Nursery made a huge mistake on their fees - Kids already started

[looking4answers24]

Hi
I am looking for some advice on a really worrying situation.
We reserved a place for our 2.4yo child in a Nursery after viewing several others in June 2024. The start date was August 2024.

We received confirmation that the fees would be £100 a month after including 15 hours free childcare for 2 days a week. We double and triple checked this amount with the nursery in writing via email (they even provided us with an invoice stating the expected fees as from Sept), before we committed and before we started sending our child there.
Now, they sent us an invoice for Sept requesting £400, which is a shock.
The nursery manager called to say it was their mistake bla bla bla.
But I am now in a position where this amount is way above our budget and our child has also already getting used to the nursery and on top of that, it is impossible to find another nursery for an immediate start even if we did think about moving over. In addition to that, the amount of stress this is causing us - we had everything planned with our workplaces and the nursery so that the childcare works for us. PS: Its apparently an Outstanding nursery and has been nominated for some awards too. Now, I have the feeling, they enticed us with a fake lower price, once we have sent our child and we have no other option, they drop the bombshell on us that the price is actually 4 times more.
What can/should we do? Where do we go from here?
Seriously looking for some help and advice here.

Thanks

Shall I get my post removed?

Edited to add that I've reported my previous post to get it removed for not posting in guidelines and making threads too long.

Sorry about that!

It really doesn't matter that your child is "settled" at this nursery. They will quickly settle in another one, they haven't made any serious attachments yet!

Do go ahead and find a local nursery that will provide the care you want for just £100 per month and report back to the thread when you find one!

@YellowphantGrey no, of course not, your reply is of interest to the op I'm sure. I just thought you'd like to know.

Why report to Ofsted? They’re not interested in contractual disputes. People seem all too quick to report these things when it doesn’t need to happen! It’s hardly like they’re abusing the child, they made an error and are now rectifying that. Going down the emotional blackmail route won’t help whatsoever!

So we have just had a new nursery provider take over my DC nursery and over the past few weeks a number of changes have happened including them having to apply for funding etc and redoing fees.

We recieved a new fee sheet so i was able to work out what we should be paying each week. You should know how many hours your DC will be attending each week and should be able to calculate the additional over and above the government funded hours. This is what i did myself.

You also have to bear in mind lunches and consumables which are charged separately and the likely hood is they will be more than £100 for the month.

Are you sure you didnt get it confused with weeks and months.....as in they meant £100 a week ontop and not £100 a month as that would make around £400 a month.

Can you use the tax free childcare vouchers to help with the costs?

I’d ask for a full breakdown of the bill. Is your funding stretched through the year making it 11hrs a week rather than 15? Do they have hours you are using that they don’t apply funding to? Are meals and consumables extra? Find out what you can.

£400 isn't unusual for 2 days a week. I pay £460 for two days. My nursery only do stretched funding, they don't allow term-time only children, and it's circa £85 a day, plus an additional fee for each funded hour used, and a daily consumables charge. It was circa £700 a month before the funding kicked in.

Some nurseries also have other guidance, like not allowing specific hours like two hours over lunchtime to be funded, or not accepting funding on morning sessions.

Regardless, you've got a good case to make them charge you at the agreed level for September, but I'd expect to have to agree to pay in full or to get given your notice from the nursery afterwards. My nursery has to give two months' notice, so that'd take you towards the end of the year, if yours is the same.

Ofsted will not be the slightest bit interested. They don't get involved with fees and financial disputes.

Thank you everyone for your advice.
I have dealt with the matter - the nursery has agreed to honour its promised price in September 2024 and no more.

Thank you.

That's a shame but it's not a surprise. 🙁

That’s the outcome I would have expected sadly. I really think they meant £100 a week.

Have you managed to get the feelers out for somewhere else?

Well, it looks like we have to bite the bullet on this one.
Our kids are already used to the place - no crying when dropping off etc.
And we spent summer visiting atleast 5-6 places before deciding on this one and yes we did ask the price of the nursery before committing - at first, it felt like a mistake, however they did confirm that price in writing in writing as well as in person - we thought they priced it low because maybe they get some extra income with the free 15 hours? So there was no question going back to them after they have confirmed the price three time with us and saying: "Hello, I think your price is wrong, you should be charging me a lot more."🙄

Is their price now comparable to the other nurseries you saw?

I'm sorry, OP - it's a tough situation and sounds like they acknowledge their error given that they are keeping Sept at the price quoted, but a total blow going forwards.

Not comparable. I'm sending my child 2 days a week and it is costing me £364 per month after 15 hours free funding has been added up.

Other nurseries were around £100-150 cheaper for the same days and 15 hours free funding.

Is the £364 pcm cost consistent throughout the year or is that the term time cost?

The obvious thing to do then if money is an issue is to give notice and move them to a cheaper nursery. If they're honouring September, then you might not have to pay anything/much at the increased rate.

£364pcm for 2 days a week with 15 hours Free Funding consistent throughout the year, regardless of 1 week off at Christmas or Bank Holidays.

thanks, that is where we stand...should we take the financial hit (0% Purchase credit card into TFC via something like Curve Card) given that our child is now used to the place?

Same as mine pretty much, £377 for the same thing. You can get the 20% tax account as well so mines going to be £302.

Only you know your child, but if you can’t afford to pay the fees, can you afford to pay back even at 0%. If you can’t afford it, you’d be better off moving them.

Op if it’s outstanding they dont need to scam people with fake pricing. They will have more than enough demand at the real price. It is simply an error and they dont need to honour error prices.

Mine is £460 with the 15 hours free for two days. Yours sounds reasonable to me!

But if it’s not reasonable for your area, I’d move them sooner rather than later. They’ve settled fast once; they’ll likely do it again.

Id move your child. If they settled there so quickly they’ll probably settle somewhere else. Especially if you’re planning on more than one year of nursery.

That is rubbish.

I know it feels tough to move child if settled, but i would definitely move if it makes finances difficult. The biggest step is starting nursery, should be easy enough to settle again. Don't over stretch yourselves to try and keep them there. The stress that will bring is not good for you, dh or dc either.

I’d also move my child op, do not get into more debt than yoy need to , your child will adjust.

£377 for sending your child 2 days a week after 15 hours free?
If that 15 hours covers Day 1, Day 2 works out at around £90 per day?
Mines around £80 a day if the other day is free (funding hours).