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Nursery Claiming we Owe them Money

My daughter attends a nursery and has done for about 2 and a half years. We've recently had a "debt" collection letter claiming we owe them about 40 quid. They supplied a copy of two bills they we claimed hadn't paid in full, however I can prove beyond all doubt these bills were in fact paid in full.

On speaking to them they are now saying that the reason those bills are not paid in full (February and May) is because they took part of the money we paid those months to apply to another bill we didn't pay in full from another month (October I think)?! As far as I'm concerned we get the bill at the end of the month, and pay at the start of the following month after payday - if we hadn't paid in full last October why didn't they tell us at the time?

My question is what right have they got to chase me on this? I'm not aware of having not paid any bills in full, I'm always pretty anal about working it out to the penny, but nearly one year after the event I may not be able to obtain the records to prove I've paid the bill, and given the nurserys accounting department are clearly a total utter shambles how can their records be taken to be accurate?

Comments

  • bod1467
    bod1467 Posts: 15,214 Forumite
    WRITE back to them (recorded delivery) and advise the debt is denied until they can PROVE you owe it. In your letter provide your proof that the disputed bills were paid.

    I know they've said (on the phone I presume) that they finagled your payments to cover an alleged earlier debt ... it is for them to PROVE this is what happened and PROVE that the earlier bill was not paid in full.

    You should be able to get copies of your bank/card statements for October/November last year to prove how much you paid them.
  • arcon5
    arcon5 Posts: 14,099 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Look at all invoices issued, add the amounts.
    Look at your bank statement/receipts, add the amount.

    If both amounts are the same payment is up-to-date.
    If not, there is an underpayment/overpayment.

    Write to them with your results.
    Problem solved.
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