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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to expect a refund?

54 replies

wendall456 · 27/07/2023 18:54

I have signed my son up for a holiday camp next week. It was supposed to be at a school 10 minutes walk from my house and I booked and paid back in May. My confirmation email is a receipt for payment and it also has the school 10 mins away as the venue. However today I got the welcome/reminder stuff through and the venue name is different instead of it being 10 mins walk it is now at a school 50 mins walk away. I have no transport next week and because it was local this is why I signed him up. The terms and conditions state that no refunds are given in any circumstances and I have a feeling they are not going to refund me.

Any idea what my rights are and if AIBU expecting a refund??

OP posts:
Jellyx · 27/07/2023 20:24

Ask them to pay for a taxi or give you a refund!

Original poster
wendall456 · 28/07/2023 12:31

So the latest is after finally getting through to them on the phone that they sent an email on the 16th June about change of venue. However I never received this and they have now said it possibly went to junk but my junk is deleted after 10 days and I don't check it that frequently, so if it did go into there it is now gone.

So not sure where I stand now? !!! They are being very non committal about it and it having to be referred to the management and they will not be able to confirm to middle of next week whether I can get a refund.

I just want my money back as he can't go.

OP posts:
CherryMaDeara · 28/07/2023 12:34

Hi OP, the onus is on them to prove they sent that email. Ask them to forward the email or issue the refund immediately.

If their previous emails haven't been going into junk then it's unlikely this email would have gone to junk.

taxguru · 28/07/2023 12:37

Even if they did send an email changing the venue, you still have the right to cancel because of the change. It doesn't absolve them of anything at all. You booked at venue A, they're giving you venue B. They're not supplying the service you paid for, hence a full refund is due. Don't get obsessed about their email, it's irrelevant.

uncomfortablydumb53 · 28/07/2023 12:38

That's really bad and I'm sure you're not the only one struggling to get there
In effect they have changed the details of their contract with you, without informing you, and giving you the chance to cancel
Is it an organisation or a local scheme?
Email the most senior name you can find and if no success you can claim via the bank chargeback rule

MargosMangos · 28/07/2023 12:40

Yes you should get a refund , the main reason you booked has been withdrawn, contract is void I'd argue
You wouldn't have given them your business if it was stated that location originally

ZairWazAnOldLady · 28/07/2023 12:41

Of course you can have a refund. Phone them again and send an email.

Original poster
wendall456 · 28/07/2023 12:48

They are a well known after school/weekend/holiday sports club in our area. They are family run but have quite a few branches. Their sports coaching and quality of child care is brilliant but alot of people say their admin side of things is awful. They rarely answer the phone and often make mistakes with invoices etc (although never happened to me). My son does football with them at the school 10 mins away on a Saturday so they are known to me so if they don't refund they will lose us as customers. They do seem very money greedy lately.

OP posts:
Frabbits · 28/07/2023 12:55

Absolute you should get a refund.

For something as fundamental as changing the venue they should have got confirmation from every single parent that the message had got through and the change was acceptable. I bet you are not the only person with the same issue.

Topee · 28/07/2023 13:04

Send them an email now stating that you received no confirmation about change of venue and as it is a material change to what you booked you would like a full refund as you are unable to use the service.

I would also suggest that they need to confirm messages such as this have been received!

Mumsgirls · 28/07/2023 13:14

Toupee, they cannot just change terms of a contract like this without agreement.
email does not let them off the hook. If no joy, bank then small claims and use social media to warn others. That may make them jump

LardyandMardy · 28/07/2023 13:17

If they won’t give a refund ask for a credit against your son’s Saturday football classes. BUT I would 100% push for a refund.

JusthereforXmas · 28/07/2023 13:22

Two thoughts:

  1. do they run two or more clubs and have simply sent you the wrong info pack? or
  2. if you found out through the school are you sure it was meant to be held at the school and not that thats a booking reference?

I enrolled my kids in a summer school, its held at a community center across town but we have to provide the booking with our kids schools for their safeguarding records and local data.

BrightGreenMoonBuggy · 28/07/2023 13:23

It seems like someone with no grasp of the law is running this earth. This ‘no refunds under any circumstances’ works if you’re the one who simply changed your mind but it does not work if they change things without noting in the terms that you must agree to this. Eg businesses often state the event is subject to weather / venue change / a minimum number of applicants / while stocks last / may be substituted with an item of similar or greater value etc. But they can’t just do those things after payment and tell customers to lump it! Otherwise, we would all book hotels and be told our hotel has moved five miles away, or enrol on evening classes and then find the college is now in another city. It’s absolute nonsense that they are arguing.

