To ask school for a refund that said non refundable?

[Dithercats]

High school teen.
Letter came home for a geography trip to X country. Dc interested in geography so I paid the deposit online in a first come first serve situation.
A week later a letter comes home to apply for DC dream holiday as a student exchange to Y country including language lessons which are not normally offered.
Dc is bilingual and loves Y country so hoping to go. DC had to write a submission paragraph with reasons to go - and to my surprise has been picked.
Deposit must be paid - but I now realise the Y trip returns the day before the X trip leaves, so there is no way a student can do both!
Aibu to ask school to return the non refundable deposit? To my mind school should have sent the letters out together so this issue was clear before parents paid a deposit ??

I dont think the school would have to refund you. However if only recently signed up and place can easily be reallocated I expect they will do what they can. Ask nicely and hopefully all sorted out.

I didn’t say she shouldn’t ask. I didn’t say I was asking the question. I was pointing out what might be a barrier to getting the refund.

I thought that was clear.

But they can do both. So that can’t be an argument. By all means try, but if you go in with ‘she can’t do both because she’ll be tired’ they’re less likely to grant it, rather than if you make up something about costs.

Just wondering, what opportunities do those kids of poorer parents get?

@Dithercats just speak to the school. They will have a waiting list for the other trip no doubt.

For a trip abroad, I had a pupil that had to drop out. I had a waiting list so was able to refund most the deposit other than an admin fee which I had to pay to change the name on the flight.

There isusually some type of consideration and I’d like to think some spaces are kept back. It’s why I don’t like first come first serve rubbish.

There are families who can afford but need to wait for payday. I moan about my kids secondary school but they always pick the name out the hat to keep things fair.

Did you actually check with your teenager? Because I remember myself at the age of 16 coming back from a trip, having two hours of sleep and then getting up for my 7am shift in a cafe with absolutely no issues.
You can ask the school but I would actually check with your teenager who will most likely be asleep during the flight and travelling back from the airport anyway if they felt they could manage both trips.

Often pupil premium funding is used so children in receipt of it pay a very small cost towards the trip (e.g. 10%). There will be plenty of families who don't quite qualify though due to being just above the threshold who can't easily afford the full cost.

Edit for typo

I would ask the school if it were possible to have a refund. I have organised several school trips. If there is another kid on a waiting list we could refund you that way.

To answer questions.

Teen agreed that 2 trips would be too much.

There are day trips and other 2/3 night trips so I would hope something for every child who wants. The school also accesses free uk residentials in the summer holidays for those who are eligible and are very supportive for those with less - uniform sharing, food packages etc.
@ExpressCheckout

That's hardly the same thing. One is a bit inconvenient and requires planning. The other is the actual laws of physics.

But that's just life. And to a lesser or greater extent said poorer parents will have made decisions regarding what to spend their money on, how many children to have, etc.

NB I say this as someone on a lower income who has to choose carefully where my money goes.

Ask if the school can fill her spot, would you be able to get a refund.
Be polite.

There's absolutely no harm in asking. They might have a reserve list for a trip with limited numbers, in which case somebody else could take her place and everything works out.

We've done this - someone else wanted a spot on trip A, so we got a refund and DD went on trip B.

Luckily that’s not the approach most schools take. All children should have chances to enrich their lives.

Of course they should, but in reality they don't all have equal opportunities.

I would say to school that not anouncing both together was particularly unhelpful and so they should consider transfering the depost across, your child isn't flaking out of this.

YABU to expect them to just give the non-refundable deposit back. Deposits are non-refundable for a reason, so that people don't pull out and disrupt plans. However, if you are correct that "There will be kids disappointed they didn't get X trip so the school wont loose money." (from your 08:48 post) then it should be possible to transfer your DDs place on X trip to a different pupil and that pupil gives you their deposit money and takes DD's place - the school doesn't need to organise a refund - which is an admin headache - and still has the same number of pupils signed up for the trip

I don't think you would be unreasonable to ask the school and point out the reason you're having to ask. Our school has done this before and it's frustrating. I appreciate it's not always possible for the school to announce all trips for the full academic year but if they are announcing trips a week apart both trips would have been known about at the same time even if they had to wait for some final details to announce them.

Of course you should ask

You can certainly ask, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

How much is the non refundable deposit?

It's possible - if somebody else signs up and pays the deposit first - asking nicely makes it far more likely than taking an attitude like some on the thread would.

Try and fill the place with someone else? They are under no obligation to refund it and I don't really see why they would. If it's already gone to the company. The school won't take a financial hit just because your kid double booked something.

When schools book trips via outside agencies, the deposit is usually non refundable. U were told this, so must take the hit. Occasionally if someone else takes the place it might be refunded.