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Original poster

Swimming lessons

34 replies

Flowerpowerr1 · 04/01/2024 20:34

My 4.5 year old started swimming lessons beginning of September, he really enjoyed it at first then after a while he started to dislike it because he didn’t like wearing the goggles and he didn’t enjoy learning to swim after a few months I had to keep nagging and persuading him to go. He started to hate his lessons and even cried a lot of times but I still persevered as I wanted him to learn.
In the end I decided it was not for him and I could no longer force him, I paid for the Autumn term till Xmas 23. He only went to 2 lessons and didn’t go for the rest of the term as I couldn’t get him to go.
So I get a invoice from his swimming company saying I need to pay for the next term, and I obviously haven’t paid because I didn’t intend on continuing and I said I want to cancel it because my son hasn’t been enjoying it (they know this too) because they’ve helped me get him in the pool.
They then told me I needed to give them a 4 week notice to cancel so I need to forward them £52 or DS can continue coming in for 4 more weeks! Although he can’t because he’s frightened and doesn’t want to swim!
I didn’t know about the 4 week notice as it’s not even a direct debit you just send money to their account.
I can’t be sending someone money for no reason in a cost of living crisis!
I’ve already wasted so much money with the previous term where he didn’t go in.
AMIBU??

OP posts:
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SparklyOwls · 04/01/2024 23:51

Just don't pay it... Disappear off the earth. What are they going to do? It's too little £££ to take through small claims court.

ShoePalaver · 04/01/2024 23:43

Unless they sent you the terms and conditions I don't think they can make you pay. Just having it on a website is not enough.
You could try complaining and saying they are bad lessons because they make him wear goggles. Goggles are definitely not necessary or even advised for learning to swim.
In any case what can they actually do? I don't think they would take you to court for £52?

Minewasthesame · 04/01/2024 23:38

Just because you can’t be bothered to read the terms and conditions doesn’t mean they don’t apply.

Daysie · 04/01/2024 23:33

Hmmm I'd read through their emails they first sent you- if it says something like 'you must read our t@c's' nothing you can do but worth checking.

However my main reason for responding is that they sound awful!
Your poor kid.
When he's ready take him to lessons where they play- the one I used used to have lots of fun in the water, playing games and the focus was more about water confidence than swimming.

TheCave · 04/01/2024 23:23

If the agreement by email didn't refer to their terms and conditions or their notice period etc then they can't enforce it. However you need to review the email correspondence to see if it was clear whether you were committing to one term only or lessons until further notice. If there is nothing to suggest that you were committing to lessons until further notice then again they can't insist that this was the agreement. The fact that they have T&Cs on their website is meaningless if those T&Cs were never agreed when you committed initially to pay for the lessons.

Original poster
Flowerpowerr1 · 04/01/2024 21:36

@Bearbookagainandagain Nope I’ve checked they’ve never directly sent it to me and I didn’t tick any boxes I just signed up by email they send me an invoice to pay and told me information like the start date and end date for that term.
I agree I don’t think it’s fair to pay for a service I’m not using also I’ve already wasted so much money for not going to the other lessons, I tried to cancel last term but the manager to me I should push him and come in next week so I took him in (by force) and the week after he just wouldn’t go in. She didn’t tell me then that if I did want to cancel I’d need to give a notice or anything

OP posts:
Youcancallmeirrelevant · 04/01/2024 21:34

Flowerpowerr1 · 04/01/2024 20:57

@Youcancallmeirrelevant Yes I definitely should’ve told them last term but I didn’t know there was a notice period, because it wasn’t a automatic direct debit payment I didn’t think things like this would really apply.
If they had sent me the T&C when I signed up I would’ve read it and known.

I just can't wrap my head around someone thinking they don't even need to tell the person running the lessons your child won't be returning, that is such a rude attitude

Original poster
Flowerpowerr1 · 04/01/2024 21:31

@minipie
How they work is they send you an invoice for the new term just 1 week before the current terms comes to end and they give you approx 5 days to pay it to their account.

OP posts:
Bearbookagainandagain · 04/01/2024 21:18

My understanding is that if they haven't send you their terms when you joined, they can't enforce them. I don't think have the information on their website counts, they should have sent them to you directly. Are you sure you didn't tick a box somewhere?
If you don't intend to use them again, just tell them that and see what happens.

