Getting a deposit back

Hi all,

I am new to this site it looks very informative. My girfriend paid a depoit of around €800 to Nidest(private fitness college based in Limerick) about 1 year ago for an Indian Head massage course.

A months or two before the course was suppost the start they rang her to inform her that they didn't have enough people to go ahead with the class.

Every few months since my girlfriend keeps ringing Nidest to try and get her €800 back and they still keep putting her off. Is there anyway of getting the money back, she is looking for the receipt of the deposit but is there anything that she can do to get her money back.

Thanks in advance
AM

Are they giving her any reason why they are not refunding the deposit? Are you saying that she never got a receipt or that she may have mislaid it? How was it paid? If not by cash then there should be some other record of the payment (e.g. cheque stub, card records etc.).

Don't ring - write to them demanding a refund. If they don't answer or refuse then write again threatening further action including legal or Small Claims Court (if applicable) action if necessary.

Every time she rings them they either don't answer the phone or keep putting it off saying that they have to get onto somebody in relation to it and will get back to you(never getting back obviously). We have moved county and house since she paid the deposit in cash so my girlfriend has mislaid the receipt and is trying to find it.

What would be the best way in getting the money back its dragging on now for over a year and €800 is a good bit of money paid for a course that is not going ahead.

Hope ye can help me out
Thanks

Write to them asking for the money back. Don't mention that you may have mislaid the receipt. If they refuse again or don't answer then start thinking about the Small Claims Court (if applicable) or at least mentioning that possibility to them.

Thank you very much for your advice. Would my girlfriend have a leg to stand on if she can't find the receipt?

If they respond to the letter then it would presumably be useful as proof that they were not contesting that the money was paid in the first place.

Perfect thank you very much for your advice

The way to go about taking a small claims procedure is explained beneath. It costs just €9 to take a case.

I suspect, in this case, the company would return the de[posit very quickly once they know you're serious. A personal call to their premises advising them of what you intend doing might help.

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Did she pay cash? If she paid by cheque or credit card, the record of her transaction would be sufficient for the Small Claims Court.

Yeah she paid by cash. One of her friends is a solicator so at the moment I think the solicator is writing a strongly worded letter to Nidest demanding her deposit back.

Fingers crossed.