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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect a refund?

81 replies

PotterBot · 14/04/2016 16:27

Dd was unable to go on a school residential trip due to illness. She was taken ill the morning of the trip and the school called me to collect her and told me I had to take her home. I was told there and then I could expect a full refund.

I have been chasing this refund for a month. Today I've been contacted about an insurance claim they are putting in asking the details of her illness.

I've told the school they should give me the refund regardless of the claim. I was told I was going to get one, now they are saying they aren't sure if they would get the money back from the insurance.

Surely that bit isn't my problem? The school insisted she couldn't go on the trip.
Aibu?

OP posts:
Original poster
PotterBot · 14/04/2016 17:29

All I signed was a consent form, nothing about insurance I've double checked.

OP posts:
teacher54321 · 14/04/2016 17:32

That's odd in itself. I've not dealt with residential school trips for a while but I know that day trips are covered by the schools usual insurance, and we have to put that in all letters to parents. I'm unsure as to whether that covers illness/cancellation or just medical costs/liability etc. When I dealt with residential trips in my previous school I know that cancellation on medical grounds would not warrant a refund.

FuriousFate · 14/04/2016 17:33

Agree with Ice above. If you'd booked a holiday that cost £300 yourself, chances are you'd have had insurance to cover cancellation due to illness. The school should have had group insurance as standard.

The head told you you would get a refund. Hence, he should honour what he said to you.

LettingAgentNightmare · 14/04/2016 17:34

I would never expect the school to pay out of their funds, is that even allowed? I would always assume they would need to claim from insurance.

Isn't it like all activities with kids, I've paid for numerous ballet, swimming, violin lessons etc that my children have missed when they were ill and I didn't get a feud for any of them.

nancy75 · 14/04/2016 17:45

Lettingagent, you would be surprised at how many parents think they should get a refund for ballet/swimming/tennis if their child misses a class due to illness, birthday party, just can't be bothered!

shazzarooney99 · 14/04/2016 17:56

Surely the cost of the trip depends on everyone going? because of that i have never expected a refund from a trip.

StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes · 14/04/2016 19:11

yes they decided she couldn't go so they should refund especially as they said they would, then they do battle with their insurers to claim it back. It's a school trip so they pay the insurance and surel they should ensure it covers last minute illness, wobbles about going away etc, it's not parents responsibility to have insurance.

MatildaTheCat · 14/04/2016 19:12

OP, do you have travel insurance of your own? An annual policy or one attached to a bank account? If so it may be worth checking if you can claim using this. Did you take your DD to the GP and get a certificate or evidence of her illness? I think any policy whether via the school or personal would require this.

It's not the fault of the school, however. A month isn't very long at all and they have contacted you today asking for details, I imagine the doctors evidence I mentioned- have you supplied this? I would do whatever they are asking and keep your fingers crossed but if it's a no then, sadly that's life.

Probably a good pointer for others on here, though to check their own arrangements.

nancy75 · 14/04/2016 19:13

I doubt if there is an insurance policy on earth that covers for last minute wobbles! Op did you take your dd to the doctor? Most insurance will want doctors note as proof of illness.

Original poster
PotterBot · 14/04/2016 19:57

I never took her to the doctors as she wasn't ill enough to warrant a doctors visit. She had a bit of a cold and a sore throat but nothing the doctor would have given her something for.

OP posts:
nancy75 · 14/04/2016 20:00

I think the lack of a doctor visit will be the cause of the problems, sorry op but I don't think the insurance will pay with no proof of illness

SukeyTakeItOffAgain · 14/04/2016 20:05

I went on a school ski trip once. One of the boys had flu and spread it around everyone. It was absolutely terrible!

How we all wished the school had said "You need to stay at home".

MidniteScribbler · 15/04/2016 01:05

I thought they would refund me then claim back the money from the insurance.\

Where do you think the school is going to get this money from? They don't have a fund of petty cash laying around to pay a parent back because their child was too sick to go on a trip. You didn't even take the child to the doctor, so without proof of the child being ill, the insurance is not going to payout.

UpsiLondoes · 15/04/2016 01:13

Your daughter had a temperature - it wasn't just "nothing" and she was ill. She just didn't get any worse - but the school couldn't have taken that chance. And I'd be livid if the school did allow a child running a temperature to go on the trip, infecting other kids. If you didn't get proof she was running a temp and had a cold, how can they claim on an insurance policy?

NightWanderer · 15/04/2016 01:13

I'm guessing the Head is really kicking themselves for saying that. I think they probably just said it without thinking and now realise that it is more complicated than that. I wouldn't send my kids on a trip with a fever though.

