Charger with Tesla logo at a Supercharger rapid battery charging station for the electric vehicle company Tesla Motors, in the Silicon Valley town of Mountain View, California, August 24, 2016. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images).
A bakery in San Jose is calling out Tesla for allegedly canceling its order for 4,000 mini pies at the last minute.
According to The Giving Pies‘ Facebook post, they were contacted by a representative named Laura for the Elon Musk-owned company on Valentine’s Day.
Initially, the store’s owner, Voahangy Rasetarinera, said Tesla wanted 2,000 mini pies to commemorate Black History Month. The bakery sent a quote and the Tesla rep allegedly approved the order’s price, requesting delivery for Feb. 20 and 22.
However, the payment became an issue after it was “redirected through Tesla’s vendor City Flavor.” The owner waited all day the next day, remaining “optimistic.” At 9 p.m. local time on Feb. 15, the rep again contacted the bakery.
“I received a call from Laura, first apologizing for their vendor not paying on time, claiming they were new, and then requesting to double the order size, asking for the pies to be packaged in boxes of 2, assuring me that cost was not an issue.”
Despite the potential strain on her resources, Rasetarinera accepted and expanded the order. On Feb. 16, she reportedly sent over a revised invoice with a noon deadline on the same day. But by afternoon, the money hadn’t come through and Laura wasn’t picking up the phone. Minutes after the failed phone call, Laura sent a text canceling the large order.
By that time, the bakery had bought additional ingredients, changed its production schedules, and even turned down other Black History Month catering requests to fulfill Tesla’s needs.
The cancellation was abrupt, leaving Rasetarinera and her team high and dry with a ton of pie crusts on their hands.
Rasetarinera decided to vent her frustration in a post shared on Facebook on Wednesday (February 21) to express her anger, stating that Tesla prioritized convenience over accountability.
“In a heartfelt message to Laura, I expressed the profound disappointment and damage inflicted on my business,” she wrote. “I outlined how their actions had disrupted my operations, strained my staff, and tarnished my trust in doing business with big corporations.”
She felt that the company’s corporate culture had disregarded the livelihood of small business owners like herself.
Additionally, Tesla allegedly made no mention of covering the costs it took to make the pies, leaving the bakery to foot the colossal bill.
Per the Daily Mail, each pie cost between $3-$4, bringing the estimated total cost to a whopping $16,000.
“As I reflect on this ordeal, I am reminded of the resilience and determination that have propelled me forward as a Black woman entrepreneur. While Tesla’s actions may have caused temporary setbacks, they will not deter me from pursuing my passion and serving my community with integrity and pride.”
The outlet reports that the bakery has previously served other major companies like Apple, Tesla, and Meta.
