has anyone ever gotten a deposit back for pre-school?

[Anonymous]

Hi, we paid a sizable deposit ($1k) on a church-affiliated pre-school we loved in VA. However, it's looking very likely that our family may move out of state before the school year states. I'm wondering if anyone had success receiving the deposit back in this situation. We would give notice at least several months before the start of the school year, and the pre-school is popular enough that I am almost 100% sure they will be able to replace DC's spot with another child.

Yes, I know I can ask them directly, but they are not the most responsive by phone and I'm curious if there even any remote possibility of success.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Did you sign a contract? If yes, what does it say.

[Anonymous]

I used to direct a program and we didn't give these deposits back. I'm sorry, but we might not be able to fill it that fast, because other parents have made commitments and paid $$ to other programs when they didn't get into your school. So they can't just pull out and go to your school, even if that were their preferred school.

So it might be a few months before that space is filled, and we need the money from your deposit to help us during that gap.

[Anonymous]

They’re not giving money back. They may negotiate on damages if you’re breaking a contract, but they won’t be writing you a check. You should have understood that risk when you sent in the money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They’re not giving money back. They may negotiate on damages if you’re breaking a contract, but they won’t be writing you a check. You should have understood that risk when you sent in the money.

I think OP did understand this, and her family's circumstances changed. Off with her head!

[Anonymous]

No advice, but all the preschools we looked at specified the deposits were non-refundable.

[Anonymous]

We paid deposit for 3rd year but due to Covid the school stated it may not open and even if there’s lock down we had to continue pay monthly tuition so be decided to transfer to public school instead. We didn’t get deposit back.

[Anonymous]

What does the contract say?

[Anonymous]

People absolutely have had situations when they got deposits back. Typically there is a small administrative fee.

Go an talk to them as soon as possible. Be open about when you will know and see what the options are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi, we paid a sizable deposit ($1k) on a church-affiliated pre-school we loved in VA. However, it's looking very likely that our family may move out of state before the school year states. I'm wondering if anyone had success receiving the deposit back in this situation. We would give notice at least several months before the start of the school year, and the pre-school is popular enough that I am almost 100% sure they will be able to replace DC's spot with another child.

Yes, I know I can ask them directly, but they are not the most responsive by phone and I'm curious if there even any remote possibility of success.

Thanks!

You signed a contract. You need to adhere to it. Don’t they to get out of it because it suits your needs presently.

[Anonymous]

The only case I ever heard of where someone got their deposit back was when one of the parents (the one with the larger income) passed and the family lost the income needed to have the child in preschool. The mother provided the father's death certificate and said they could no longer afford the school and requested the money back. The school made an exception to their rules and returned the deposit.

[Anonymous]

AS a former director, I'm a human and will always listen to a parent, etc. Please ask. But I am also the person who posted above saying in general I don't do this, because it isn't easy to "just fill the space" and you made a commitment which meant that someone else didn't get in - and they can't just take the space in August when they have paid to other schools.

When have I given the deposit back? When a parent came to us one week before the new school year started (and their child was due to start) and told us their child was just found to have a special need and they needed to put the child in the public school so they would get services. I didn't feel it was fair to keep their deposit and first month's tuition which had been paid August 1.

I also would tell a parent that they could wait until May (vs March with all other families) to confirm whether they would keep their child in our 4s room a 2nd year or go to kindergarten - for those kids who were really on the bubble age- and development-wise.

This meant I held a space for their child in that room, and risked not filling it. I did this 3 different times. Frankly, before Covid I could always fill it. Not sure I would do this now, post-Covid, because we don't have as many parents applying. So I probably wouldn't be able to afford to do this.

[Anonymous]

No.