Activity/Lesson Fees for snow days WIR?

[hubbabubbanightmare]

What is reasonable?

Please settle a disagreement between myself and a group of friends. If your child attended a high cost activity eg horse riding, music lessons etc what would you expect to happen if you are snowed in, but the activity is still running as normal:

1. You pay even thou you miss the lesson
2. You pay but are offered a rescheduled lesson at the providers convenience
3. You do not pay for the lesson

Your thoughts much appreciated :) thank you

I'd expect to have to do 1). Not the provider's fault you can't get there. Though if you had long standing goodwill it might be nice if 2 or 3 were offered.

TBH in this situation I've also paid (though been cross about it) when the activity itself was cancelled. (Normally there is something in the Ts&Cs that if the acivity is cancelled due to circumstances beyond their control you are still liable).

If the activity is running then 1, although a lot of providers would offer 2 if they could.

If the activity was cancelled then it’s more reasonable to think they should reschedule or refund, but depending on the activity it may not always be possible.

If the session was still running I would absolutely expect to pay. It's not the organisers fault that you can't get there. If it was cancelled then that would be different, I'd expect a refund or for the session to be rescheduled.

Agree with RedSky.

What is your situation?

I would expect a) in fact I was very surprised when school asked us to pick up early because of frozen water pump but said they'd run asc if not possible that they credited account straight away because I picked up.

If the activity is running, then I'd expect to pay. It's not their problem you can't get there.
tbh, I'd expect to pay even if they had to cancel - after all, it is their livelihood.
In some circumstances - for example, my dd's football team - we just pay £X per month. The game is obviously off tomorrow, and the training was cancelled this week too, but I don't expect a refund. The volunteers that run it have just taken the costs for the year and divided them by 12.
My dd's piano teacher says you don't have to pay if you give more than 24 hours notice. I'll be honest, and say, on the odd occasion this hasn't happened, she has said not to worry. This is because I've been paying her for about 14 yrs now (3 x dc at different times) and never mess her about, and she doesn't really have any outgoings per lesson and is snug in her own home if we don't go, but that is her goodwill - I still offer.
Something like horseriding lessons you have big overheads keeping horses, so the person giving the lessons should be paid for a regular lesson even if you miss IMO.

1. is reasonable if annoying, any more a bonus. If they've pitched up then you owe them for their time.

In practice (1) might be their first offer but they may be open to negotiation.

I would expect to pay.

This week ds’s English tutor cancelled. She offered a Skype lesson instead. If we couldn’t do that I wouldn’t expect to pay as she cancelled not us.

However we chose not to travel to his singing lesson so we will be paying for that.

1. If it ran the overheads are the same for the provider whether participants show up or not. If the venue or provider was unavailable then 2.

Number 1, although I'd have a lot of respect for a provider that offered 2.

1. You pay - if you are an exceptionally good customer than maybe 2 if they were feeling nice

I would have said 2 tbh

If activity is still running, but you can't get there - you pay
If the activity is cancelled by the provider, it gets rescheduled or you don't pay.

Unless t&c say otherwise.

If you’re snowed in, but they are not and are therefore open for business, then 1) is fair.

Otherwise everyone’s transport issues are their problem.

If the majority of people can’t make it to them, they might be more pragmatic to cancel classes themselves and rearrange/refund as a goodwill/client retention issue, but that may not be viable for them and I don’t think anyone can complain about having to pay when a service is open & you’ve missed your appointment.

I would say 1 and if they are very nice, 2 but I wouldn't expect it.
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If 3 I would expect a refund unless it was a real community project or charity scheme.

DD1 has a private class on Fridays after school. School was shut, but we were offered a lesson anyway.

Number 1. If the lesson is running then I'd expect to pay.

If the lesson isn't running then I'd expect either a refund or a rescheduled lesson.

One is reasonable.

The only case I would say it's not is if for example it was horse riding lessons and the stables were inaccessible for everyone even though technically the instructors were on site and could go ahead with the lesson. I think if nobody could turn up then option 2 is reasonable.

I'd expect 1 and be pleasantly surprised by 2 but I think OP is the provider

1- not their fault you can't get there

Thanks everyone. I'm the service provider and have done 2, which I thought was good customer service as the music teacher I use for my DC and other providers I know do 1.

I have had some angry people not wanting to pay or reschedule which has surprised me so I wanted to check what the general view was.

I have a very long (so long it's been shut for 3 months) wait list, all staff made it in every day and have to be paid etc and am happy to reschedule so I do think it is fair to charge.

Thanks for your opinions.