Nursey nightmare advice please

adamantine

silvercar wrote: »

The nursery is going to lose out. By being difficult they have lost your future custom. They must also be aware that your priority now will be to make sure the new nursery is being paid in full and on time, so the debt to them becomes a very low priority. With no further contract with you they have no weapon to use to endure the debt is paid.

If they sell to a debt collection agency, they will only get back a very low amount, probably less than half. If they retain the debt but use a debt collection agency they will lose at least 20% of the amount you pay. If they take you to court you may get a CCJ, but they could end up getting £5 a month.

this is the thing my boys original nursery didnt get. they would get less than what i was offering to pay. they refused my original offer of payments and in the mean time i had found another place for my kids so they became a priority. on the first day when i dropped them off at the nursery i was given a bill for that month and their bank details to set up a SO for the following month! the current place becomes priority.

sounds like she is doesnt have a clue about how she gets her money and how to recover monies owed. she can ask for whatever amount she wants but if you dont have that amount then it cannot be paid. you were both at fault which you clearly admit but she cannot expect you to pay 12 months fees in one go when everyone else got 12 months to pay them. i would be inclined to increase the payments to repay over 6-9 months (whatever you can afford) and make that a full and final settlement offer to her.

i would throw in that she can hand the debt over to debt collectors but it would make financial sense for you both to handle this without her incurring extra charges as you have been more than willing to sort this all out and you will not be paying and debt collectors fees or interest.

newcook

As far as I am aware they cannot pass the debt to a debt collection agency until queries have been cleared and no further agreeable outcome can be achieved.

At the moment they are still to provide you with a full and final amount (please make sure you look through yours in case the amounts differ)
They have offered a repayment plan for you – is this in writing? If its as a goodwill gesture, reply stating you accept their repayment plan but your son will not be returning to the nursery as you no longer trust that his care is their main priority.

silvercar

As far as I am aware they cannot pass the debt to a debt collection agency until queries have been cleared and no further agreeable outcome can be achieved.

They can pass it to a debt collection agency. The debt collection agency can be asked for proof of the debt. They then have to produce this, if they can. If you then dispute the debt it has to be put on hold while the dispute is investigated.

If they do pass it to a debt collection agency, they will be able to tell you if they are collecting on behalf of the nursery or if the debt is now theirs. If it is now theirs, you know they paid very little for it and factor in a low collection rate, so you could offer a lower amount in full and final payment.