I Give Up!!!

[blackambermay]

I hope someone out there can help me.

 

I gave my daughters school a cheque for £30 about 7 weeks ago for her swimming lessons.

Beginning of last week I was told that the school had "mislaid" the cheque.

I told them that was ok...it happens and I will send in cash.

I decided to wait until I got paid on the 30th November then I would withdraw the cash and send it in. In the meantime I needed to get two other bills paid for both at £25.00 each.

 

So I sent the cheques of, happy knowing I had the money in the account to cover both cheques

Wednesday 28th nov, (my first day off from work in ages) I sat in the front room, with laptop and cheque book along with the phone to call in and cancel this cheque.

I logged into online banking to see if either of the bill cheques had been presented and to check current status of my account.

 

I was horrified to see that not only had the school not informed me that they had actually found the cheque but they had also presented in for payment.

Not only that but the bill cheques had appeared too.

The bill cheques were both bounced and I was charged £25 for each cheque.

To make matters even worse I receive a letter today telling me that I have been charged and that they have told the presenting bank to represent the cheques.

Now I am mad! I went online and paid one of the bounced cheques again using my debit card as the bill needed paying!

Now this next bit defies belief........another family member showed me their statement, and blow me!!!

They sent a cheque to someone two months ago and it was only presented for payment beginning of last week.

They had forgotten the cheque had been given out and obviously spent the money.

Not only did the cheque go through but they didnt get charged!!!!

This is the same bank and same premier current account you understand!!

 

Well I phoned them this morning and requested a call back from a manager.

I asked the customer service advisor why they only charge some customers and not others and this was denied. I warned her to be very careful and I have paper evidence.

Well I will wait for the phone call from the manager although I doubt it will get me anywhere.

 

In the meantime, I have very little food to feed 3 children, I had a budget of £60 to buy food this week and I now haven't got it! If I had spent the money I could admit how stupid it was etc but I haven't in fact I have been so careful.

I feel so deflated and ready to give up. I have spent the best part of this year chewing through account arrears (catalogues etc) and I have £271 left to pay from a £2400 debt.

I was extremely proud I had done it, but I feel beaten I really do.

[Lula]

Oh thats terrible, Perhaps if you sweet talk the manager he may just reverse the charges, they do have the power to do this, other than that the only thing you can really do is start a claim against them.

 

I agree, you have done so well in your efforts, it must be soul destroying, explain to the manager what has happened and see if he will act.

[The GodMother]

Have you spoke to the school about this. As they are responsible for the bounced cheque and should give you the money back.

 

The school should know the law which basically says that if a cheques is reported lost/mislaid or stolen then they have to inform you if the cheque appears. As the school did not do this then they are responsible for the charges and should give you a dicsount on the next set of lessons you have to pay for.

[blackambermay]

Yes I did, all I got was "we are so sorry" but to be honest even if I did get a discount or no charge at all for the next lot of lessons, I needed that moneynow.

I suspect moral of the story is to never write a cheque again.

The blame will be passed from pillar to post etc because it's always someone elses fault and in the mean time we struggle to eat.

[honey5]

you will have to excuse my ignorance here, but why are you paying the school for your childs swimming lessons in the first place?

honey x

[blackambermay]

Lol, because we get letters asking for swimming money, trip money, non uniform day money, the school feels like begging money, you name it we get asked for it. And all this x 3. I work just to pay the school sometimes.

[honey5]

swimming is part of the ciriculum is it not?

i know for definate it is here and we dont pay for any swimming lessons and i have 3 also, trips yes we contribute but then again it states on the letters brought home a "voluntary contribution"

ive always paid as id hate to think the kids missed out lol

but swimming definately not, its part of their lessons in school so therefore they could ask you to pay for math/english/french etc?????????????

honey x

[Tau]

you will have to excuse my ignorance here, but why are you paying the school for your childs swimming lessons in the first place?

honey x

 

Its the same with my kids, we have to pay for thier swimming during the summer. Excuse is that they need to purchase all the chemicals etc for the pool. Also mines x 3 as well. What ticks me right off though, is the fact that two schools use the same pool and both have to pay for it. Its not a great deal of money, but along with school trips and stuff, it works out bloody expensive over the course of a year.

[The GodMother]

Not all schools have a swimming pool and not all schools get to us a swimming pool at another school for free. SWome county councils pay for the swimming lessons if they are having to use outside pools and others dont, its the same with paying for the transport to and from the outside pools. It really does depend on the budget of each and every school.

 

I no as kids we never had to pay for swimming lessons and the transport but the school trips were never voluntary contributions the schools attitude was and still is want to go have to pay. I know the school my son is at is different atm but as soon as the getting rid of middleschools thing the govermant is doing, all first middle and nursery schools must as of september 2008 be called primary school, the funding will be different as the school will not be given and help with the build work that needs to be done to make it a primary school so we will have heavly reduced budgets if we have a budget next school year.

 

Which will mean no free school trips and no free swimming lessons.

[honey5]

thats shocking honestly it is, ours use a public pool and theres still no charge

honey x

[The GodMother]

Well it may be shocking but it is down to central govermant really. As when they give the budgets out to every county council the county council has to provide it to the schools etc.

 

I understand what you are saying about it being shcoking but thats they way it is to be honest. If ppl got on to there local MP then things may be different but l would not put my hopes on it.

[blackambermay]

Hi, just caught up with all the replies, the trouble with not paying no matter if it is voluntary or not, is that the head teacher of my school actually starts phoning me at home in the evening if I don't pay.

Also when the teachers constantly ask the children for money, "why havent you brought your swimming money in" it puts pressure on my children.

Mind you this week the pressure on me is horrendous, I have been starving this week just to make sure that the little bit of food I do have goes to my children. How I have done my job I will never know.

I am still waiting for a call back from a manager, I have phoned a further two times, the last time I was in tears, the lady that answered the final call, said that the school is most certainly responsible for their actions and will send a letter to me to pass on to them saying exactly that.

She also said that she will pass the account over to their charges department with a view to refunding at least one of the charges. However that was wednesday and the money is still not in my account.

Funny really, we got excited wednesday because we thought someone had thrown us a life line and we would be able to buy milk and and bread on thursday.

None of my kids are in school today because I can't send them without any breakfast or packed lunch.

[Timsta]

You need to check if you are entitled to any benefits, that should help a bit: entitledto

 

Also, if you are on certain benefits your children may be entitled to free school dinners too.

 

HTH & hang in there.