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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be cross at my babies swimming instructor......

37 replies

Lottiesmama312 · 15/10/2013 16:45

Our baby does swimming lessons each week with one of thoes " baby swimming companies".

We were waiting for a letter in the post like we had received last term about if we would like to sign up to another term.
I woke this morning to find a hundered or so pounds had be debited from my account by the company.

I rang to ask why this money was taken and was told that it was for next lot of swimming sessions and that the Friday just gone was the deadline to say we no longer wanted to attend classes......

They told me I had been sent a email about it and it was mentioned in class. They told me they did everything by email and not letters - (even though I have the paper copy they sent ref rebooking from earlier in the year!)

I retrieved all my deleted and existing emails and have had nothing from them! It didn't go to junk either as they did a test email today.

the day that it was mentioned in class we were away.

So basically we had no clue that this money would be taken. They are now telling me that I attend the sessions or we pay a £30 cancellation fee! Angry

We were yet to decide if we were going to sign up again but now I definitely do not want to sign up with them due to the way we have been dealt with.

They kept saying it was all in the terms and conditions...... I have yet to hand in the paper that says I agree to these!

I am so upset about this - AIBU? Has anyone else been
" stung" by these baby swimming people?!? What should I do?

OP posts:
Original poster
Lottiesmama312 · 15/10/2013 16:47

I should say its the company that I am upset at not the instructor!

OP posts:
FortyDoorsToNowhere · 15/10/2013 16:48

Didn't you read the T&C

Anniemousse · 15/10/2013 16:49

Ask your bank to reverse the dd

Tiptops · 15/10/2013 16:49

Yanbu. Call your bank and organise a charge back as you didn't authorise the payment. You will get a refund without having to battle with them over terms and conditions you didn't agree to.

Original poster
Lottiesmama312 · 15/10/2013 16:52

The t&c did not specify a date that any monies would be taken or when any information of this would be sent- the instructor said on the date we were away - look out for your email. Grin

OP posts:
pixiepotter · 15/10/2013 16:54

Haver they taken it out by DD or by using your debit card.If it's DD you just simply ring the bank and they will reverse it the same day.If it's debit card (which I suspect it will be) then if they won't voluntarily pay you back, it will be a small claims court job.

minibmw2010 · 15/10/2013 16:55

I don't think you can blame them for you being away when they reminded people. Was it not mentioned in the T&C'a that rebooking is automatic unless you say otherwise?

minibmw2010 · 15/10/2013 16:56

But the OP did kind of agree to the T&Cs by going to the first terms lessons and setting up a DD, returning the paperwork is a formality that she was slack with.

minibmw2010 · 15/10/2013 16:57

Sorry, just seen your comment re the T&CS

Original poster
Lottiesmama312 · 15/10/2013 16:58

Im not blaming them as we were away- but they are using at as a "we did mention it" despite us not being there. The rebooking is automatic but they do notify you of a date when this will be via letter or email and give you two weeks to decide what you want to do -this is the information we didn't recieve x

OP posts:
Original poster
Lottiesmama312 · 15/10/2013 17:06

Pixie it is debit card as you thought.

OP posts:
TarkaTheOtter · 15/10/2013 18:39

Regardless of the t&cs it sounds like a system designed to exploit people failing to cancel on time, which they wouldn't need to do if they were selling a quality service. I'd lean on them heavily (on twitter and facebook) to let you cancel for free as an act of goodwill. These companies rely on word of mouth to publicise so shouldn't be too hard to get them to do.

kali110 · 15/10/2013 19:10

A lot of things are like this now though, unless you contact saying you wish to cancel its an automatic renewal

PenelopePipPop · 15/10/2013 19:29

If you don't want to go ahead send them a letter before action notifying them you'll be taking a small claims route to recover the money if they don't repay you in full. You were not notified of the relevant terms and conditions, it is a consumer contract, not my area of law but it sounds like an obvious unfair term in a consumer contract - I can't see how they have a leg to stand on unless there is clear paperwork specifying the date on which money will be debited from your account so you could notify them in advance. If that was not provided this is just a scam to hang on to your business at best or your cancellation fee at worst.

Bringmewineandcake · 15/10/2013 19:35

But if you had a letter last term then surely you knew what was going to happen, whether you knew the exact date or not?
I too am signed up with similar, our deadline is in 2 weeks and so far I've had an email, a text message letting me know I've got an email, and the teacher has mentioned it in class. Based on last term, I suspect she will mention it again this week as the last class before the deadline..
I think YABU, sorry.

quietbatperson · 15/10/2013 19:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Lottiesmama312 · 15/10/2013 20:50

Thanks for all the advice everyone! Made the me feel much better!

Spoke to a friend tonight who does a class with them and she also commented that their customer service skills were very poor when they told the instructor they wished to leave next term Shock also made me feel better!

Bringmewineandcake (loving the nameSmile) the deadline was last Friday which I knew nothing about!
I had no email or text and when they informed the group to look out for an email we were away.....

Last term we had a letter, so yes i knew that there was a deadline but no information until today (too late) of when this was! I was waiting for a letter.....which they I am told by them had been replaced by electronic format to save money etc......

OP posts:
Helspopje · 15/10/2013 20:56

waterbabies does this as a matter of course - letter for first term only and autorebooking after that. they usually send an email a week or so before and a text message a day or so before.

Swimmyfishy · 15/10/2013 21:04

As you may guess from my erm name i am very much involved with baby swimming. Only this type of swim school/ brand would store card details. I work for council run lessons where the fees are payable quarterly or via DD, over a 3 week period. And they are sooo expensive and provide the same experience although they will make out they are unique!

Original poster
Lottiesmama312 · 15/10/2013 21:09

Oooo swimmy that sounds fab!!! - do you know where I could get more information about these types of classes? Is there a website I can have a gander at Grin or is it a case of calling local pools to see what they offer?

OP posts:
Bringmewineandcake · 15/10/2013 21:12

Then you are very unlucky lottiesmama and you should definitely pursue a refund if that's your preference, but don't cut your nose off to spite your face Grin

Original poster
Lottiesmama312 · 15/10/2013 21:18

Bringmewineandcake Smile

OP posts:
Swimmyfishy · 15/10/2013 21:24

Call around. The advantage with DD where i work is that you can cancel at anytime, you pay your DD one month in advance so for example your last DD was taken1st Oct which covers your Nov lessons so you always have the upper hand. Approx £5.00 per lesson. So, so naughty just to debit your card you can tell its all about the money!

DuckToWater · 15/10/2013 21:28

Regardless of the t&cs it sounds like a system designed to exploit people failing to cancel on time, which they wouldn't need to do if they were selling a quality service.

I agree, I think it's rubbish. I would never agree to that either as a term's fees for DDs is nearly £200 and I would want to be REALLY sure when that amount is taken out.

A lot of things are like this now though, unless you contact saying you wish to cancel its an automatic renewal

A lot of things aren't as well, no classes DDs have signed up for have ever required a direct debit or repeat card payment.

Southpaws · 15/10/2013 21:30

If this is waterbabies as I suspect it is, they always give an enormous amount of notice about the cancellation deadline. If I remember correctly, it was also in the monthly newsletter about deadlines/term dates/payment dates etc, as well as direct e mails. Have you never received any of the newsletters either?