to think this is a fake Chester Zoo ticket? Seriously, is it fake!?

[user1469643462]

Yeah, I think we all know now, but is there like a 1% chance any form of ticket looks like this!?!?

This is basically a follow on too

Ok I have looked and looked and I cannot find the Facebook post??! I'm on Chester zoo Facebook, all I can see if. Reviews section. Is it in there?

The worst part of this (I think) is that the childminder has gone to the lengths of producing a fake ticket rather than throw her hands up and apologise. That's some serious devious behaviour right there.

Actually no, making out that a little boy is either confused or a liar is pretty unforgivable.

Have you tried just asking the CM for the money back?

What has the CM said in response?

Mermaid tears I couldn't find it either however it was linked earlier in the thread and I had a lovely cuppa reading it all (and laughing) you can find it on this link make a brew first

I have been thinking more about the safeguarding issue, and have what I think is a relevant example. At our (London) school, we had a visit to the British Museum the Monday after those attacks in Paris. Some parents decided to withdraw their children from the trip (not me) as they were fearful that London would be targeted. Imagine if the school said "ah, don't worry, we'll go to a local museum instead" but carried on with the original plan and took the children to the British Museum anyway. Can you imagine the outcry? Every time there is a school trip we sign a specific permission slip because we have to consent to our child being sent there. I just can't imagine ofsted not hauling a school over hot coals if they took kids elsewhere. The press would be all over it And rightly so!

bananas, that's kind of the point I was making to all the people insisting 'this is fraud, make sure the evidence is preserved for investigation' hysteria.

In reality the closest it will get to a 'local investigation' is a crime number being allocated and possibly a follow up phone call.

I'm just always astounded by the number of people on MN whose first resort for every minor incident is ringing the police.

user I am so sorry this has happened to you. It's so hard to find childcare that you trust and like, and this story is just the pits. I would absolute go all out to expose it I'm afraid. Really seriously not on! I wouldn't' even do that with playdate kids. I'd always make sure the parents knew what we were up to.

response [[https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154494920211414&set=o.56676235911&type=3]]

Apologies. This link works.

www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154494920211414&set=o.56676235911&type=3

I recently lost over £1k by transferring it to a decorator who took the money then became uncontactable. He'd done work for us previously so no reason to suspect him of being fraudulent. Police said that because we'd handed the money over willingly (although clearly duped into it) we would need to go via the small claims court to recover it. I reported it on the police action fraud website and got a crime number but no action has been taken. Frustrating as we have a clear paper trail proving the transfer of funds and the fact that no work was done at all. I doubt the police would be interested in a CM pocketing £21 that the OP gave her.

Hugs OP. Hope you find emergency childcare, if I was near Chester I'd help out xx

Tempus, the intent to commit fraud has been proven though, in the ticket, which moves it from a civil matter to a criminal one. If it were just the money transfer, OP would be in the same (but much less money) situation as you.

I'm a CM and for any trip as expensive I would be asking for a percentage of the cost and there would be countless photos of the day. I'm absolutely disgusted at this CM and I would seriously consider taking your child out of her care and reporting her to Ofsted. It's theft and deceitful to then call your child a liar and create a fake ticket

I hope this has become a big enough deal that the other parents find out. They should know what she's done.

I think I'd actually more upset at her accusing my child of lying, than the loss of money.

The money is the last thing I'd be upset about to be honest.

Least you now know def a fake

Agree it is a safe guarding issue as well as theft and lying and you need to speak to ofsted

Pop over to childcare boards and see if anyone is in that area who can 1) help 2) recommend childcare

For emergency contact sitters or tinies or google nanny agencies in your area

Hopefully they will be able to find you a temp nanny for a few weeks while you decide what to do

1. can I nominate for classics

2. anyone fancy a Chester Zoo meet up?

The weirdest thing about this for me has been how many MNers are at least vaguely local to me. We were in Chester on Thursday. I recommend the slightly random Lego rocket outside the cathedral.

Two COCH babies in this house!

It's horrible to discover that someone you trusted is capable of small wickednesses. It makes you doubt your judgement.

So, what are you going to do, OP? Challenge her again?

After all that's transpired since the first post, yes the money is irrelevant, it's completely about the level of deception this person was willing to stoop to, whether for the cash, or whether it was an awful mistake which she lied about and then it spiralled, who cares, she is in a position of trust and you cannot behave like this.

It has potentially very dangerous consequences. Childminders, like nurseries, have strict safety guidelines to follow, not keeping a correct attendance register would constitute a safeguarding issue. For trips out you need to risk assess and have signed permission from the parents, it isn't a case of doing what you want and tell their folks later. If this did start off as a mistake and for whatever reason the CM couldn't go to the zoo that day, all it would have taken is an email/text asking for permission to go to museum instead.

CM has dropped a very costly bollock

I have read both threads (and the facebook post) and can't believe the CM would have the cheek to do this!! The fake ticket is just taking the piss. Did she really think you would fall for that?!

Trying to make your son lie is unforgivable. I hope you manage to sort this out.

We could have a contest for the best fake tickets, but a pp on the other thread has already won it, IMO.