To refuse to pay this nursery charge

This thread is a great example of why I hope I never have to go in front of a jury for a crime I didn't commit.

Poor OP. I wouldn't be happy either. Maybe get together with other parents and if it's a group of you then it will be harder to ignore?

You should pay for the number of months the activity takes place. So if the activity takes place Dec - April, that is 5 months. If you pay those 5 months over Nov- March then it’s an advance payment which I’d have no issues with.

However, I would query any charge received for the last month of the activity - if you receive one. For example, if the activity ends in April, and you receive a charge on your April invoice then I would query that, as advance payments should end in March.

I have read your responses. You need to self reflect on your communication style. Your replies have been very defensive. You will be annoyed by what I have put here and no doubt reply with something rude, which is fine, take or leave my advice.

Why not just say:

Nursery charge us £40 a month in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb for ballet. I found out ballet didn’t happen in November so have asked for a refund and been fobbed off.

And OP can remove them from a nursery and use other childcare if she isn’t happy. These kind of things do happen in larger childcare settings, it’s why we used a childminder for our youngest when I had to go back to work.
I would pick a childminder over a nursery any day because it’s more personal and transparent.

I feel for you. That would wind me up so much, but in this day and age we can’t risk losing our nursery places. Could you tell other parents? Or speak to the owners rather than a manager?

@Jeronnemo NOOOOOOOO. I PAY ON NOVEMBER 1ST FOR NOVEMBER. I PAY ON DECEMBER 1ST FOR DECEMBER

Yes. We ALL have understand this. Contrary to what you believe, everyone in the world but yourself is not thick.

You pay for attendance on the 1st of the month for that month. So, you pay 1st Nov for attendance in the month of Nov. WE GET THAT.

What we are questioning is that this is not classed as an attendance component but a special activity fee, where it needs to be paid in advance, that is, you need to pay the activity fee in November (do your 1st Nov payment) so that the activity can be done in December. That would make sense.

It all sounds completely shitty of the nursery, but it would be useful to know exactly what the manager said, for full context. But I’m assuming you want to keep that private.

Is the nursery in a group? A mis-charge was made at our nursery and I ended up going above the manager’s head.

Well, what sort of activity is it?

Something extra that takes place on the premises, like French language lessons or a craft activity? For which an extra instructor would have to be hired?

Something they go to externally like the cinema or swimming? Where transport, weather etc could be a factor?

Are you saying they literally lied and said “oh yes they are receiving French lessons for an hour per week” when no such lessons are taking place?

Or were they unclear as to the start / end dates of an activity yet to happen? But still expected to occur to the full extent of the programme?

If you were as rude to the nursery manager as you are being to people on here, I’m not surprised she shut you down.

I think that’s awful of the nursery, and deceptive and grabby. If they are a chain I would bypass the manager and go to accounts.

Depending on how many children are charged, it could work out a lot of money.

I’d question their integrity, and wonder what else they lied about.

I agree! I'm a childminder, can you imagine the difference in responses if i tried this with a parent? I'm equally full with a waiting list etc.

But we don’t know that the op will be charged for an extra month this year as she hasn’t been invoiced for the other months yet, she seems to just be presuming. The nursery could just be changing the payment schedule due to late payments previously from other parents that caused difficulty in funding this extra activity last year.

To me it is clear that
If you have paid for Nov and they didn't do it you should be refunded or they can carry it over to December.

I’m baffled by the responses here. I would be very angry about this. Have other parents clocked the issue?

I’d go back in writing if this has been done verbally and expect the money to be refunded or not added to my bill in a subsequent month.

I’m not hard of understanding I’ve included the example of where the fee payable for activities isn’t charged at the same schedule as the fees which is what might be happening in the OPs situation.

OP is changing her story as initially she said the activity will be happening in Dec and now says she expected it to be in November.

Well we don't blooming know do we because you keep repeating the same things and aren't actually answering very relevant questions...

Tell them in writing, that following up on your enquiry. You have paid in Nov for the December activity. (So one month ahead) and at the end if winter you will tally up the number of these famous activities that have taken place. & adjust accordingly.
Also you should get other parents to question this.

What exactly was the bullshit you were given? Did they confirm to you that you would be paying an extra month for no reason or are you just presuming this? Is it an activity that’s carried out by an external company or is it done by the nursery staff?

Guys - come on, she did finally explain it so it could be understood.

2024 invoices -
4 x payment Dec - March @40 each for 4 sessions of an activity.

2025 invoices -
5 x payment Nov - March @40 each for 5 sessions of an activity.
BUT Nov activity didn't happen and manager never told parents. Then when questioned, said no refund for November.

OP - what did manager say reason was for no November session and no refund for November?
Will Dec-March sessions be happening?

OP, have you asked the nursery very clearly:

I was charged £40 on 1st November for X activity. On what date will the session take place that this charge covers?

and if they say “it will take place on 3rd, 10th, 17th and 29th December” you say ok, so can you confirm that the £40 I will be charged on 1st December covers the dates that will take place in January and that I can expect the last payment to be charged on 1st March for the April sessions?”

you keep saying that November payment is for November fees but I can’t see that you have confirmed with the nursery that this also applies to the activity charges.

What did the nursery say about the charge? You said she lied but you haven't told us what the lie was. How do you know they will charge you again in December when you haven't received the december invoice yet? What do other parents say about it?

You still haven’t told us what they said but have asserted they are telling lies. Given your tone to many of the posters here who are asking very straightforward questions, I am inclined to believe the nursery is not entirely the problem here.