Non refundable nursery registration fee - AIBU

[TicketToParadise]

Not sure if this is normal (first baby) and I’m being unreasonable for getting funny about this.

We are due our first in Jan 2023, and I am planning to return to work March 2024. Our top nursery had an influx of people singing up so we have ended up needing to go on their wait list for a nursery place, as they’re not guaranteeing places before October 2024!

So our plan was to sign up to go on the wait list and hope to get a place for March, but also look at alternate nursery’s in case we don’t.

However to even go on their wait list we need to pay a £500 registration fee, we have no issue with this but I asked whether this was refundable if March 2024 comes around and we can’t get a place (as at that point would then just have to go with our second choice, and I don’t like the idea of starting with one nursery for 6 months then moving in October) and they said no.

AIBU to think this doesn’t sound right?

YABU - this is normal, get used to it

YANBU - that’s ridiculous

£500. No it's not. I paid £50 registration fee. No way pay £500. I'd question if the nursery is going to close if want that much. I might be lucky but none of my friends paid that much.

Wow £500!? £50 was normal for us recently. I'll bet they don't have many people dropping out if that's the deposit so I'd be worried that you might not get the place you need in time. Could you cover it with holidays/family/unpaid leave etc if you were desperate for this particular nursery?

They do tend to move quite a bit as everyone signs up for full time then only takes a few days when the time comes.

No way would I plan to move nurseries if there wasn't an issue either, too disruptive at that age.

I paid £75 which secured a space and is refunded from the final invoice.

So this sounds completely bizarre to me.

I paid £1000 it was non-refundable but did cover the cost of the first month.

This was my worry, if people knew they’d lose so much there is even less chance of getting a place in March.

We are also only looking to book for 3 days, so would need someone to drop out who was booked in for those days, as if a full time place drops out they’re of course could to offer it to someone wanting 5 days instead of just 3.

Im probably just annoyed as their wait list was up until Dec 2023 until recently when they had a massive influx filling them up, as we were on track not to need to be waitlisted and in the month between our initial enquiry and the tour bam that’s gone.

So even if they are unable to offer you a place in March 2024, they will not refund you the 500 pounds?!
If that's the case then no, that is not right. A deposit to secure a place is normal (though the amount is high) - a deposit to be in with a chance of a place but they keep the money if they don't have a place is not normal at all.
Calling it a registration-fee so that they can keep it instead of refunding you if there's no place is pretty awful.

Yes if March rolls around and they can’t offer me a place they keep the £500

Even if the price was lower I’d still probably have an issue with it, but it’s so much and I’m not sure whether this is ‘on’

I dont see why you need to pay a penny to be on a waiting list!

Sounds like a con

O my god, £500?! I lost my shit the other day paying ours £50 for the same thing, but they do guarantee the space once paid. I suppose I need to get used to nursery bills though so I took it as an introduction to the next chapter of my perpetually skint life 😄

Surely they can't expect people to part with five hundred quid for what could be nothing??

The way that you've written this makes it somewhat misleading, I think.

Would they refund your £500 if October 2024 rolls around, and they can't offer you a place? I'm presuming yes - and that's pretty normal. All the nurseries near me have the same policy.

Unfortunately it sounds like you've missed the boat on getting a place for March 2024 and they don't have availability on your dates, so it's too late for you to register for them. If you pay now, you'll be doing so on the basis that they'll have space for your baby on your requested days in October - so they'd never then refund you if they didn't have space in March, because they're not offering you that, IYSWIM. They'd then keep you on a waitlist and if availability pops up in March, you could move your start date forward.

I've just done this today, but I've done it previously too.

If you definitely need March, you're going to need to look elsewhere.

That’s crazy. We paid £50 registration fee.

I think you need to find a nursery that will have availability sooner, you need the certainty for going back to work.

And they may give priority to families with a DC already at the nursery.

I’ve called them just now and their rational is that they’re still offering me a place, but can’t guarantee one for March, but the registration fee would also count for an October start date.

but I don’t like the idea of changing after 6 months

That's absolutely ridiculous that they won't refund you if they can't give you a slot! What's to stop them putting 300 on their waiting list knowing they can only take 20.

I paid £100 which covers 2 settling in sessions

Their view is that they will give me a slot, just maybe not until October 2024

£500 is astronomical, ours was 50 and its refunded my the children leave nursery.

Personally I'd leave it and go with your second choice from the off, this would give me a bad vibe. FWIW, we had to go with our second choice nursery and it's been the best thing that could have happened!

Yep we had this. Had to pay to go on the waiting list. No guarantee of days and times we requested AND they wouldn't let us view the nursery until they offered the spaces. I mean why would we want to pay a non refundable fee somewhere we hadn't viewed. Went elsewhere! Viewed the nursery, agreed days and times, then paid the fee!

It’s not their (nor your) fault that they don’t have space before October 2024, and you are looking for something they aren’t offering so of course they can keep the deposit.

My village nursery can’t guarantee me a place before September 2024 so we had to go with our second option who could offer a 2023 place.

Fifty quid for us. That is mental!