Surprise snowfall over the weekend wreaked havoc across the country, prompting severe public transport delays, school closures and even flight cancellations.
And one mother whose child’s nursery suddenly closed its doors due to the adverse weather has insisted parents affected should get a refund.
Mumsnet user Lou1324 said her child’s nursery was not giving parents refunds, despite telling parents only the night before of the closure.
She pointed out that despite heavy snow overnight, the main roads were now ‘fine’, meaning she would still be going to work in her NHS job, and as such forced to find alternative care for her child.
She asked the forum if she and her husband were unreasonable to expect a refund, and while some parents agreed nurseries shouldn’t charge parents for snow closures, others said they should just chalk it up to ‘bad luck’.
Mumsnet user Lou1324 said her daughter’s nursery was closed by the staff haven’t given her a refund
The mum said she would have to pay for alternative childcare arrangements as well as missing out on the nursery fee
Lou1324 said in the post that the roads around the nursery by then were ‘fine’, and questioned the head’s decision to shut the nursery.
She complained that the nursery was putting her out of pocket because she’d had to pay for further childcare.
The Mumsnet user said: ‘We’ve been told no refund! I’m now going to have to pay for alternative childcare as I work for the NHS, which does not close no matter what the weather!
‘DH is saying we should insist on a refund… Anyone ever managed to do this?!’
Some Mumsnet users were sympathetic and told her it was reasonable to expect her money back.
One commented: ‘It’s irrelevant if they have caused the closure, if they can’t provide the service that someone is paying for then they can’t charge for it! The nursery I worked for never charged for snow closures.’
Another posted: ‘All of my external childcare providers refund if not open. I used to have one who didn’t who was closed more than she was open so expressed my disatisfaction by giving notice.’
Others were less sympathetic, saying that there would be something about closures in the contract the mum signed.
Many Mumsnet users were sympathetic and said she shouldn’t have to pay if her child isn’t in school
One posted: ‘There’ll be something in your contract, no doubt when they say no refunds it’s because they’ve already covered their a***s.’
‘Just bad luck I’m afraid. They still have running costs and staff wages to pay,’ another posted.
A third said: ‘Presumably they will still have to pay their staff, and their other fixed overheads – would you be happy for them not to pay their staff tomorrow, so you can have a refund?’
Other parents said the nursery was probably charging to cover staff costs, calling the situation ‘bad luck’