or discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, age, national origin, or disability; (f) to submit false or misleading information; (g) to upload or transmit viruses or any other type of malicious code that will or may be used in any way that will affect the functionality or operation of the service or of any related website, other websites, or the Internet; (h) to collect or track the personal information of others; (i) to spam, phish, pharm, pretext, spider, crawl, or scrape; (j) for any obscene or immoral purpose; or (k) to interfere with or circumvent the security features of the service or any related website, other websites, or the internet. Bel Bear Bakes reserves the right to terminate your use of the service or any related website for violating any of the prohibited uses.

11. VENUE LIAISON AND CONTRACTUAL BOUNDARIES

Exclusive Contractual Relationship
Bel Bear Bakes enters into a contract exclusively with the Customer. We do not have a contractual or legal relationship with any third-party venue, event coordinator, or catering staff. Consequently, we are not bound by any venue’s internal policies, safety audits, or insurance requirements.

Decision-Making and Communication Protocols
The Customer remains the sole primary point of contact for all decisions, logistics, and instructions. To ensure the lines of responsibility remain clear, Bel Bear Bakes will not engage in logistics coordination directly with venues for orders where the Customer has selected Collection (Pickup) or Standard Delivery.

Redirected Enquiries: Any venue inquiries or requests for documentation, business records, or pickup/delivery timing received by Bel Bear Bakes will be redirected back to the Customer for resolution.
Courtesy Information: While we may provide product specifications or allergen details to a venue as an administrative convenience, this does not create a "duty of care" toward the venue or alter the Customer's responsibility to manage their own venue's requirements.

Limitation of Liability for Third-Party Handling
Once a product has been collected or delivery has been safely completed, the Customer assumes all responsibility for the product. Bel Bear Bakes is not liable for allergic reactions, damage, or product deterioration (including melting or condensation) arising from:

A venue’s failure to follow provided storage or display instructions;
A venue’s failure to communicate allergen risks to guests; or
The Customer’s failure to properly brief their nominated venue staff on handling requirements.

Breach and Indemnity
Any failure by the Customer or their third-party agents (venues/caterers) to adhere to these protocols constitutes a material breach of these Terms. In such instances, the Customer agrees to indemnify Bel Bear Bakes in accordance with Section 12.

12. INDEMNIFICATION

You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Bel Bear Bakes and our parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, officers, directors, agents, contractors, licensors, Service providers, subcontractors, suppliers, interns and employees, harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, made by any third-party due to or arising out of your breach of these Terms of Service or the documents they incorporate by reference, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third-party.

13. SECURITY AND ORDER ACCEPTANCE

13.1 Studio Access & Identity Verification Protocols

The Collection Log: Our studio is based at a private residence. The completion and signature of our Studio Collection Log are mandatory conditions of every collection and essential to the contract. These protocols are in place to ensure orders are released only to the authorised party and to ensure the safety of our visitors and team.

ID Verification: For the protection of our clients and our studio, a valid government-issued photo ID (matching the name of the buyer or authorised agent) must be presented for all Studio Collections. We reserve the right to cross-reference ID details against our secure booking log.
Surveillance: Please be advised that Bel Bear Bakes operates 24-hour HD CCTV surveillance across all entry points and within the studio for the safety of our staff and visitors. Entry onto the property and into the studio constitutes implied consent to be recorded.

13.2 Security Risk Mitigation & Manual Review

As Bel Bear Bakes operates from a private residential studio, the security of our premises is paramount. All transactions are subject to a manual security audit. We reserve the right to decline any order, at our sole discretion, where a transaction triggers high-risk indicators. These indicators include, but are not limited to:

The use of anonymising proxies, VPNs, or Data Centre IP addresses.
Inconsistent or mismatched geographical data at the time of checkout.
A failed Address Verification System (AVS) check.
The failure to manually enter a valid residential billing address for Studio Pickup orders. (Please be advised that selecting the "Same as Shipping" option for studio pickup orders duplicates our private studio address as your personal billing address; this is considered a data conflict and a failure of our mandatory security audit).

13.3 Formation of Sales Contract

The formation of a sales contract between Bel Bear Bakes and the Customer is defined as follows:

Online Shop & Express Range (Automated Checkout)
For orders placed via our website, a contract for the sale of goods is only formed upon the successful capture of payment and the issuance of a final Booking Confirmation.

The initial automated email received at the time of checkout is an acknowledgement of your "Offer to Purchase" only.
An "Authorisation" or "Pending" charge on your bank statement does not constitute an acceptance of the order.
If a payment authorisation is voided or cancelled following a security review, no funds have been captured, no financial loss has occurred, and no contract of sale exists between the parties.
Automated & Scripted Orders: To ensure the safety and scheduled production of our products, all predesigned orders must be placed through our official website interface, including the mandatory selection of a pickup or delivery date. Any order generated by bypassing our standard checkout process (via direct permalinks, automated scripts, or "botting" software) is considered a breach of our security protocol. We reserve the right to immediately void or refund any such order, as no valid contract of sale exists without a confirmed production slot.

Custom Cake Range (Manual Invoicing)
For bespoke orders processed via manual invoice, a contract of sale is formed immediately upon the receipt of payment. As these orders are vetted during the quoting process, payment constitutes final acceptance and a confirmed production slot.

13.4 Right to Refuse Service

We reserve the right to refuse service to any individual or entity to ensure the safety of our private residence and the integrity of our administrative processes. Any attempt to circumvent security protocols or engage in administrative agitation will result in the immediate termination of the enquiry and may be reported to the relevant authorities.

14. FORCE MAJEURE

In the event of a cancellation by Bel Bear Bakes due to Force Majeure, we will not be liable if delayed in or prevented from fulfilling our obligations under these terms and conditions, provided that we;

promptly notify you of the Force Majeure event and its expected duration; and
use reasonable endeavours to minimise the effects of that event.

A Force Majeure event may include but is not limited to, any fire, flood, explosion, accident, adverse weather conditions, traffic congestion, mechanical breakdown, obstruction of any private or public highway, riot, government direction, war, terrorism, or from any industrial dispute or strike whatsoever. Where neither you nor we can agree in any Force Majeure event, then the contract for the supply of Goods shall become void, parties will be released from contractual obligations to each other.

15. CONSENT

By visiting our website and/ or purchasing something from us, you confirm that you have understood and agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions of Sale and Service, including those additional terms and conditions and policies referenced herein and/or available by hyperlink. These Terms of Service apply to all users of the site, including without limitation users who are browsers, vendors, customers, merchants, and/ or contributors of content.

By agreeing to our Terms of Service, you represent that you are at least the age of majority in your state or province of residence, or that you are the age of majority in your state or province of residence and you have given us your consent to allow any of your minor dependents to use this site.

By placing an order, you confirm all order details are correct and accept our store policies. As our products are fresh and perishable, all transport, storage, and handling risks transfer to you at collection or delivery and are governed strictly by our online terms and packaging care instructions. This agreement forms the final basis of your order, superseding any prior email inquiries or informal advice. Studio staff cannot verbally modify, waive, or override these terms at collection or delivery handover, and any logistical changes must be approved in writing by Bel Bear Bakes management prior to your scheduled collection or delivery date.