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Original poster

School is refusing to pay money owed from school trip

72 replies

LifeIz · 15/07/2017 00:00

School is refusing to pay £400+ monies from school trip - is this even legal?

OP posts:
CultureVulture94 · 15/07/2017 00:01

What? Can you describe the situation in more detail? This seems so bizarre?!

Darkblueskies · 15/07/2017 00:02

I've refused a request like this in the past when a student has pulled out at the last minute. Is this similar?

Flowersandfootballs · 15/07/2017 00:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ginger782 · 15/07/2017 00:03

Drip feed a little more info through OP.

SandyDenny · 15/07/2017 00:03

Some more details needed before anyone can make a sensible comment

CotswoldStrife · 15/07/2017 00:11

Are you asking for a refund because your child did not go? Because at that stage it is unlikely that the school can recover the funds themselves.

requestingsunshine · 15/07/2017 00:14

Are you an establishment which hosted a school trip? Or are you a parent wanting a refund?

mohuzivajehi · 15/07/2017 00:15

What's the other side of the story?

Migraleve · 15/07/2017 00:22

As a refund back to parent or something else?

MirandaWest · 15/07/2017 00:22

Why is this money owed?

Hadenoughtoday · 15/07/2017 00:23

My dd1 was unable to go on a school trip due to medical reasons and pulled out last minute. We provided school with a doctors note (at our cost of £25) and the school refunded our money in full £575

titchy · 15/07/2017 00:25

FFS details! No one can comment with any certainty without.

Original poster
LifeIz · 15/07/2017 07:36

Seems I fell asleep after posting...sorry here are the details

  1. It was payment for a trip which child had to pull of, I told the school well within time but they did not respond until the day before the trip at about 17:00, after I sent yet another communication.
  2. This has been going on for one full school term, when I have written but had no response, seems to have come to a head know they are telling me they wrote back in April and have been trying to call, although they have not left any messages and state they have been calling from a private and unknown number -that strangely does not appear on my phone or in my phone log Confused
  3. The letter - which they attached as an email says that they have now withdrawn the offer, the letter does not even have the correct address, which is concerning as all other letters sent from the school come directly to my addressHmm
...There is so much more... but this is the jist of what happened
OP posts:
AlexanderHamilton · 15/07/2017 07:39

It depends what you mean by well within time.

Most trips are non refundable as the school would not get a refund from the venue. For expensive residential trips or those involving theatre tickets this non refundable period can be many many months in advance.

Anasnake · 15/07/2017 07:43

Unless they could find another child to take the place then they don't need to refund as you chose to withdraw your child. Was there a medical reason ? Do you have a Doctor's note ? The travel company will demand full payment so school will have to fund the missing place.

Original poster
LifeIz · 15/07/2017 07:46

3 weeks before the trip, also the letter did not say I would not get a full refund. They replied the Sunday before the trip.

OP posts:
Anasnake · 15/07/2017 07:47

They've probably been trying to fill the place with another child.

AlexanderHamilton · 15/07/2017 07:48

I assume for £400 it's a residential?

3 weeks befirehandcis way too late. Usually you can't get a refund once the final date for paying the balance has passed.

Sirzy · 15/07/2017 07:49

Did another child take the place?

Otherwise even 3 weeks before the school are unlikely to have got a refund so why should the be out of pocket when you pulled out?

Anasnake · 15/07/2017 07:50

3 weeks is far too late - if you cancelled a holiday 3 weeks before would you get a full refund ? No. School will have already paid the balance to the travel company.

yellowgymball · 15/07/2017 07:51

The school will probably be out of pocket if they refund you, why should they be?

OddBoots · 15/07/2017 07:51

It would be very unusual to get a refund on a trip if cancelling only 3 weeks before it ran, especially one that cost £400 - too much will have been paid out for that to be possible.

Is the cancellation reason something that a travel insurance policy would cover?

Shadowboy · 15/07/2017 07:54

The residential for our trip runs in end of June. The closing date to get refunds is end of March. 3 weeks beforehand we would never be able to recoup costs from the accommodation or for entry tickets to activities.

UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 15/07/2017 07:56

Small claims court?

xyzandabc · 15/07/2017 07:57

So you say this has been going on for a full term but then you say 3 weeks before the trip, which is it?

Residential trips are usually arranged a year or more in advance, pulling out 3 weeks before is very short notice.

You've told us what the letter didn't say. Can you tell us what the letter did say?

Do you have anything in writing at all about refunds / cancellation policy?

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