Personally, I wouldn't pay if the notice wasn't clearly stated in the terms (but also I would have checked the notice period with them because there is always one!). I think it's 50/50 on that one.

minipie · 04/01/2024 21:16

I’m surprised by this

IME kids’ activities work two ways - a rolling basis where there is a monthly direct debit and you need to give notice to finish. OR a termly basis where you pay for a term up front and then they send out an email a month or two before the next term asking you to renew and pay for the next term.

These lessons sound like the latter as you paid for a term up front? But they are saying it’s a month’s notice so kind of mixing the two systems?

Think you need to go through the old emails and see what it says?

PrimalOwl10 · 04/01/2024 21:11

I'm a swimming teacher 4 weeks notice is standard practice. You need to terminate your contract in writing. When you signed up for lessons you made a contract which held that space for your son.

CatamaranViper · 04/01/2024 21:10

Sorry but this is entirely on you. They have their terms stated on their website, you chose to agree to those when you started the lessons. Just because you didn't think to check in advance doesn't mean you don't have to pay.
Sorry I do feel for you! I'd be gutted too. But you don't really have a leg to stand on

TheCave · 04/01/2024 21:08

Did you agree to the lessons by email or did you sign up through the website? If by email did they ever mention their terms and conditions, the 4 week notice period or the fact that lessons (and payment) would continue until you cancelled? Or point you to any info on the website which would have clarified these things?

PuttingDownRoots · 04/01/2024 21:05

My experience is you pay monthly with a months notice to cancel.... the exception being if they finish the course.

Original poster
Flowerpowerr1 · 04/01/2024 21:04

@CatamaranViper I did check their website after and it does say it in small print but I would’ve never thought to check and I haven’t had it emailed to me.
exactly this is what I thought I thought it would be straight forward just to cancel because they’re so busy!

Can’t believe they want me to send them money for not attending they can easily replace him and get another child in 😕

OP posts:
xyz111 · 04/01/2024 21:01

Des he have to wear goggles? My son didn't when he was that age as he hated them. Sounds like the goggles have become a big thing for him to not want to go swimming anymore.

Giving notice on a class is pretty standard so they have time to get someone else off the waiting list.

CatamaranViper · 04/01/2024 20:59

Is it on their website anywhere? Check carefully all the emails you've received to see where it states 4 weeks notice.

At mine there is such a backlog of students, if you miss 1 payment you lose your place so cancelling is pretty straight forward. We still need to give notice on the off chance there isn't a student waiting for the place.

A cancellation period is very normal.

AbsoFrickingLuteley · 04/01/2024 20:59

Take him fun swimming with no goggles and then sign him up to new swimming lessons once he's comfortable again in a place that won't make him wear them. You could argue the point with them that he hates it because they are forcing him to wear goggles but you'll probably just have to suck it up and pay.

Original poster
Flowerpowerr1 · 04/01/2024 20:57

@Youcancallmeirrelevant Yes I definitely should’ve told them last term but I didn’t know there was a notice period, because it wasn’t a automatic direct debit payment I didn’t think things like this would really apply.
If they had sent me the T&C when I signed up I would’ve read it and known.

OP posts:
Workaholic99 · 04/01/2024 20:57

My swimming was the same. 4 weeks notice.

If you knew after only 2 lessons DC was unlikely to continue then that's on you I'm afraid. Just pay up and put it down to experience but you do owe the money for not saying anything earlier than when you received the next invoice.

It will have said in the T&Cs. If it doesn't then that's your only get out clause for not paying.

Original poster
Flowerpowerr1 · 04/01/2024 20:55

@AbsoFrickingLuteley I checked their website after and it does say it there but I would’ve never thought to check! It’s my first child first time signing up to swimming lessons so I didn’t know how it all worked. Definitely a lesson to learn

OP posts:
Original poster
Flowerpowerr1 · 04/01/2024 20:53

@AbsoFrickingLuteley nope still won’t go he wouldn’t get out the car when we get there and they make him wear the goggles they keep trying to persuade him then he starts to cry 😕

OP posts:
Original poster
Flowerpowerr1 · 04/01/2024 20:52

@TheWalkingDeadly Till the Feb half term and if only I knew before I would’ve done

OP posts:
AbsoFrickingLuteley · 04/01/2024 20:52

Would he go if he didn't have to wear goggles? Do they insist on goggles? My daughter hates goggles and that's fine, very few wear them at her lessons.

AbsoFrickingLuteley · 04/01/2024 20:51

You should have given them notice but if it's not in their terms and conditions then they can't make you pay. A lesson for you to learn for the future though.

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