Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think nursery is insane over their new billing policy?

32 replies

lemniscate · 16/04/2012 22:27

Our nursery has just started a new billing process. They now bill us 4 months in advance, so we have to pay them all the fees for May to August by the end of this month. This is insane, right? I mean, we have wiggle room on our monthly budget but we don't have 4 months worth of childcare wiggle room, and I don't particularly appreciate having to dip into savings to cover this. Does anyone else's nursery do this? Is this common practice? AIBU to send them an email back saying WTAF?

OP posts:
BikeRunSki · 16/04/2012 22:28

Bonkers.

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 16/04/2012 22:28

yy I would be asking WTAF.

PoppyWearer · 16/04/2012 22:29

That's outrageous!

OhBuggerandArse · 16/04/2012 22:30

Are they in financial trouble?

Grumpla · 16/04/2012 22:30

I'd be assuming they were in deep trouble financially and would therefore be even less likely to pay them anything in advance. Have you got a contingency in case they go bust and close unexpectedly?

purpleroses · 16/04/2012 22:30

Sounds crazy - I've never paid more than a month in advance (plus deposit).

PoppyWearer · 16/04/2012 22:30

I'd be worried that they are doing this to meet their quarterly rent bills and are having financial problems.

zebedeeboing · 16/04/2012 22:31

I'd be thinking they were in financial trouble and hoping that some rich parents will pay up without asking questions!!

SundaeGirl · 16/04/2012 22:32

That's not OK at all. Four months in advance?!

ReallyTired · 16/04/2012 22:34

That is crazy. I would look for a new nursery. If your present nursery goes under you could end up losing thousands of pounds and having no childcare.

At our nursery the parents pay monthy on a day of the parent's choosing. The nursery that my son went to six years ago the parents could opt to pay either weekly or monthly.

You are the customer and the nursery need to fit in with you.

Its tough having to change nurseries if your son is happy where he is.

Original poster
lemniscate · 16/04/2012 22:35

I work freelance on occasional short term contracts and am just finishing one. Not intending to work for a few months so only hold the place for the 2 days they are full and then scale up if I need to. So I'm flexible enough to deal with it if they go bust. I did wonder about them having financial difficulties, as they are only full on 2 days, and it is a small village nursery so I guess prone to the loss of one or two children, and I know they have huge issues with parents not paying fees on time :( I think I will just say that we will carry on paying monthly as we cannot afford to pay anything more than that. The worst they can do is kick my children out I suppose, and I can cover that if necessary.

Sad if they go :( The staff are fabulous and my DS and now DD are really happy there.

OP posts:
Original poster
lemniscate · 16/04/2012 22:36

Right, I definitely won't be paying them 4 months in advance (we could scrape it together if necessary purely because I have just got paid for the last 3 months work, but I won't do that now)

OP posts:
waytoomuchchocolate · 16/04/2012 22:39

My dc's nursery do invoice termly now. I think it was more to do with notice period having to be termly instead of monthly. But they make it clear you can pay monthly if you want to. After all, that's how the voucher system works if you use childcare vouchers. I'd just ask if them if you can do that.

purpleroses · 16/04/2012 22:40

If they have parents who've not paid the fees on time, and they've not chucked their DCs out, then they're not going to chuck yours out if you explain that you cannot afford to pay more than 1 month in advance. Still less if they're not full.

Also suggests they're in financial difficulties. A lot of nurseries need to be more or less full (and collect all their fees on time) to break even, so you don't want to pay any more than you have to upfront.

Bogeyface · 16/04/2012 22:43

My first thought was the same as above, that they are struggling financially. Paying in advance could mean they go under anyway and you have paid for childcare that you wont be getting. You wont get your money back, you will just go onto a list of creditors and its very unlikely you will see a penny back.

Original poster
lemniscate · 16/04/2012 22:46

I've just sent an email to her saying "Is it possible to pay this monthly as we have before because for cashflow reasons we will be unable to pay 4 months upfront?" I didn't want to shout and scream - they are great with my need for flexibility, and if they are in difficulties it won't help to have me shouting at them :(

Thanks, all. I didn't really think about it being a financial difficulties issue so much as them probably trying some crazy way of getting around the fact that lots of parents seem not to pay on time. I'll make sure I don't part with more money than a month at a time.

OP posts:
purpleroses · 16/04/2012 22:49

My DD's after school club charges you 10% extra if you don't pay on time - maybe they should try that.

Beckyboo4 · 16/04/2012 22:55

This happened to me once but without the 4 months upfront. Just paid the nursery fees one month ahead for my 2 daughters and by the following week I was told on the Monday the Nursery would be closing on the Friday. Never got the childcare or the refund for childcare I didn't get or an refund of the deposit I paid to secure my children's places at the begining when they first started.

Paying 4 months in advance sounds rather fishy to me too. Totally sounds like a cash flow problem to me. I have 4 children and all have been in nursery aat soime point nd this is the first time I have heard of paying 4 months in advance.

DontCallMeBaby · 16/04/2012 22:58

If parents aren't paying on time they aren't going to cheerily pay up four months at a time. Surely this is going to make things worse for the nursery! I suppose they aren't able to mandate direct debits, but perhaps offering an itty bitty discount in return for parents setting one up ... I vaguely recall something like that with DD's nursery, something like if you set up a monthly direct debit you paid for 50 weeks over the year, but got 51 weeks' care.

Bogeyface · 16/04/2012 22:59

I should add to Beckyboo that 5 out of my 6 have been in nursery, 3 different ones, and I have never had this either.

catsareevil · 16/04/2012 23:02

4 monthly! That isnt normal. Is the notice period 4 months? If it is less then what happens if you leave? Are they paying staff 4 months in advance? I doubt it.

It sounds like a nursery that is about to fold. If you depend of childcare to work then I'd be looking at other options - if they have to close then all the parents will be looking for another nursery at one time.

faintpinkline · 16/04/2012 23:15

Not normal. FDA nursery used to have a discount available for paying six months in advance but it was monthly unless you opted otherwise. I would be looking for a new nursery to be honest .

faintpinkline · 16/04/2012 23:16

Mean Dds nursery damn predictive texting on phone

OhdearNigel · 16/04/2012 23:20

We have just paid our nursery bill until July. Normal for us

OhdearNigel · 16/04/2012 23:21

Should point out that ours is attached to a private school so nursery bills are sent out at the same time as school bills (ie. before the new term)

Swipe left for the next trending thread