Who is BU, me or the nursery?

[changedit1234]

Dd not been at this nursery long, I booked a holiday a while ago for this week and put on the nursery app that dd would have a holiday this week, but this holiday has since been cancelled at short notice, I called the nursery as soon as I found out which was the day before her usual day in to explain and ask if it was ok to cancel the holiday and bring dd in tomorrow as the holiday had been cancelled. I was advised that I would have to call in the morning to check if there had been any cancelled sessions or reported sickness as they may be at full capacity.
I questioned this and said but dd would usually be there anyway on these days and I've paid her fees already, they said yes but as you'd booked them out as holiday we have let her space go to someone else for that week.
I called on day 1, they said were at full capacity so she couldn't go in, same again on day 2.
Is this usual or are my nursery being awkward with me? Asking as I genuinely don't know....

OP agrees that's reasonable but you have missed that she is paying for the spot and is not allowed to send her child in that day.

Yes they can fill the slot by all means, but that should mean that the OP gets a refund right? I understand having to pay when my son doesn't attend/ I even pay for BH with no in lieu time because nurseries peddle this idea that they're struggling and we need to consider their "sustainability."
As a PP said only in the UK would people put up with that- they've doubled their money and that's not on at all. OP should get a refund as she didn't use that weeks fees, they covered their costs by selling the slot on!
There's also the whole can of worms around taking government funding too....

The OP isn't complaining about paying when her dd isn't there.
I think everyone understands you pay to keep your place.

The issue here is that the Nursery - despite accepting OP's money to save her space - are now saying they haven't got that space.

They can't have it both ways. They either 'PAYG', which is clearly an unsustainable business model, or they ensure a family that has paid to hold the space, can use it if circumstances change.

Whenever we were stuck we’d ring our local preschool/crèche to see if they could take our sons, and we’d get a place sometimes, other times not. It didn’t happen regularly though, so it could be someone like me who was stuck for a few days

The reason nurseries and childminders ( I am one ) charge is because you are paying for a space whether or not you use it . If they sell that space to someone else and it is not available for your child they should not charge you .

I don't imagine the nursery my DD is at wld then tell u that u can't bring them. It's quite a large nursery so maybe if it was quite small it wld be different.

I get they want to plan staff etc and know how many kids are going to be in. However if you've paid for it then I still believe you should have been able to bring her in.

They are creating bad behaviour though as now you will no longer add the holidays in until the last minute when you now for sure your going.

Really frustrating for you! Nursery fees are astronomical but not because they're making a mint, it's because they're cross subsidising 'free childcare hours' from the government look at the significant numbers of nurseries going bankrupt and shutting down. Look at the wages of nursery staff. You are being ripped off but it's the government that are responsible!

I used to manage a nursery and think this is unacceptable.

If they had cancelled your place and not charged you - then fair enough. However they are charging you for a service they are no longer making available to you!

I would check the T&Cs carefully to see if they reflect this stance.