..to think childcare provider's payment terms are completely ridiculous?

[SafferUpNorth]

Having found an afterschool club place for my DS, I must admit I didn't scrutinise the payment terms too carefully. Now I've been slapped with a 10% late payment fee twice in a row the last two months and am flatly refusing to pay it - AIBU? Here's the deal:

Their invoice for a particular month is usually issued midway through the previous month, and due on the first. So payment terms two weeks, not the usual 30 days. And if you don't pay by the first, you're charged a 10% late payment fee within a few days... even if the service (ie afterschool club service) has not even been provided yet!

So, this evening I've had an updated invoice for August care. Invoice was issued on 18 July and was due on 1 Aug. Now a late fee has been added even though the first session of the month will only be delivered on 16 Aug.

And on 16 June, I was sent an invoice (due on 1 July) for holiday club places on 31 July and 1 August. So the invoice was due two weeks before the service was delivered. By 9 July I had been issued a revised invoice with the 10% late fee added... even though the actual service delivery was still 3 weeks away!

AIBU to refuse paying the late fees?? What are my consumer rights here?

I don't think OP is coming back...

Of course you won’t get the service first before you pay...that’s obvious. You have to pay in advance so that if you don’t there is time for someone else to take the child’s place....this is common sense really.

YABU they need to make plans and are asking you to pay in advance. I'd just pay on time next time to avoid charges.
When they finish nursery you will get the benefit of not paying whilst she is still in nursery for a month, it all works out in the end.

are you off your head op my childminder charges a month in advance because fuckers tend to just give notice after they had a full month of childcare also my daughters after school club make you pay a whole term in advance or you get no place I already paid for September and you don’t get a fine they just won’t take them in the morning at my dd school

Because their are so many fuckers who would drop their kids off then just not pay

YABU

You chose not to read the T&Cs
You chose not to pay on time
You chose not to pay on time a second time after having had late fees added previously

This is entirely your own fault!

seems quite normal.

I get billed around the 18th of august, for sessions starting 1st sept. Has to be paid by end of aug or I get late payment fees (though thankfully I have never paid late)

I work in early years and it's all entirely normal. Please, if you need the childcare, just pay on time. You don't pay, sundries, running costs and salaries cannot be paid. I'm not saying you're paying for all that, but it goes towards it. They may even terminate your contract. This may make it difficult to get another place as unfortunately, people do talk. It's like any other bill, you don't pay, you don't get the use of the service. Please just pay

I assume most childcare places won't do 30 days in arrears, because technically you could send your child for a month and then never come back or pay.

Our childminder charges a month in advance. So the bill for August is sent mid July and then due on 1st. We also have to give a Months notice if we want to cancel.

Op not coming back? What a surprise! Not.