to be fuming the nursery is using a debt collecting agency to reclaim money from me.

[msangry]

Very long story, but background important. My dd went to local nursery when she was 6 months old when I had to go back to work. She spent 4 years at this nursery with my nursery bill being about £700 a month. That's a total of over £33,000 paid to this nursery. During my dd's time there she contracted food poisoning from the nursery and was hospitalised, she was very ill. The hospital wanted me to report the nursery to health and safety. I didn't. I spoke to the nursery manager and gave her the benefit of the doubt she said she would ensure hygiene standards in the kitchen were looked into etc.

On one occasion dd was badly hurt when a member of staff put her in a swing that was for older children (rather than babies) pushed her too hard and dd fell over and badly cut her back. Took a long time to heal and dd was in a lot of pain, she had to have a few stitches. Spoke to the nursery manager who seemed genuinely upset and promised to deal with the member of staff who had allowed this to happen.

I give these examples to show that I could have caused a major fuss for the nursery manager, reported her to OFSTED for eg but didn't. I gave her the opportunity to put things right.

Anyway, had a second dd who started at the same nursery last year. Within the first week at nursery she picked up a sickness bug. And like her sister had to be hospitalised. Couldn't believe our bad luck. I spoke to the nursery manager and she said they had deep cleaned the nursery, they cant stop the spread of bugs etc. Sent dd back to nursery when she was better only for her to pick up another sickness bug.

Decided to withdraw dd from this nursery. Had thought her sister had just been unlucky picking up every bug going from the nursery but for my dd to keep getting ill and also being hospitalised as a result was too much. Throughout my dd being off sick from the nursery (a total of 6 weeks in the end as she was so ill) the nursery charged me. I spoke to the manager and said I wasn't happy paying for my dd when a)she'd ended up being hospitalised from a bug picked up twice from nursery and b) hadnt attended for practically two months. Manager agreed I didn't have to pay the final invoice.

I thought that was it until I got a letter from a debt collecting company asking for £700 I have 3 days to pay or the baliffs will come round. Manager denys saying she let me off the final invoice.

Have no idea what to do. Don't want baliffs turning up but dont want to have to pay the £700 either which we cant afford.

I continued to send my dd's to the nursery simply because I was desperate. I have no family who can help with childcare and I have to work to support my family. Where I live there are not really any childcare alternatives ie other nurseries or childminders (it is quite rural). With hindsight I should have taken dd out of the nursery after the stitches incident and/or the food poisioning incident. This would have meant giving up work though with all the worry of how to pay the bills (I was a single parent with first dd after my partner left me when I was pregnant).

The point is the nursery manager agreed not to invoice me for the final month and is now chasing this up via a debt collection agency. She didn't even ring me to discuss first which I consider to be VU.

Everything else aside - the manager said you don't owe the money and if I'm reading the Op correctly, she still denies that she sent it to collection? You need to show her the bills you've been sent and ask her to stop them if she is going to keep her word.

Have you gone in to speak to the nursery manager / tried to ring her / even email her? Perhaps she forgot what she had agrees and it's an error?

Is the manager the owner too? If not then it may be out of her hands anyway.

I can't understand why you sent a second child to the nursery when you clearly weren't happy with it for your first?

If my child contracted food poisoning at nursery I would have removed them immediately

I don't understand the bit about contracting food poisoning at the nursery.

Were other children taken unwell and did the hospital confirm that it was food poisoning, how did you come to the conclussion that the nursery were responsible?

I completely understand what you are saying and why you feel you shouldn't have to pay. Morally, I agree the nursery manager should not expect you to pay.

BUT, you had concerns about the nursery and you chose to send your children there. You chose not to inform any outside agencies about the food poisoning, and I assume you have no proof that your dds illness was as a direct result of something the nursery did wrong. You not having any other childcare and being desparate to keep your job is of course a major concern for you, but is completly irrelevant to them, as is the fact that you chose to let them off the hook the first couple of times.

We are then left with the fact that your dd had a place reserved for her so you need to pay. It's your word against the managers that she said you didn't have to pay, because you didn't get it in writing.

You need to take the advice you have been/will be given here about the debt collection agency, because as it stands,you owe them the money.