Nursery Fees - Company demanding Arrears

FizK

Hi Folks, first time poster so be gentle!

My children go to a local Nursery and started at different times. We completed all of the paperwork, signed the contracts etc and just accepted that the fees were what they were. However, when my little boy started (my little girl had been going for 18/12 by this point), things got a little messy!

We received letters (but have never received a statement of account) on the new fees. We questioned this on 3 separate occasions as we felt that they were not correct (we thought we were underpaying) and on each occasion, we were told that yes, it was correct (on one occasion they actually told us we were in credit!) but last week, told us that actually we were in £800 arrears as they had messed up the direct debits.

I have requested our statement which makes absolutely no sense at all (and I'm no duffer with numbers!) and I want to know where I stand on refusing to pay this as
a) it is from January 2013 to date
b) we questioned this on more than one occasion to be told that it was correct

I am writing a formal complaint to HO and would appreciate any advice on what I should include in the letter and what info I should ask for.

Thanks in advance

Troutwrestler

If I owed it I would pay it....u said you knew it was too cheap. Really if its a good nursery and you want your kids to stay there.....I'd pay, even if it was monthly instead of lump sum

bossymoo

Hi,

I would include the dates of your previous correspondence / copies if own paper and ask for a full breakdown of fees and payments for the year. Explain that although there has been an error, you have paid in good faith, and as such will require some time to make up the shortfall. Make an offer of instalments once the actual amount of arrears is agreed.

Going forward, request a monthly / weekly invoice and keep all records of your payments. Ask for a quarterly account verification to ensure it doesn't happen again.

Things can get complicated, and even more so when the early years funding comes into play - not sure how old your kiddies are, but could this be part of the issue? Our nursery annualised my sons 15hrs term time funding so my payments were the same each month.

I'm sure it can be sorted out amicably, they just want to know they will be paid, but I think it's fair to ask them for time and to take more care over invoices in future.

FizK

Troutwrestler wrote: »

If I owed it I would pay it....u said you knew it was too cheap. Really if its a good nursery and you want your kids to stay there.....I'd pay, even if it was monthly instead of lump sum

Good point - sticks in the flippin' throat though!
Their finance department are truly incompetent!

Cheers bossymoo. to be fair they have offered to allow us to pay in instalments and I appreciate the advice in letter content - this is exactly the information that I have asked for so far in the letter but don't hold out much hope of a coherent response!

csh_2

My nursery fees were calculated wrong and I was told I owed £600 from sept 12 to April 13. They were really embarrassed and offered me a payment plan but I paid in full within 4 weeks as I would hate to be owing them money.
Mistakes happen but I used the service and therefore should be paying for it.
I wouldn't think complaining would get the amount written off. Are you happy with the nursery? Are you prepared to move them if you don't pay?

FizK

Nursery is top notch, staff are great. You are right though, maybe I'm just chancing my arm ;-) - points taken and I would not want my children to be booted out!
However I know that I am not the first parent that has complained to the staff at the nursery (who are great and do not deserve the flak that parents give them about this) so maybe structuring a letter as suggested by bossymoo may get them to pull their finger out and sort out their finance department!

csh_2

I know I was pig sick at paying my £600! Mine was a genuine oversight from their end I imagine I'd be pretty peeved if I'd asked prior and been told all ok.

rpc

Even if they make the mistake, you still owe the money.

If you have a letter from them saying that the account was in balance on X date, you could argue that arrears only exist after this date.

However, if the arrears are correct then you should pay them. If you don't, you will at best have a bad relationship with the nursery and at worst you will lose your place there.

If the arrears are not correct then you need to sort the mistakes first.

lazywife

Presumably they're not asking for any more than you thought you owed anyway. If it's the correct amount I'd pay it.x

fluffnutter

If their accounting is this haphazard, here's hoping they have a more organised approach to their childcare.

Mistakes happen, sure they do, but alarm bells would ring for me if I'd repeatedly questioned the fees and been continually told things were fine only to be then lumbered with a large bill. It suggests incompetence and I wouldn't want to leave my children in the hands of incompetent people, frankly.