Waiting list issue - what do you think?

[Yanka]

I just wanted to have other people's opinion on this:

DD has been on a waiting list for a very popular nursery for about a year, then we had a call in January this year, saying we had a place for three morning sessions starting in April. I have confirmed with them over the phone that we would be taking those sessions and then also sent a confirmation letter. However, about a month before we were due to start, I get another telephone call, saying 'oh, we are very sorry but we have made a mistake, we thought you wanted afternoons, we have no place for you, but you will be the first one on the list now for any available places'.

Now, firstly, the 'mixup' was almost certainly a lie, given that I had confirmed the morning sessions agreement in writing and we already had the first three introductory sessions booked in the diary (all in the morning). Stupidly, I haven't confronted them about that inconsistency at the time (I should really learn to stand up to people )

Secondly, we haven't heard from the nursery since. It makes me really angry the way they treated our application but at the same time I love the environment and would love to send DD there - everyone we know ho has their kids in this nursery love it. What to do now? Shall we keep pestering them or should we just cut our losses and join at the bottom of another over-crowded waiting list in another nursery?

They should have had some coming up after the summer holidays when the kids move up to school.

I would say it depends upon how much you want the place. If this is symptamatic of a bigger issue I would be worried

Depending on how much of a deposit you have to pay, could you not go on the waiting list of another nursery anyway? (If there is another on e that you are happy with).
I do think that you have been badly treated by this nursery, but if it is the most popular in the area, then the management hold all the cards. Just another thought - at my ds's nursery, there has been quite a lot of staff movement over the last 6 months (previously it was a VERY low staff turnover). As nurseries have to stick to strict child:staff ratios, is it at all possible that it is a staffing issue that they would rather not raise with you?