TV License: Am I in trouble?!
Discussion
Just looking for some advice as I haven't been able to find too much information on this.
I moved house about a week ago (9 days), and as of today had yet to setup my TV licence. I had one at my previous address, but hadn't got around to setting a new one up here yet, and had every intention of doing it in the next few days.
I had a knock today from one of their enforcement officers. I realise now my first mistake was talking to them, and letting them in. Hindsight and all that... Anyway, I told them I'd just moved in, was planning on paying for the license but hadn't done so yet.
After telling him the date I moved in, he told me I would not get prosecuted if I paid for a license then and there. I said I would be happy to pay, but would prefer to do it online. I was told this was no longer an option, and if I didn't pay there and then it would go to court. Naturally, I agreed to pay and we set up a direct debit, and so I'm now correctly licensed. I had to sign a declaration saying that I'd been unlicensed since the date I moved in. As soon as I signed, he have me a receipt, and a booklet explaining I might get prosecuted! This is a bit of a shock as me paying then and there, and allowing him access to the house, was all based on his statement that I wouldn't be prosecuted if I paid up immediately and allowed him to inspect the TV!
I've since called the TV License help line, who haven't been able to give any specific advice, other than the enforcement officer would not be able to offer any of the guarantees that he did. They've said they can't tell me if I will be prosecuted or not (I'll know in the next 3 months), but just that I can be.
So, official channels exhausted, I'm after anecdotal evidence...
Do people really get prosecuted if they don't setup their TV license immediately when they move house?! What's the likelihood of this going any further?
I moved house about a week ago (9 days), and as of today had yet to setup my TV licence. I had one at my previous address, but hadn't got around to setting a new one up here yet, and had every intention of doing it in the next few days.
I had a knock today from one of their enforcement officers. I realise now my first mistake was talking to them, and letting them in. Hindsight and all that... Anyway, I told them I'd just moved in, was planning on paying for the license but hadn't done so yet.
After telling him the date I moved in, he told me I would not get prosecuted if I paid for a license then and there. I said I would be happy to pay, but would prefer to do it online. I was told this was no longer an option, and if I didn't pay there and then it would go to court. Naturally, I agreed to pay and we set up a direct debit, and so I'm now correctly licensed. I had to sign a declaration saying that I'd been unlicensed since the date I moved in. As soon as I signed, he have me a receipt, and a booklet explaining I might get prosecuted! This is a bit of a shock as me paying then and there, and allowing him access to the house, was all based on his statement that I wouldn't be prosecuted if I paid up immediately and allowed him to inspect the TV!
I've since called the TV License help line, who haven't been able to give any specific advice, other than the enforcement officer would not be able to offer any of the guarantees that he did. They've said they can't tell me if I will be prosecuted or not (I'll know in the next 3 months), but just that I can be.
So, official channels exhausted, I'm after anecdotal evidence...
Do people really get prosecuted if they don't setup their TV license immediately when they move house?! What's the likelihood of this going any further?
mx5tom said:
I moved house about a week ago (9 days), and as of today had yet to setup my TV licence. I had one at my previous address, but hadn't got around to setting a new one up here yet, and had every intention of doing it in the next few days.
You had a licence at your old place? Simple address change... You can do it up to three months before you actually move, once you know the move date.http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one...
https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/cs/update/multiple-c...
Have a look here, you could have started the licence from when you moved in:
https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/cs/pay-for-your-tv-l...
https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/cs/pay-for-your-tv-l...
Riley Blue said:
Have a look here, you could have started the licence from when you moved in:
https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/cs/pay-for-your-tv-l...
Didn't know that, guess it's a bit late now though!https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/cs/pay-for-your-tv-l...
Regardless, we're talking about a minor lapse, a very short time of being unlicensed due to moving, etc. To go by the letter of the law, then it seems kind of open and shut.
I'm just hoping there's some leniency/common sense at their end and they don't just blindly prosecute.
