Fees & Refund Policy

Placement Terms – Smartaupairs & Nannies

At Smartaupairs & Nannies, we believe in building trust from the start.

• No upfront fees are required to begin the search process.
• Families are welcome to review shortlisted profiles and conduct interviews with no obligation to proceed.

Offer & Acceptance

Once you’ve made an offer and it is accepted by the candidate:

• We will issue a placement contract 
• An invoice for the placement fee will be sent 

Candidate Reservation Policy

To reserve your chosen candidate, we require:

• Timely return of the signed placement contract
• Payment of the placement fee within the agreed timeframe

You will have up to 7 days from the date the offer is accepted to complete both steps.

Please therefore ensure you are ready to proceed with the formalities (contract & settlement of the placement fee) before making an offer, as we can only hold the candidate for this period. After 7 days, if the contract and/or payment have not been received, we reserve the right to release the candidate profile back to other families.

We will always aim to communicate clearly and work with you to avoid delays wherever possible. This ensures fairness to both the candidate and families waiting to connect.

Scale of Fees & Free Replacement Period 

Category	Placement Fee	Free Replacement Period
Au Pair	£1490+VAT	30 Days
Junior Nanny	£1790+VAT	30 Days
Nanny	10% + VAT of the Agreed Annual Gross Salary	42 Days

Additional Service: Vetting Support for privately recruited au pair candidates.

Replacement & Refund Policy

At Smartaupairs & Nannies, we recognise that even with the best planning, support, and intentions, things don’t always go as expected. That’s why we offer a clear refund and replacement policy if a placement doesn’t work out.

All placements include a guarantee period and if we are unsuccessful in securing a replacement candidate, a fair refund policy for your peace of mind. 

If the placement is terminated prior to arrival or during the post-arrival guarantee period, Smartaupairs & Nannies will offer one free replacement search. Refund policy is only applicable for the first placement. 

Should we, however, be unable to offer suitable replacement candidates within the first 30 days (from the date of notifying us) the following refund schedule applies.

Au Pairs & Junior Nannies Refund Schedule

Duration	Refund
0-7 Days from Start Date	70%
8 - 14 Days from Start Date	45%
15-30 Days from Start Date	20%

Nannies Refund Schedule

Duration	Refund
0-7 Days from Start Date	70%
8-21 Days from Start Date	45%
22-42 Days from Start Date	20%

All refunds are subject to a £250 admin charge. 

Unreasonable rejection of replacement candidates (such as amending the new search requirements to be such which are substantially different to the original search) does not automatically warrant a refund. 

No refunds apply whereby the placement is terminated outside of the guarantee period or whereby no replacement is requested to be found. Credit may be applied toward your next placement (at agency discretion). 

Any credits/discounts offered are valid for a period of 3 months unless otherwise confirmed. 

Conditions for Refund or Replacement

To qualify for a refund or replacement:

• Full payment of the placement fee has been made by the due date.
• The family provided an accurate and honest description of the role and requirements.
• For live-in roles, suitable private accommodation was provided as agreed.
• The candidate was paid promptly and treated fairly and respectfully.
• Any issues or concerns were reported to Smartaupairs & Nannies within 48 hours of arising.
• No significant changes were made to the job description, hours, or duties post-contract.
• The candidate was not subject to mistreatment, unsafe conditions, or unreasonable demands.

Offers & Incentives 

We offer referral incentives and other seasonal offers so keep an eye out on our newsletters. Credit/discounts offered are subject to terms.

Safe & Easy Payment 

A separate invoice detailing the final fee is issued upon placement confirmation.

We ask to settle the invoice by bank transfer (details supplied upon invoicing). We do not accept card payments. 

We do not accept cheques.