How to refund the prepayment for the children's club. Izvestia's instructions

When enrolling a child in a sports section or a creative club, parents are often required to make an advance payment for a month or an entire course of study. However, plans may change, for example, if the schedule does not fit, the child is ill, or the classes simply did not like it. What to do in such a situation and whether it is possible to return the deposited amount, tell Izvestia.

What is prepayment?

Prepayment is a partial or full payment for the cost of services, which is made before the start of classes in a club or section. It serves as a financial guarantee, and also allows you to cover the initial costs, such as booking the necessary resources and specialist time.

Often the prepayment is a fixed percentage, for example 30-50% of the total cost of services. In some cases, especially when pre-booking seats in groups with limited numbers or the need to purchase supplies in advance, a one hundred percent payment may be required.

All conditions — the amount, terms and procedure for depositing funds — must be clearly stated in the service agreement. Upon receipt of the money, the contractor is obliged to issue a cash receipt. This rule ensures transparency of payments and, if necessary, allows you to return money in accordance with the procedure established by law.

When should the prepayment be returned?

The activities of children's clubs and sections are regulated by the law "On Consumer Rights Protection". Additional guarantees are provided by the Civil Code (CC) of the Russian Federation. According to its provisions, services are considered rendered only at the time of their actual provision.

Thus, the prepayment for future classes remains the means of the consumer until the child has attended them. Parents may also request a refund in the following cases:

• inconvenient schedule;
• program inconsistency with expectations;
• postponement or cancellation of classes;
• inconsistency of teachers' qualifications;
• skipping classes by a child for a valid reason, for example, due to illness or departure (skipping without a valid reason is considered a circumstance due to the fault of the consumer, in which case the money will not be refunded).

How to refund the prepayment for classes

To return the funds, first you need to notify the organization and make a written statement. The document is written in free form. It must contain the required details: the full name of the contractor, the customer's details, the number and date of the contract, the amount of the prepayment and the bank details for the transfer of funds.

The text should refer to the law "On Consumer Rights Protection" (art. 32) and the Civil Code (art. 782), which regulate the right to unilaterally withdraw from a contract for the provision of paid services. The customer must pay the contractor only the actual expenses incurred by him related to the execution of the contract until the moment of refusal.

The application can be sent by registered mail with a delivery notification or sent directly to the administration. In case of personal transfer, you should ask to put a mark on the acceptance of the document.

What documents will be needed?

To successfully resolve the issue of refunding the prepayment, you will need to collect a minimum set of documents. It includes:

• the original service agreement,
• confirmation of payment (cash receipt, bank receipt or account statement);
• medical certificate (if the child was ill or undergoing treatment).

If the termination of the contract is related to the non-fulfillment of obligations by the organization, it is recommended to prepare photographs of inappropriate conditions, written certificates from other parents, or correspondence with the administration of the club about the postponement of classes. These documents may be needed when contacting Rospotrebnadzor or the court in case of a dispute.

Terms of refund of funds

The legislation establishes a general framework for the refund of an advance payment. As a rule, they do not exceed ten calendar days. Specific deadlines can be specified in the contract itself. From the moment of receiving the request for a refund of the prepayment, the organization is obliged to return the money within this period, minus its actual expenses incurred.

In case of refusal or ignoring of the claim, parents can contact the territorial department of Rospotrebnadzor, attaching copies of all documents.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on popular children's clubs and sections in Moscow.

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