retainer fee

[babiesrcool]

I know this sounds daft and I should just ask but I never have been someone that can ask for money. When my dd started her childminder I paid a retainer fee. She is leaving in a few weeks and I don't know if this was to keep the place or a deposit that I am likely to get back. Any advice?

Message withdrawn

Message withdrawn

I think if I paid a retainer fee I would interpret that as a fee that reserves my place at the childminder. And I wouldn't expect to get it back. However, if I gave a deposit, I would expect that to be returned.

You caan always ask her to clarify. But if she seems quite clear that she expected to keep the money, then I think I would leave it at that.

Message withdrawn

Hello

I'm a childminder and although I've never charged a retainer before, I looked into this with other minders recently as I had a lady who may have wanted to keep a space open for about 4 months. She would have had to pay a retainer to keep the space open but it would have been a fee, not a deposit.

HTH

HB is right

A retainer is a fee to hold a place until you want to use it (child wants to start 1st March - but I have a space now - so retainer is paid to hold that place)

A deposit would be for a place that didn't yet exist (ie to start after Easter I would take a deposit and if I didn't have a place I'd return it to the parent)

Thanks for this. I know it would be easy just to ask her but she has been a really great childminder and I would not want to leave on a sour note.

Is it written into your Contract what type of fee your paid? whether retainer or Deposit?

It was a retainer fee. By the sounds of things I'm not entitled to it back.