School Asking For More Money For School Trip - Due To Rise Of Euro

Nanageddon

Hi.

My niece is going to France with the school for a week. And this morning she brought home a school letter that's been issued stating they want a extra £40.00 due to the rise of the Euro. And they have made it clear the school trip cost in non refundable. So it's basically pay the extra £40.00 or you cannot go or get a refund.

Is this right they can do this. After been given a price of the trip and paying the full cost of trip already. Now the school want a extra £40.00. due to Euro rise.

Surely this cannot be right.

Thanks

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

Well I am sure in law its probably fightable but why the hell should the school and ultimately the taxpayer pay an extra £40 so your niece can go on holiday.

The costs will have undoubtadly risen due to the euro exchange rate and I dont think the request is unfair.

Tozer

How much was the total trip?

phlogeston

LinasPilibaitisisbatman wrote: »

Well I am sure in law its probably fightable but why the hell should the school and ultimately the taxpayer pay an extra £40 so your niece can go on holiday.

The costs will have undoubtadly risen due to the euro exchange rate and I dont think the request is unfair.

Ignore LinasPilibaitisisbatman he/she is just a troll.

I would be asking why the school has booked with an agent that has a clause in the contract to allow price increases. I have never yet seen a travel company that sends out refunds when the pound goes up in value, so why an additional charge when it goes down?

The school should be going back to the agent and querying the rise in prices.

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

Maybe the price included trips which couldnt be booked in advance and as the prices of euro now increased those tickets cost more in £ equivalent, maybe it includes meals or visas that couldnt be purchased in advance.

If it was avoidable fair enough but its quite forseeable that unavoidably the cost has increaed

marty1888

I would be looking for clarification on exactly what the additional £40 is for.

sporedude

When I booked my holiday it said in the clause they can raise the price any time untill 2 weeks before departure, Only this could be sudden fuel rise costs for the planes, Weird they want an extra £40 for euros

myrnahaz

If the school has already booked then the price was fixed at that time, if not, then they've no reason to stop people having their money back if they can't afford to pay another £40.
To be fair, the exchange rates have made a huge difference to the costs of going to the EC. We do a lot of work in Southern ireland, and a hotel that was £40 a few months ago is now costing us closer to £60 - the hotel is the same price in Euros, it's just that the exchange rate is lousy. It's the same for fuel, food etc. It's a bit of a nightmare, really.

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

Not really true Myrna

Maybe the school have booked hotels, buses etc but need to pay for entrance to places on arrival and it has now become clear due to the exhange rate issues this will cost exta.

Given they have already paid for part of the trip they cant recover that cost but cant go without the extra

Ultimately in law there is probably a way the OP can refuse to pay etc but if the charge is justified then they should.

RobertoMoir

Nanageddon wrote: »

Hi.

My niece is going to France with the school for a week. And this morning she brought home a school letter that's been issued stating they want a extra £40.00 due to the rise of the Euro. And they have made it clear the school trip cost in non refundable. So it's basically pay the extra £40.00 or you cannot go or get a refund.

Is this right they can do this. After been given a price of the trip and paying the full cost of trip already. Now the school want a extra £40.00. due to Euro rise.

Surely this cannot be right.

Thanks

Define "cannot be right".
I think they should offer a refund when they change the "terms" of the trip. Not sure if they're obliged to but I feel they ought to.

I can see how this sort of thing could happen, so if by "cannot be right" you mean that you think they're telling you lies about this then I'm not so sure that they are. However, I think it would be reasonable of them to explain precisely what has happened to you better.

sparkey1

Out of interest, when was the trip booked? and how much did it cost.

Im sure the school aren't trying to rip you off. Forty quid is not a lot extra when you consider how much the pound has collapsed in recent months. The school would have already of paid for travel and accomodation, its just the extra bits. They cant give you a refund as they have already paid for things for your niece.

You wouldn't want your niece to go on a trip but not to be able to do anything when she got there.

The school are not making a profit. If it had happened the other way, the school would of had more money in the kitty at the end would have been obliged to have refunded it. Its not the schools fault that the £ has collapsed. The school is not a travel agency.