Laptop 1:1 scheme Non-Payers

[WestCoastCumbria]

Hi there,

 

I've inherited two laptop 1:1 schemes for students that was implemented a couple of years ago and then largely forgotten about.

Simply put the laptops are from a leasing company with a separate company handling the payments from the parents, Gift Aid is used as well and the school has just paid the Residual Value for the first scheme which has just ended.

We have a lot of parents that have stopped their monthly payments (donations) well before the scheme ends, some have only contributed to half the amount or less.

It seems legally there is not a lot that can be done about it but I wondered if there was any recourse in getting the laptops back to the school? I assume the first scheme laptops are now the schools property as the lease has finished.

 

Any insight gratefully received. Thank you

[bald_pig]

Short version is it's not your problem, it's up to the leasing company and finance company to recoup their money.

 

In most cases the laptops will belong to the leasing company still or the student, I've never heard of the parents paying for the school to then keep the device.

[hardtailstar]

Short version is it's not your problem, it's up to the leasing company and finance company to recoup their money.

 

In most cases the laptops will belong to the leasing company still or the student, I've never heard of the parents paying for the school to then keep the device.

 

The money might be coming out of the school to the leasing company and parents paying the school back. this is what happened in my last school that did this.

 

If its lapsed you have a very hard task of getting the money out of the parents.

 

When I was dealing with a leased scheme some of the parents would pay for a year then stop payments altogether.

 

The school chased them but they didnt pay up. At the end of the scheme the school sent a letter to the parents saying how much they owed which needed to be paid or laptop returned.

 

90% of them were returned to the school as after 4/5 years they weren't worth the amount they had to pay.

[WestCoastCumbria]

The money might be coming out of the school to the leasing company and parents paying the school back. this is what happened in my last school that did this.

 

If its lapsed you have a very hard task of getting the money out of the parents.

 

When I was dealing with a leased scheme some of the parents would pay for a year then stop payments altogether.

 

The school chased them but they didnt pay up. At the end of the scheme the school sent a letter to the parents saying how much they owed which needed to be paid or laptop returned.

 

90% of them were returned to the school as after 4/5 years they weren't worth the amount they had to pay.

 

 

Yes this is how the scheme works for us as well and it sounds like it's the same boat we are in.

I can't see payments suddenly starting up again so I think a letter saying what they owe or the laptop needs to be returned will be the better option. I do fear that a fair number may ignore that as well.

if we can get 90% back that will be great as the laptops are of a decent spec so still hold some value.

[hardtailstar]

Yes this is how the scheme works for us as well and it sounds like it's the same boat we are in.

I can't see payments suddenly starting up again so I think a letter saying what they owe or the laptop needs to be returned will be the better option. I do fear that a fair number may ignore that as well.

if we can get 90% back that will be great as the laptops are of a decent spec so still hold some value.

Good luck with it.

 

Get the letter signed by the headteacher too.