To think the nursery are wildly unreasonable?

[Gerrp]

Our nursery (just outside London, if relevant) had to close for 72 hours due to the storms. They have offered no refund. It’s 120 a day and we have had to source alternative childcare on top of this. I realise this is an unforeseen circumstance in some respects but also, they must have insurance? I’m absolutely fed up of feeling financially stretched all the time and this has just topped it off! I’m assuming we have no rights to argue this?!

Most insurance doesn't cover "acts of God".

I agree it’s really unfair but I suspect you’ll find the t&cs allow this. Mine says if the nursery closes no refund is due. I guess they still have all their normal costs. Hopefully they still paid their staff!!

Wind isn’t an act of god. It’s weather.

Tell them they need to reimburse you. They’re being silly.

@biscuitsandbooks shoudnt they be taking the hit rather than us? We are paying for a service three days running that wasn’t provided.

It'll be so their staff don't lose out on pay.

@modgepodge i think it’s really shit. They could offer even 30 quid a day back or something. Just some gesture that doesn’t make me feel completely taken the piss out of.

If they couldn't open, they couldn't open. They still need to pay their staff and their bills.

It's what counts as an "Act of God" for insurance purposes.

Basically, anything that you can't take reasonable measures to prevent or protect yourself from.

Why did it close? I'm in London & nothing here was closed at all never mind for 72 hours, and the weekend were the worst days. So I don't think you're being unreasonable at all.

You'll be much more upset if they can't pay staff or rent and your favourite staff member leaves or worse they go bust and you have to find somewhere else.

@Lincoln24 we are around an hour outside. They said there was some damage to the building. No other details been given.

The storms were Saturday and Sunday, weren’t they? Which days did they close for 72 hours?!

The storm up here was Saturday. Bit iffy on Friday. We're in the north West

This suggests you need to be quite religious to work in insurance…

Only if you insist on being literal about it, I guess.

So they are closing until Thursday for repairs? In their fees policy do they state what happens in situations like this? Pretty much every childcare service will still charge fees in these circumstances so as to pay staff wages, but it's always stated in the contracts.

How would you feel if your workplace was damaged and your boss said you had to stay off without pay as a result?

@biscuitsandbooks i’d be furious.

but we wouldn’t be charging our clients at the same time.

If the building is damaged then they will almost certainly have had to close.

Schools have shut temporarily in similar circumstances as well - mine had a fire once.

Fees will depend on your contract.

Nurseries don't have loads of spare money. If you don't pay, the staff don't get paid. Do you want them to all leave?

@Threelittleduck we don’t have loads of spare money… especially not to be paying twice for childcare.

It's just an old fashioned phrase meaning that there is nothing anyone could do about it to prevent it. It's a short hand for what could otherwise be a long description.

They won't be doing it for shits and giggles.

Nurseries have practically no financial buffer - if they don't charge you, they can't pay their staff or the rent. And if they can't pay the rent, they'll close - then you'll really be screwed.

It's obviously not ideal to have to pay for a service you're not getting, but if the building's unsafe then they won't have a choice.

Oh come on. Nursery owners are hardly poor - at least many of them aren't. The ones I know have made a fortune out of running their nurseries - one put their kids through private school on the huge profits they made from other people's kids. I'm not saying that's wrong - it's a business - but I can't stand it when people defend obviously unfair decisions like to charge customers for services they haven't received by pleading nursery poverty.

@surreygirl1987 i know… 120 a day and that’s for 9-5! 8-6 is 140!!!