Payment Deposits

[OrlandoBelle]

I have been registered now for 9 months and as of yet, have not asked for a deposit. Mainly because they confused me.

However I have recently been "done over" by a parent who has not paid me for several weeks and has not bothered turning up either. I have just given her 4 weeks notice and am in talks with NCMA solicitors to recover the costs she owes.

Anyway.... all this got me thinking about deposits and I have decided I am now going to start charging them. I have just read the part on the back of page 2 of the NCMA contracts about Payment Deposits and it says that NCMA recommends that if childminders are to be paid in arrears then a payment deposit should be paid at the start of the contract equivalent to the agreed 4 weeks notice period.

I ALWAYS ask to be paid in advance. I will not accept payment in arrears. So does that mean I cannot ask for a payment deposit?
I don't want to get caught out again by a non-paying parent :mad:

[rickysmiths]

No. I am always paid in advance on the 1st Monday of the month. I also take a 4 weeks fees deposit which is kept until the end of the contract when it covers the notice period.

It also means that if I have a non payer I act quickly and actually give notice after two weeks saying that if all the fees are paid in full at the end of the notice period I may consider continuing the contract.

This means I can minimise the effect of a non payer. After a few bad experiences I decided I had to get hard with everyone.

[OrlandoBelle]

Oh thats good then. Think I will do the same from now on. I have written to this woman twice now and sent her numerous invoices and she hasn't replied to any of them. Time to get tough. I'll be sending my claim form to NCMA if she hasn't paid by the 17th. :angry: