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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask for school trip money back

137 replies

georgiadronea · 07/05/2018 08:36

DD was sick last night, so although she is absolutely fine now and perky as anything she can't go to school for 48hrs after the last time she was sick (so will now wednesday if no further sickness).

Problem is she was due to go on a school trip tuesday, I don't want to be too outing but the trip was between £15-20, I'm a single parent so this was a bit of a squeeze but I put aside a little for the few weeks and managed to pay it at the last minute.

Now she is unable to go this seems an unnecessary expense that could go towards something important or just a little something to cheer her up after missing the trip but having not been in this position before WIBU to ask the teacher if this is possible??

OP posts:
PurplePumpkinPiss · 07/05/2018 08:38

How many times was she sick? If it was just the once I'd send her in on Tuesday.

I would ask about their policy returning excursion money but it might be too late now.

SecretIsland · 07/05/2018 08:38

You can try I suppose. But ywbu to expect it back - it will have gone towards the trip costs already probably.

Personally if she's fine from now I'd just let her go on Tuesday.

user1955 · 07/05/2018 08:38

It's unlikely the teacher will know. As the finance person in the office instead. It may well hinge on whether the school has already paid and what their refund policy is.

AjasLipstick · 07/05/2018 08:38

Ask the office staff OP...just phone up and say "I was wondering what the policy is regarding refunds if a child can't make a trip?"

They can only say yes or no and you won't be the first to have asked.

LegoPiecesEverywhere · 07/05/2018 08:39

No you can’t ask for it back. It was pre-paid for a reason. It is unfortunate your child can’t make it but there nothing you can do.

NannyR · 07/05/2018 08:39

You could try asking but in think it's unlikely they would refund at this stage. The transport and admission tickets have probably already been booked and paid for so by refunding the school will be out of pocket.

Peterrabbitscarrots · 07/05/2018 08:40

Technically yes I can see why you’d want it back. But it may not be possible if the tickets have already been purchased and numbers confirmed with the venue.

HaudYerWheeshtBawbag · 07/05/2018 08:40

Yabu, not the schools fault, also it’s as thentripnisnTuesday the trip would be paid for in advance

Kattymanners · 07/05/2018 08:41

Why do you think she might of been sick ?

In recent contact with an ill friend or too hot and excitable and too much ice cream ?

The answer would sway my decision

Nothisispatrick · 07/05/2018 08:41

The cost of trip will also be covering travel expenses, not just her individual place. the school will not refund the money for sickness.

Please don't send her in. We've had a bug going round our school for a few weeks now, it's affected staff, I am pregnant and really worried about getting it. Unbelievably selfish.

MaisyPops · 07/05/2018 08:42

I don't think you can ask, sorry.
It will have been block booked by thr school weeks ago. Also, if it's anything like the trips I've done, we've secured lower prices because of numbers so students dropping out (usually early on) has a knock on price for others.

Mumofkids · 07/05/2018 08:43

If she's not sick all today and fine in herself I'd treat it as a one off episode and not a d&v bug and send her on the Tuesday. I don't think you can get your money back in full as the coach etc is a cost that's split but in the past we've had the entrance fee back as it wasn't used.

Atthebottomofthesea · 07/05/2018 08:43

I know there is a nasty bug going round but she might have been sick for other reasons especially given how hot it was yesterday. I was not great yesterday, had i actually been sick rather than just feeling very nauseous it would have been because of the sun induced headache not a bug.

MissWimpyDimple · 07/05/2018 08:43

If DD was sick on Sunday night and then not again, I would send her in no problem.

She's either old enough to know not to mention it, or young enough to not know exactly what day she was sick.

You can't expect your money back, but she can surely go on the trip

recklessgran · 07/05/2018 08:43

If she's fine today I would send her on the trip.

Soubriquet · 07/05/2018 08:43

Yes why was she sick?

NellytheElephant18 · 07/05/2018 08:44

From the school office perspective - we cost trips very carefully, including bus price, ticket price etc and divide by the number of children going. Your DD would have been included in this costing. So YABU to ask for a refund in my opinion. They might hold it over as a credit for the next trip, if you are polite and explain the situation.

Childrenofthesun · 07/05/2018 08:46

No, the trip will have been paid for already based on the number of pupils. You wouldn't get your money back if you'd pre-booked a ticket for a show or something and then couldn't go because you were sick. The cost of your child's place still has to be paid and you would be asking for it to be covered out of the school budget.

jelliebelly · 07/05/2018 08:46

Depends why she was sick - is she ill or was it a one-off from sun/ice cream etc? If the latter I would send her anyway. Our School trip letters always state that you won’t get your money back if Child doesn’t go.

LilMadAgain · 07/05/2018 08:48

(Minus the deposit paid) my sons school returned the rest of the school trip cost as he caught a lovely bout of sickness and diarrhoea from his classmate and couldn't go. The school wasn't out of pocket as they didn't pay for admittance until they arrived at the destination. There's no harm in asking :)

Original poster
georgiadronea · 07/05/2018 08:50

She was sick twice, quite close together then slept a little longer than she normally would and has been fine since waking up this morning.

The problem is we all had the same food yesterday (minus odd snacks unlikely to cause tummy probs), and none of us are unwell so unlikely to be food related. She has never been sick before through excitement or such like. We did go out in the sun yesterday but didn't sit out all day or anything and had plenty to drink so I'm unsure what the sickness is about.

She is 6 so does understand that when she has been sick before its two days off school.

Yes I suppose its likely they have already paid, I don't want to put the school in an uncomfortable position of feeling they have to refund me and equally don't want to come across as a difficult/stingy parent its just that it was a more expensive trip and its just rubbish to lose especially given I'll have to take the time off work now while she isn't on the trip.

OP posts:
NorthernKnickers · 07/05/2018 08:50

Trip will have been paid for (I've just organised my own class trip...it's a nightmare organising these things, believe me!) The school would, in all likelihood, refund you, but they will still have to pay for your DC, so will be refunding our of their own INCREDIBLY STRAPPED BUDGET!! If it's a sickness bug, chances are several others will be sick too (I had 6 off last week, staggered right through from Monday to Friday) which might mean they are potentially refunding a hefty whack out of that strapped school budget! To put this into perspective, I've had no glue sticks in my class since February, as our £180 a year (yes, that's right!) class budget for ALL consumables, including all exercise books, for a class of 30, was used up by November! This is where we are in education at the moment. (I couldn't even buy paint this year!)

So, by all means, ask for a refund, but be aware that this will be coming directly out of the money that should be used in class for teaching and learning resources.

CallingDannyBoy · 07/05/2018 08:53

I would ask - they will have had this many times. We refund trips if s child doesn’t go. Two reasons it is s voluntary donation anyway and also we want to encourage people to pay upfront and not wait until right to the end when people are sure their child is going. Hope she feels better. Oh and we are often charged on the day depending on the actual number of children sent.

Soubriquet · 07/05/2018 08:54

I would see how she is today. If no more sickness and no lethargy I would probably let her go

Popfan · 07/05/2018 08:56

You could ask but think it's really doubtful you'll get the money back - maybe for admission depending on how the cost is calculated but you'd still have to pay the cost for the coach as it costs the same whether it's 15 or 50 children on it!
Also don't send her in!!! The times parents have sent unwell children in for trips and they then have a miserable time and one adult is then taken up with caring for them until the parent (having driven miles) arrives to take them home. This is aside from passing it to everyone else.