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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To expect a refund when nursery closes for snow??

87 replies

Lou1324 · 10/12/2017 20:28

Just had a phone call to say my DDs nursery is closed tomorrow because of the snow. The nursery is part of a big college and the head has made the call to close the college. We had heavy snow fall last night, but the main roads are now fine, we've been out and about all day.

We've been told no refund! I'm now going to have to pay for alternative childcare as I work for the NHS, which does not close no matter what the weather! DH is saying we should insist on a refund... Anyone ever managed to do this?!

OP posts:

WeAllHaveWings · 10/12/2017 21:04

My dh is self employed which means he takes any emergency time off. It means he potentially loses a days pay, lets a customer down, but he can rearrange work where possible to evenings or weekends. Can your dh do this?

donquixotedelamancha · 10/12/2017 21:04

"Because they have not caused the situation which is preventing them from providing the service."

I'm not currently able to star in The Avengers 4. I did not cause that situation. WIBU to invoice Marvel? As PPs have said- that argument only flies if the contract stipulates it.

@Lou1324- what does your written contract specify? Mine, for example, does not have such a clause and I would not be paying.

AcrossthePond55 · 10/12/2017 21:05

I'm in the US so may not be the same, but we never received refunds for snow days. Never. We usually had 2 or 3 a year. And that's not counting the times they closed early due to snow and we were called at work and told we had 30 minutes to come get the child as they were closing.

We had our parents for snow days in a pinch but as they didn't want to drive in the snow I'd usually just take the day off and enjoy it with them. I was lucky enough to have a job where parental leave was liberal as well as a reasonable management team who usually closed the office if it was bad enough to close the schools.

Starlight2345 · 10/12/2017 21:08

I am a childminder this is common in nurseries .The same as you pay for bank holidays when they are closed...If I have to close I don't charge.

ThisLittleKitty · 10/12/2017 21:09

Sorry for the silly question but how do you know if schools open or not?? I've had no call or email but it's snowed quite heavy today. Is it still open unless they tell you otherwise (genuinely wonderig how I'm gonna get there!)

Neverender · 10/12/2017 21:10

Ours is closed and they're not charging us

Voice0fReason · 10/12/2017 21:10

It's irrelevant if they have caused the closure, if they can't provide the service that someone is paying for then they can't charge for it!
The nursery I worked for never charged for snow closures.

What other serivce would you pay for if it wasn't provided? Tickets for a show or transport? A driving lesson? A holiday booking?
You would rightly expect a refund every time.
The fact that the staff still need to be paid is not the customer's problem. Organisations can get insurance for that.

Voice0fReason · 10/12/2017 21:14

Presumably they will still have to pay their staff, and their other fixed overheads - would you be happy for them not to pay their staff tomorrow, so you can have a refund?
So the business shouldn't be out of pocket but it's fine for the customer to be?

RatRolyPoly · 10/12/2017 21:16

You couldn't expect a refund for any of those things Voice if when you paid for it you accepted T&Cs which said "in the event of this not being able to go ahead due to bad weather the ticket price is non-refundable", I reckon. Not being a legal-type myself.

namechangedtoday15 · 10/12/2017 21:17

Really??? Firstly schools are usually open 9 until 3 ish whereas nurseries are 8am to 6pm - roads are clearer at 9am and the temperature is generally higher / light is better at 3pm than 6pm. If the nursery thinks it's safer for children / parents / workers to close, why are you challenging that? A refund? Yes, because nurseries generally have a massive bank account to pay all their staff & refund all the parents for closing when they felt the snow meant it wasn't suitable for children

MsHarry · 10/12/2017 21:20

This whole closing school sand nurseries with a bit of snow is silly and I work in one!

namechangedtoday15 · 10/12/2017 21:27

But it's not though. Schools (and nurseries) don't have state of the art facilities and when the temp drops due to snow etc, quite often the heating fails, the plumbing fails so that toilets don't flush etc. And it's completely different to a concert or ticket for something - if there are 20 members of staff which means they meet the government-required ratios, what happens if 10 people can't get in? It's a matter of safety.

And unless the OP knows that all staff members could get in / staff ratios could be maintained / children would be warm and could use facilities etc, manager was well within her rights to call it.

Original poster

Lou1324 · 10/12/2017 21:29

Namechanged, the roads are clear now. No more snow is forecast. I won't have any problems getting to the hospital in the morning. I have to park off site, a 10-15 min walk, that my NHS employer will not accept as an excuse that it's not safe for me to walk it to reach my department. But anyway, as I've previously said, I'm interested in people's experiences previously as to whether they have managed to get a refund in this situation, as it's not ideal to be out of pocket

OP posts:

MsHarry · 10/12/2017 21:29

But, at the risk of sounding like my mum, it never used to happen. I'm guessing elf and safety laws have been cranked up over the years. I would always try to get to work and walk if necessary but many colleagues were saying they weren't going in without even trying.

JacquesHammer · 10/12/2017 21:30

DD's school rarely shuts but snow days are carried over to the next term's bill and taken off so we don't end up paying for a day we haven't received

MsHarry · 10/12/2017 21:30

I think you should be refunded OP. FWIW.

Jessikita · 10/12/2017 21:36

Hmmmm funny how private businesses including nurseries and NHS workers etc all manage to open and get to work but a sniff of snow and the Headteachers decide to close school and colleges.

DeadGood · 10/12/2017 21:37

"My DH is self employed so can't really take time off, and there is no reason to, as the snow is all but gone from the roads anyway!"

Huh? The reason your partner should be taking time off is because he needs to provide emergency childcare, because the nursery is closed.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 10/12/2017 21:38

All of my external childcare providers refund if not open.
I used to have one who didn’t who was closed more than she was open so expressed my disatisfaction by giving notice.

LipstickHandbagCoffee · 10/12/2017 21:39

I don’t see any mileage in pursuing a refund,contract smallprint will be you pay
I agree it’s frustrating though,and get where you are coming from

EduCated · 10/12/2017 21:45

People tended to work closer to home years ago, so much less issue with people getting to work then.

namechangedtoday15 · 10/12/2017 21:47

Not in my experience. Read your contract.

Butterymuffin · 10/12/2017 21:54

Surely your DH as a self-employed person is better positioned than you and many others to take time off in these circumstances? Could he take your DD to work with him, even if he has to ask customers if he can plonk her in front of their TV for an hour?

user789653241 · 10/12/2017 22:04

I think it's sensible to close nursery even schools are open. Smaller children means more danger on icy roads.
As for refund, I don't think it's unreasonable not to refund, assume they still have to pay staff even it's closed because of the weather.

condepetie · 10/12/2017 22:09

It happens, and it happens whenever the weather may be dangerous. The nursery may not be able to open if the college is closed. It'll be a term in your contract that if weather causes a need for closure, that's outside their remit. You cannot get a refund.

You're lucky to get a day's notice - as a childcare provider I've struggled through the snow, once walking 3 miles to get to work to be told that I might as well go home again. Don't assume it's easy on the staff.

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