by NOT paying my nursery fees this week

[VinegarTits]

The woman who runs my ds nursery has closed it this week (without notice) because she and one of her staff are on holiday and 2 staff went off sick last friday (how they can predict they will be sick for a whole week, unless its serious (they all seemed pretty healthy to me last week) is another thread )

Ofsted offered her a temp but she turned it down as she didnt think it was fair on the dc to have a stranger look after them (even though there would have been a regular member of staff there too)

So this has left me in the lurch regarding childcare, i had to take 1 day, unpaid leave because i have no holidays left, then xmil helped out by taking ds for the rest of the week.

She sent everyone a letter saying half fees should be paid for this week, i rang local child ed. services and asked if she can charge me( and they told me somebody else had rang to ask the same question already) they said they wont get involved because its privately run, i cant find my contract to check if it states anywhere in it that she will charge half fees for circustances like this. She is always flitting off on holiday, and i suspect that her staff are fed up with this hence the 2 going off sick.

AIBU to not pay her?

[BecauseImWorthIt]

I don't think YABU - but I'd be finding a new nursery pretty quickly.

[Lazarou]

Find another nursery and don't go back to that one ever again. Ignore any letters, but keep hold of them just in case.
Ignore ignore ignore.
Will you be able to find another nursery now?

[RubySlippers]

No, YANBU

she was offered a temp, turned it down and left her parents in the lurch

look for a new nursery

[Lazarou]

Just make sure you pay any outstanding fees that are due, just not the ones for the week the nursery has been closed.

[feedmenow]

I think I probably wouldn't pay, but I don't know whether this is legal or not!

But I agree too that I'd be looking for a new nursery!

[DorisIsAPinkDragon]

I wuld be very reluctant as she has failed to provide the service she is charging you for! Causing more cost and inconvience to you, If she comes back with overheads etc she must have realised this when she made the decision not to accept the temp from ofsted!

[PonderingThoughts]

I would be absolutely loathed to pay her and, to be honest, think that she should have state 'no payment required this week' as a gesture of goodwill to all the parents (which lets face it, are her clients!) for the inconvenience her bad planning is causing them!

Unbelievable!

[VinegarTits]

It would be a great inconvience to find a new nursery, ds(2.1) has been there since he was 3 months old, he loves it, they love him, the staff are excellent, just the manager who doesnt seem to give a shit sometimes, i dont really want to take him out of this nursery, i just want to know if i am unreasonable not to pay her

[kitsmummy]

I can't believe this! No way, don't pay the fees. Surely one reason people choose nurseries over childminders is so that you don't have to worry about someone being sick and you being left without childcare. Effing cheek if you ask me.

[lovelysongbird]

if anything she should be paying you for all the inconvenience!

[RubySlippers]

bring up your concerns with the owners

if the manager is behaving in a way which is going to lose them busienss they would want to know

[PonderingThoughts]

Think everyone is of the same opinion here...not sure how you stand legally, you really need to find out your contract but it is a blardy cheek asking you to pay.

"I'm not going to provide you with any service this week due to my own choice and bad planning. This is going to seriously inconvenience you AND I require you to pay me for this"

Under what other circumstances would you accept this?

"There's no petrol here at the garage today as we've run out becasue we forgot to order it. We've turned down a tanker from another garage as we don't know the driver - you can't get to work now but we'd like you to pay for half a tank's worth anyway please"....

for you

[VinegarTits]

I think the concensous is to not paid her, so i wont, i will be bringing up my concerns, just need to think about how i am going to word it, as i want to put is 'nicely' to her, and hopefully this wont happen again, and next time she will think twice before closing down.

[Bumperlicious]

But VT, if you stay at this nursery she could just do this again and leave you up the creek!

Not sure about the legalities but making you pay half fees for a service that not only didn't happen but seriously inconvenienced you? That's just not cricket!

[VinegarTits]

Yes she could do it again, but i am hoping that the other parents will not be paying her either so she will be seriously out of pocket and will think twice next time. If she does do it again then i will find another nursery, but for now i will keep ds there, as his happiness is more important than my annoyance at the nursery manager.

[ninedragons]

Do you have contact details for the other parents? A united front might work well. If you all get together and say look, you dropped us in it and you cannot reasonably expect payment, she may see the flaw in her thinking.

[PinkChick]

prob been said but NO i would NOT pay, SHE has made her service unavilable to you, she had arranged cover for her hols, your child was still able to attend..fine no probs..but SHE clsoed the nursery for WHATEVER reason meaning you had to find other means of care with no /little notice..so NO and id be telling her WHY as well!..fecking cheek!

[PinkChick]

oh and meant to say im a childminder, so i know if i CANT provide care (other than booked holidays- which IS different for cm's as there is usually only one of us) like a emergency app/illness i WOULD NOT charge!

[QuintessentialShadow]

I would get in touch with as many of the parents as possible and stand as a united front. All signed a letter saying you refuse to pay your fees this week as you have been left in the lurch without any childcare and have had to take time off work, or pay alternative childcare.

[tiggerlovestobounce]

I wouldnt pay. She has failed to keep her side of the contract.

I'd be looking for a new nursery ASAP too.

[slavemum]

I'd send them a bill for the cost of emergency child care this week (she doesn't have to know it was your xmil), and for the days wages you've lost.

And get a new nursey..

[Lazarou]

I can totally understand about you not wanting to change nursery. THe nursery that ds2 goes to is fab, but we had to take ds1 out because he hated the new class they put him in.
HOwever, this really would be a dealbreaker for me, treating the people who bring in the money with such contempt. I would be very angry.