Not forthcoming with returning deposit

[Depositless]

My eldest just left 6th Form and the finance dept at our school don’t seem to have a handle on what’s going on. Despite being told we’d receive our deposit back in Aug, we haven’t, and still haven’t after a chase up call 2 weeks ago.

My DC started in the junior school and flowed through the school to 6th Form. We were told deposits would be passed through. They clearly haven’t been, and this is the issue. The finance dept. in the upper school have no record of it.

They also say an admin fee is paid in year 7 but I dispute this as I paid one in the junior school and my DC stayed till the end. We didn’t join from outside in year 7.

I’ve another leaving this year, and they’ll owe me £1000. I don’t seem to be getting anywhere.

Any advice how to push this forward? I’ve not kept any receipts. Only an email to admissions saying I’d paid it because this was 10 years ago!

Knock deposit off the final term's fees?

You need to show the school evidence of your deposit payment and tell them they need to trace it. Presumably it was not paid in cash and you know the approximate date, so there will be a bank statement showing the transaction. You can ask your bank for statements from previous years.

Good point. I can go over old bank statements. They won’t let us take it off the last terms fees.

Actually I might refuse to pay the last term or pay it minus my 2 deposits.

Failing this, what should I do? I’m not the only one who does not have their refund.

My first thought would be is the school in financial trouble?

No it’s not

I would submit your evidence with bank statements as soon as you can - do this for both kids payments, then if they still fail to refund, just deduct both from the final payment of the one leaving, and send a covering letter also including the bank statements again.

Yes do what @Ariela said.

Also check what your school contract says about returning deposits - you can quote the relevant clauses to them in your letter

I'd be writing to the finance dept and asking for it to be returned forthwith.

Then if not, another email giving that notice that if you didn't get receipt of the money within x days you will start small claims proceedings.

I paid deposit for a private school on Friday for September intake. My child was on waiting list for another school. On Friday my anxiety level got so high that I decided to pay the school she had an offer from. Just 2 hours later I got offer from the school we had been waiting for. The first school says i am bound by their contract. Has anyone been in this situation. Please can anyone advise what to do? Thank you

@Pinchu I suggest starting a new post with your question since this one is old and not particularly relevant to your situation.

@Pinchu see this thread https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/4162741-Competing-deadlines-for-accepting-offers

I would gather the evidence that you have paid - bank statement, emails etc - then make an appointment to see the bursar. Don't leave until they have agreed the repayment and instructed their bank to pay you within 28 days.

I am having exactly this issue with GDST. Every week another fob off.

Small claims court?