If they took your money without making you aware in any way that this venue could change, even if they later changed the venue and you did receive the email about it, you would still be entitled to a refund on the simple premise that the thing you’ve purchased has changed to something else.

Keep pushing for a refund. If they keep refusing, tell them you’ll go to trading standards - it’s very easy to report things to them online.

BrightGreenMoonBuggy · 28/07/2023 13:25

Importantly - them sending an email about it isn’t their get out clause. Merely informing you that what you’d purchased has been changed isn’t enough to stop you getting a refund!

LovedFedAndNoonesDead · 28/07/2023 13:31

wendall456 · 28/07/2023 12:31

So the latest is after finally getting through to them on the phone that they sent an email on the 16th June about change of venue. However I never received this and they have now said it possibly went to junk but my junk is deleted after 10 days and I don't check it that frequently, so if it did go into there it is now gone.

So not sure where I stand now? !!! They are being very non committal about it and it having to be referred to the management and they will not be able to confirm to middle of next week whether I can get a refund.

I just want my money back as he can't go.

Unless they suddenly chose a different email address to send the venue update email in June, then I very much doubt it went to your junk file as you’ve received the welcome/1 week notice email!!

I would push back and say you’re not prepared to wait till the middle of next week for a decision on a refund as they’ll have put you down as no shows and decline a refund on those grounds. Simple fact is, they’ve changed venue and it’s no longer suitable for you and therefore you want your money back

DionneInCanada · 28/07/2023 13:34

I'm unconvinced the email informing you of a change of venue would've gone into your junk. As you've already been emailing them re the summer school and to the same company presumably when you've been booking his Saturday football classes, it's unlikely your email provider would suddenly decide that the sender looks dodgy and send this particular message to your junk (or however it works)

MrsLB123 · 28/07/2023 13:39

The strange thing about this is, you have received every other email from them regarding the holiday club, but mysteriously the change of venue email is the only one that went to your junk box, I don't believe they sent the email to be honest..

towriteyoumustlive · 28/07/2023 13:40

They should have asked you to confirm you were happy with the change of venue and as you didn't reply (because you didn't get the email) then this should have been followed up by them to confirm.

As they failed to do this then I'd ask for either a full refund or change the booking for another week.

Original poster
wendall456 · 28/07/2023 13:56

Theyv'e just forwarded me the e mail that they said they originally sent and it went straight to junk. Just checked and doesn't come from their info@ address it comes from the administators name so has been picked up as junk- just put her name into my junk folder and can't find the original that obviously did go to junk and has been deleted as was a while ago but have found two e mails sent from her last week - one advertising their summer schools and another about merchandise to purchase for September. Regardless I would have wanted a refund back in June anyway. No answer again on phone now which is always the problem!

OP posts:
Dartmoorcheffy · 28/07/2023 14:00

Can he not cycle there?

Gilmorehill · 28/07/2023 14:02

I doubt their email would go to junk if they’ve corresponded before. It doesn’t matter if they did send it. You still should be getting a refund. Chase them through your bank or credit card provider.

towriteyoumustlive · 28/07/2023 14:03

wendall456 · 28/07/2023 13:56

Theyv'e just forwarded me the e mail that they said they originally sent and it went straight to junk. Just checked and doesn't come from their info@ address it comes from the administators name so has been picked up as junk- just put her name into my junk folder and can't find the original that obviously did go to junk and has been deleted as was a while ago but have found two e mails sent from her last week - one advertising their summer schools and another about merchandise to purchase for September. Regardless I would have wanted a refund back in June anyway. No answer again on phone now which is always the problem!

I'd respond to the email thanking them for letting you know the change of address today and than unfortunately you have no transportation so are requesting a full refund.
How did you pay? If by card then contact your card provider. Probably easier to contact 🤣

Frabbits · 28/07/2023 14:06

Gilmorehill · 28/07/2023 14:02

I doubt their email would go to junk if they’ve corresponded before. It doesn’t matter if they did send it. You still should be getting a refund. Chase them through your bank or credit card provider.

It still could have, if the email about the change was coming from a distribution list type thing (your typical noreply@blah) rather than a specific person.

Depending upon OP's email provider etc you can recover deleted messages so might be able to check that.

Besides the point though, OP is fully entitled to a refund regardless.

WeAreTheHeroes · 28/07/2023 14:06

I wouldn't get into any conversation about your junk mail. Just say you never received their email about change of venue and would have requested a refund had you known.