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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask the school for a refund?

62 replies

readysteadylook · 18/11/2019 08:09

Dd was supposed to go on a school trip last Friday. She couldn't go as she was really ill. Aibu to ask for a refund? I paid £22 for travel and entry to event.

No where on the letter did it say the price was non refundable but I still don't know if I should ask for it back.

OP posts:
Apple23 · 18/11/2019 10:10

Ask. They may be able to give you a partial refund, or they may be able to carry forward an amount or accept a lower contribution towards the next trip.

However:
Sometimes by bringing fewer children the overall cost for a school group actually goes up.
For example: if a venue offers free entry for 1 adult per 10 children, they would get 3 free tickets if they bring 30 children but only 2 free adult tickets if they bring 29 children.
The number of adults required to manage the group would be the same, but that extra adult ticket (which would cost more than the saved child's ticket) would have to be paid for.
I doubt the school would be passing that cost on to you.

WombatChocolate · 18/11/2019 10:19

With these kind of things, it's all about how you ask.

Writing in and demanding a refund due to illness and non-attendance =rude and not on.

Writing in to say thank you for running the trip, that DD was sorry to miss it and if there is money available for a refund/part refund after all costs are paid, you'd appreciate it, and appreciate them considering it, but understand if all of the £22 you paid was already committed regardless of whether she attended = fine.

Tone is everything in these communications. Showing appreciation for the effort put into running the trip and effort of them looking into your query makes all the difference. Too many people seem to have zero ability to phrase things in a polite or congenial manner, but come across as demanding and entitled.

So there won't be a clear-cut definite right answer to this question that applies to every trip in every school. That's why it's fine to enquire but not to demand or see a refund as a right.

Some trips are paid in advance and non-attendees have to be paid for as if they were there. Quite often a coach is booked and an extra being there or not won't affect the price the school pays. Quite often a school's ratios for trips is determined by expected numbers, so staffing (and therefore the cost of cover requirements) is determined by how many said they would go, not how many did go. That said, some locations bill after the event for the exact number of attendees, so part of the fee you paid might be refunded.
Do remember the £22 you paid probably covers child's entrance fee, so,ethi g towards travel, something towards adult entrance fees, something towards contingency and something towards subsidising those who don't pay. Probably the only part you can expect back is a small part for entrance fills if they weren't billed or a slightly larger part if more of the kids in the class paid the full fee than the school expected.

Personally, I'd write the money off. You were prepared to pay for her to go. It was a shame she will I'll admit missed out, but the money would have been gone anyway. Knowing how hard up schools are, I'd just let the money go as its not now an extra expense to yourself, just something you aren't receiving back, almost as a bonus. If it was a real push for you to pay that £22 then do ask and don't feel worried about doing so. Just expect that you probably won't get all of it, and try to be gracious and understanding if they can't give you any. It's not that they are setting out to take your money and they would return it to you if they could, but like most events we pay in advance for (cinema, tickets to advance to a theme park etc) if we are then a no-show for any reason, we simply expect to lose the money.

NewName54321 · 18/11/2019 10:21

A few schools price up these things so as to make a small profit for school funds.

If you are in England, this is not allowed.

Lovemenorca · 18/11/2019 10:34

Dear school

As you know, dd sadly wasn’t attend the event last week.
If any part of the cost was refundable, please let me know as perhaps i can progress to save you the hassle?
Thanks

Lweji · 18/11/2019 10:35

If they paid any entrance only based on the children that did show up, then you could ask for a refund on the entrance, but I wouldn't expect it for the travel.

However, it's possible that the school asks for some extra money to ensure costs are covered and would be able to repay you.

If you really want to, then ask if it's possible to get any refund. Don't demand it.

MintyMabel · 18/11/2019 10:48

The coach will have been a fixed total price divided up.

But that price wouldn’t have been dependent on the OP’s child turning up. They paid that cost whether she was on the coach or not. They don’t base the cost of the coach on actual numbers, they book a coach based on the estimated number who will go. They might actually be in pocket if more turned up than they planned.

I wouldn’t ask for a refund, unless the school policy allowed it, but I don’t think this is an accurate statement.

itsaboojum · 18/11/2019 10:54

@NewName54321

Your point is correct. Sadly, in my experience the fact that something is not allowed seldom deters a head from doing what they like.

Whattodoabout · 18/11/2019 10:59

YABU, I don’t think trips are refundable. They have booked her place on both the coach and at the venue so the money has already been spent.

Chocmallows · 18/11/2019 11:34

My youngest DC's school always states an activity/event amount, but terms the request as a "voluntary contribution of £... " it is annoying to know that the price is set so that when most have paid the parental reminders stop as they have enough for the trip and some DC are subsidised, but it would be a bigger shame for the DC whose parents won't pay but can afford to smoke and drink or cannot afford it to not be able to attend.

If similar happens at your DC school the money may already have gone into the pot for the event and the school may even have covered the difference for it to go ahead.

ImGenderfree · 18/11/2019 15:50

Schools are not allowed to charge extra to make up for any parents who do not pay for their child to go so parents should not be subsiding other parents. When we calculate the cost we look at the price of the transport plus entrance costs and divide by the total number in the class. If parents don’t pay we cannot exclude children from a trip - the only thing we can do is cancel it.

gingerbiscuits · 18/11/2019 17:34

Uh...no! By the day of the trip they'll have paid for the transport & her entry already & obviously won't be able to give you your money back. It's just part & parcel of having kids - they get sick, you miss stuff & end up out of pocket occasionally - we've all been there.

PurpleDaisies · 18/11/2019 17:37

Uh...no! By the day of the trip they'll have paid for the transport & her entry already & obviously won't be able to give you your money back.

So the people seeing refunds happen in their schools are lying?

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