To expect a full refund for school trip

[Ilovearcticroll]

My children were due to go on residential visits which have been cancelled because of covid 19. One school has already refunded. The other says it is taking a long time for them to be refunded so our refunds are delayed.

How long is it reasonable to wait? Not too twitchy now, but would like it sorted out before the end of the school year. Or is that unfair?

Do you genuinely believe that the school should (and can) magic up money for your refund??

I'm not sure whether they are implying that we will not be refunded unless and until the travel company refunds them. This doesn't seem quite right

Why not?

It's no more their fault, than yours, that it's been cancelled. They're no more better placed to foot the cost than you are.

YABU. They can’t refund you until they have been refunded themselves.

So you wait. As long as it takes.

And, because the wording was a little ambiguous, I'm not sure whether they are implying that we will not be refunded unless and until the travel company refunds them. This doesn't seem quite right

Eh? You're expecting the school to refund you before they get the money from the travel company?

@Bercows
Surely the teachers should just have a whip round to make sure you don't have to wait to same length of time as everyone else?
This with bells on. Some people are so impatient and entitled. EVERYONE is struggling to get travel money back, school trips, holidays, hotels. You are down in wages but so are many many people. The residential trip company may be unserious trouble. People who work for that company may have had a bigger cut than you! It’s going to take time to sort out. This is not a normal situation with normal refunds.
If you were still waiting this time next year then yes but ffs Would the trip have even happened yet? Jeez.

Our company has failed to pay back money so we’re having to go through the insurance, which will take time because there are thousands of schools in the same position. You’re going to have to be patient. You paid it in the first place, it’s dead money, you can’t expect swift refunds, I’m afraid.

I've had two french trips cancelled and not received a penny yet!
I too am getting twitchy!

Thanks everyone. That's why I post in AIBU-to find out. I think there's a difference between primaries and secondaries in their ability to refund from reserves. Anyway. Good to know that I am being unreasonable to expect speedy refund.

@Wheninrometoday I used to run residential trips that I was planning and organising myself, and most things (bookings for hotels, trains, planes etc) were paid on the day of the booking, months in advance. A lot of these places may take a long time to refund- even if made by a third part such as a company organising a trip.

Think our school were having to wait till the residential venue had made the decision to cancel - so they could get the money back to refund us. They have sent out very huffy emails saying that we won't get anything back till after the end of the school year, and really trying to guilt the shit out of parents who've paid out for wrap around care that needs refunding not to request it back though. Our child's leaving the school so they have my bank details for it to drift back into my childcare fund for next year.

No speedy refunds at all for us. We are waiting for funds back from dinner money account,prom deposit, 2 expedition trips and a revision weekend. The school have said not to even chase yet, they will refund it all when they can. I've just left it for now.

As someone who had organised a school trip, I had to fight the travel company just to come away having lost our deposit. The way it stands at the moment, it's technically not always the travel company who is telling the school they can't go, the government guidelines and rules about transport and foreign hotels etc aren't specific enough to cover future trips abroad which might have triggered insurance payouts or companies cancelling on their clients so schools (and travel companies) are in a very difficult situation. I imagine many will go to the wall. Our insurance isn't paying out so our parents have lost their deposit and will only get a partial refund. Neither of my kids who are at different schools are getting full refunds either and DSD hasn't heard anything. I'd count myself lucky to get a full refund whenever it comes. PPs are right...you'll only get it when they get it...they won't have the funds to reimburse all parents for all scheduled trips.

Ours was cancelled on 20 March and nothing yet - secondary. Travel company not refunding anything,said some insurance claims have just been resolved but will pay back to squid and squid have long delays paying out money. I would guess those who get money back (probably not me) will get it back in their bank accounts maybe 20 June ish so 3 month delay.