80sMum · 15/04/2016 01:22

"I think the lack of a doctor visit will be the cause of the problems"

I agree. I have successfully claimed refunds on parents' behalf on many occasions, for pupils who pulled out of residential trips due to illness. The insurers always ask for a Dr's report and confirmation that the child was unfit for travel. Without that, where is the proof that the child was ill?

In this case, however, the OP was specifically requested by the school not to put the child on the trip, so I think the school does have some liability here. If this were my school, I would still make a claim under the insurance and would include a covering letter from the Headteacher stating that the school deemed the child unfit to travel and there wasn't a Dr present at the time who could verify.

Definitely worth a try, I think.

happyhearts7 · 15/04/2016 01:42

OP yes I agree with PPs who say that the HT should not have told you would get a refund but with all my kids trips (in & out of school) it always says the money is non-refundable under any circumstances. Usually the price is worked out depending on the number of kids going so if one child gets a refund from the school for whatever reason then it puts the cost up for everyone else! So basically if the insurance company doesn't pay out who then pays the refund? The other parents or the school? I definitely wouldn't be happy paying for someone else's child who couldn't go & schools just do not have a spare £300 laying about Confused
And yes they were right to send your daughter home, it's not fair that parents send ill kids on trips etc to infect everyone else.
I'm a volunteer with a child's group and last year we took 30 kids away with another group in the same coach, unfortunately the other group's local school was badly infected with a bug.. some of these kid's parents let them go on the trip, thanks to them I ended up with this bug for over a week Angry

Bogeyface · 15/04/2016 01:57

I think that yes you should get a refund.

You didnt make the call, the school did. If there insurance doesnt pay out because the child wasnt actually too ill to go on the trip (seriously, how many people would cancel a family holiday due to a bit of a temperature and a sort throat?) then its on the school.

The only person it certainly isnt on is the OP!. The school made the judgement, they should refund the OP and then deal with the consequences if they dont get it back from their insurers.

Bogeyface · 15/04/2016 02:00

Oh blimey...their/there sore/sort....

MidniteScribbler · 15/04/2016 02:08

You didnt make the call, the school did.

The child showed up to school feeling ill, and it happened to be on the day of the trip. If it were any other day of school they would have sent her home as well. Do you really expect a school to take away an ill child on a trip?

Her mother should have kept her home in the first place, if she wasn't so worried about losing the money she had paid on the trip.

Bogeyface · 15/04/2016 02:50

I am not saying that the school were wrong to not take the child (although I ask again how many people would cancel a family holiday for feeling "under the weather") but that if the school took that decision then they are responsible for the cost of that place. If the OP had made the call then she should bear the cost if the insurance company wont pay out, but she didnt, the school did. Therefore the OP is due a refund and any issues with the insurance is for the school to deal with and not the OPs problem.

Kayakinggirl86 · 15/04/2016 05:52

So a teacher goes over and above their call of duty organising a trip for your child. Sadly your child is not well on the day and can't go. After everything has been paid for. Not the teachers fault.
The teacher instead of just taking the your loss look at it then starts a insurance claim to get your money back. And you have the cheek to moan about it.
If they were to take it out if school funds £300 is how much my department of 6 teachers spend on stationary a year, or that is 2 days of cover for a teacher to go on a course, or 6 new tablets for a class to use, or nearly 100 reading books bought. I would be raging as a parent if I found out school funds had been used that way!

Buckinbronco · 15/04/2016 06:01

If the headteacher said the refund was forthcoming that's the end of it-the refund should be there. Not waiting for insurers. I would put in a complaint OP, yanbu at all

Mistigri · 15/04/2016 06:08

Today I've been contacted about an insurance claim they are putting in asking the details of her illness.

It's the school that determined she was too unwell to travel so surely they need to be providing this information.

I do think that the school's liability is engaged here. They made a judgement call that was perhaps not fundamentally unreasonable - but turned out to be wrong. The OP can't supply evidence that her daughter was ill, because she wasn't!

IMO the school should refund regardless of whether it can recover the money in the insurance.

Ickythumpsmum · 15/04/2016 06:16

kayak well done for spelling out how that £300 would be spent in a school. It's disappointing that OP's DD didnt get to enjoy the trip, but sometimes that's what happens.

There have been so many threads on mumsnet about kids not being sent home from residentially when they are sick - it's always the bad teachers fault for not taking proper care of the kid.

In this case, they didn't take the sick kid. It's still the bad teachers fault.

At this rate you are lucky there are still people willing to give their time for your kids!

I hope there is some sort of insurance that will help the OP get her money back, but if not, nobody with any sense can blame the school for not wanting to take a sick child on a trip.

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