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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think nursery is being very unreasonable

33 replies

redhatwhitebeard · 27/11/2023 18:43

I have been sending my daughter to private nursery for the past two years. Have already spent around £42k. I was told today that they have been under charging me and four other full time parents for the past few months (they didn't add a fee increase apparently) and now expect us to pay over £1k back to them. The nursery is a huge chain, and I don't have a spare £1k floating around. The other parents that owe the money are all full time too (so we are the only ones it has an impact on! Has anyone got any advice? For the sake of £4K to a huge chain, I would expect them to just take the hit as it their mistake?

OP posts:
SnowFir · 27/11/2023 18:45

You could say you don't have the money available for their mistake but will pay the increase from now on.

Shinyandnew1 · 27/11/2023 18:45

so we are the only ones it has an impact on!

Why only you?

SnowFir · 27/11/2023 18:47

Shinyandnew1 · 27/11/2023 18:45

so we are the only ones it has an impact on!

Why only you?

I think OP means her and the other 4 parents

Original poster
redhatwhitebeard · 27/11/2023 18:48

@Shinyandnew1 for some reason only impacts those that goes full time (the mis payment not the increase)

OP posts:
Ponderingwindow · 27/11/2023 18:48

If they had informed you of the fee increase and begun charging, you might have made other child care decisions.

This is like a restaurant saying, oh, that steak that you ordered and ate last night was actually supposed to be 20% more expensive. Please give us more money. If you had seen the ‘correct’ price, you might have ordered the chicken instead.

tell them you will only pay going forward.

cakesque · 27/11/2023 18:49

Had they at any point informed you of the fee increase?

Autieangel · 27/11/2023 18:50

Tell them they have to give notice of a pay increase and can not back date it so you will start paying from next month.

justalittlesnoel · 27/11/2023 18:50

I'd check your contract - it might state a minimum notice period for them to give you before increasing the fees, if it does then I doubt they can make it retrospective as there's no proper notice period then?

KateyCuckoo · 27/11/2023 18:50

Well all the other parents were impacted by the increase at the time so I wouldn't call it unfair. Make a repayment plan.

Original poster
redhatwhitebeard · 27/11/2023 18:52

The did send an email round in April apparently! But to be honest I just pay what is on the invoice and they didn't update the invoices. I work full time and am a single mother so don't have time to go through their invoices with a tooth comb!

OP posts:
Original poster
redhatwhitebeard · 27/11/2023 18:53

There are only four full time children and it impacts us all. I find it crazy that a huge company can make such a fundamental error. They haven't even sent an email round with the breakdown.

OP posts:
BuffaloCauliflower · 27/11/2023 18:53

No they need to give notice of a fee change, 4-6 weeks minimum depending on the contract. What does your contract say? If this is the first you’re hearing the notice starts now, so increased payment will kick in in 4-6 weeks.

Tickettothemoon · 27/11/2023 18:53

Did they inform you of the price increase? My daughters nursery sent us an email saying prices are going up again in Jan. Already been put up a few months ago but at least we ca plan! It’s not really fair if you haven’t been made aware beforehand!

Original poster
redhatwhitebeard · 27/11/2023 18:55

I don't mind paying the increase but i can't afford £1k lump sum payment when I pay early £2k a month already in fees.

OP posts:
SharedAccountWithMySister · 27/11/2023 18:56

Your best bet will be to contact the nursery and suggest a payment plan - an extra £100pm or similar.

Primproperpenny · 27/11/2023 18:57

All I’m going to say is that parents are very quick to point out when they’ve been overcharged, but never seem to notice when they’re undercharged. Funny, that.

OfDragonsDeep · 27/11/2023 18:57

This happened to me with my first son, it was with Busy Bees chain. In my situation I had completed the funding forms, but I wasn’t aware I’d missed a bit out and it meant they hadn’t claimed funding for him for one of his days per week and then charged me for it for the whole term.

I searched back through my emails and thankfully I found an email where I had sent said form to them when I filled it out and I had asked them if I’d done it correctly for the full hours I wanted. They had replied and said ‘yes, all correct for the hours’. I used this to argue that although the mistake was mine, I had double checked with them and they had agreed it was all ok.

They admitted straight away that they should have checked the form properly, but they were awful about writing of the invoice. In the end I had to speak to a regional manager who agreed with me straight away, but it took weeks to resolve.

Do you have anything in writing to agree the amounts that you paid?

Original poster
redhatwhitebeard · 27/11/2023 18:58

@Primproperpenny funny that! When you're working all hours god sends to pay for nursery!

OP posts:
WhichIsItWendy · 27/11/2023 18:59

I suspect you technically owe it as they did inform you in April (double check that).

It's like work. You have a contract to earn £X per year. If they overpay you for six months, then realise, that money isn't yours. You owe it back as it's surplus to your contracted pay. Even though the error is with the employer, the employee still needs to repay.

Same in your situation, even though it's the nurserys mistake, technically you agreed to the price increase by continuing to use the nursery following the announcement, so you do owe the money.

That doesn't mean you have to pay, I highly doubt they'd chase you for payment if you left the nursery. But if you stay, I suspect theyll suspend your place until you pay it.

It's really unfair OP, Id be fuming too. And I agree, they should write it off, I just doubt they will.

cakesque · 27/11/2023 18:59

redhatwhitebeard · 27/11/2023 18:52

The did send an email round in April apparently! But to be honest I just pay what is on the invoice and they didn't update the invoices. I work full time and am a single mother so don't have time to go through their invoices with a tooth comb!

Do you have the email?

FeralCats99 · 27/11/2023 19:00

If they sent you in April which you ignored then you will have to pay - I'd mutually arrange a payment plan over 3 or 6 months if they're particularly kind unfortunately

cakesque · 27/11/2023 19:00

redhatwhitebeard · 27/11/2023 18:55

I don't mind paying the increase but i can't afford £1k lump sum payment when I pay early £2k a month already in fees.

Ask to pay £250 a month? It all hinges on if you got that email or not.

Wolfiefan · 27/11/2023 19:01

They informed you of the fee changes. They messed up but you can’t say you didn’t know about the increase. You do owe the money. Ask to arrange a repayment plan.

SashaBIu · 27/11/2023 19:05

The fact that they notified you, I think covers them. You should really have been putting the money aside. Maybe a payment plan?

Original poster
redhatwhitebeard · 27/11/2023 19:06

Thanks @WhichIsItWendy appreciate you're really understanding comMent I can't remember getting the email but apparently I did. I can't find it in my inbox

OP posts: