Swim lessons price tripled and they didn’t tell me

nicdigby

Hi, I would appreciate some advice.
I have a disabled child and the county we live in gives discounts to various health organisations to provide services for kids with disabilities at reduced rates. My son has been going swimming using the scheme for a year.
Three weeks ago I received an invoice via email for the period of Jan 1. - Feb 19. (This half term and the term had already begun ) and the price quoted was £190 rather than the normal £90.
I emailed back to query it - no reponse. I emailed again ten days later. No response. I sent a message via messenger (which they use a lot to communicate). No response. Then I get an email with an invoice for next half term also at £190. I emailed again to query it and ask for a response to my initial question and point out it’s the fourth time I’ve asked.

Email comes back “we sent you an email in December to say the county had stopped the discount scheme and that therefore your price would rise”.

I sent an email back asking them to forward me the original email they claim to have sent.

I get a reply saying that “the system doesn’t keep them after a month they are deleted”

So, what are my rights here please? I’ve sent him swimming for the past five weeks not knowing that the lessons had more than doubled in cost. Do I have to pay? Or can I insist it’s done on the old rate for this half term?

Many thanks

KatrinaWaves

I think best you can ask for is the 5 lessons at the old rate, the ones youve already had, and the rest at normal price. Work out the pro rata price and offer to pay the new rate going forward. Considering you sent him for 3 weeks after the price increase I think thats more than enough.

Insisting on discount lessons after you know that they are more expensive wouldn't be appropriate.

(also don't go in complaining the price has tripled, it hasnt. Its £10 over double...)

DoaM

KatrinaWaves wrote: »

(also don't go in complaining the price has tripled, it hasnt. Its £10 over double...)

Unless £90 in the OP is a typo and they meant £60?

KatrinaWaves

Possibly, but towards the end of the post they say 'more than doubled' which is more in line with the actual charge, as opposed to tripled in the title.

Its expensive for 2 months of lessons, at my local pool its £22 a month and we do take children with disabilities, although I imagine more specialised lessons for different severities of disability may be more expensive.