The pertinent point which I didn't see answered is have you been watching the TV? If you watch broadcast TV or Iplayer you need to be licensed, if not you don't. I've recently moved and not set up my license but I don't watch broadcast TV or Iplayer so there's not much point paying for it.
TurboHatchback said:
The pertinent point which I didn't see answered is have you been watching the TV? If you watch broadcast TV or Iplayer you need to be licensed, if not you don't. I've recently moved and not set up my license but I don't watch broadcast TV or Iplayer so there's not much point paying for it.
Sorry, thought that was implied. Yes it was being used to watch live TV. So yes, unlicensed for 9~ days or whenever we setup the TV, so close to but not more than that.As I said, strictly speaking, yes it's not good. But as I just moved in I thought they'd allow a bit more time than that to get everything sorted.
motco said:
You don't have to set up a new licence. You simply transfer your current one to your new address. Why didn't they tell you that I wonder. I moved in December 2012 and my licence crossed to my new place the day I moved.
Slightly more complicated. I moved out of my flat mid/late last year, and cancelled my license. I moved to my parent's house, which is covered by their own license. So, when I moved back out into my own place I can't transfer the license, it would be setting up a new one. Another poster has shown it could have been setup prior to me moving in, but either way, it wasn't, it was a lapse, but certainly wouldn't calling it evading payment or whatever. mx5tom said:
Just looking for some advice as I haven't been able to find too much information on this.
I moved house about a week ago (9 days), and as of today had yet to setup my TV licence. I had one at my previous address, but hadn't got around to setting a new one up here yet, and had every intention of doing it in the next few days.
I had a knock today from one of their enforcement officers. I realise now my first mistake was talking to them, and letting them in. Hindsight and all that... Anyway, I told them I'd just moved in, was planning on paying for the license but hadn't done so yet.
After telling him the date I moved in, he told me I would not get prosecuted if I paid for a license then and there. I said I would be happy to pay, but would prefer to do it online. I was told this was no longer an option, and if I didn't pay there and then it would go to court. Naturally, I agreed to pay and we set up a direct debit, and so I'm now correctly licensed. I had to sign a declaration saying that I'd been unlicensed since the date I moved in. As soon as I signed, he have me a receipt, and a booklet explaining I might get prosecuted! This is a bit of a shock as me paying then and there, and allowing him access to the house, was all based on his statement that I wouldn't be prosecuted if I paid up immediately and allowed him to inspect the TV!
I've since called the TV License help line, who haven't been able to give any specific advice, other than the enforcement officer would not be able to offer any of the guarantees that he did. They've said they can't tell me if I will be prosecuted or not (I'll know in the next 3 months), but just that I can be.
So, official channels exhausted, I'm after anecdotal evidence...
Do people really get prosecuted if they don't setup their TV license immediately when they move house?! What's the likelihood of this going any further?
Point one, he's not an officer he is a door to door salesman, point two you didn't have to sign anything, his authority is precisely zero, however now that you have its game over if they do decide to prosecute. Why anyone would let a stranger into their house is beyond me, you spend a lifetime telling your kids not to do it and then fall for it yourself, seen it so many times.I moved house about a week ago (9 days), and as of today had yet to setup my TV licence. I had one at my previous address, but hadn't got around to setting a new one up here yet, and had every intention of doing it in the next few days.
I had a knock today from one of their enforcement officers. I realise now my first mistake was talking to them, and letting them in. Hindsight and all that... Anyway, I told them I'd just moved in, was planning on paying for the license but hadn't done so yet.
After telling him the date I moved in, he told me I would not get prosecuted if I paid for a license then and there. I said I would be happy to pay, but would prefer to do it online. I was told this was no longer an option, and if I didn't pay there and then it would go to court. Naturally, I agreed to pay and we set up a direct debit, and so I'm now correctly licensed. I had to sign a declaration saying that I'd been unlicensed since the date I moved in. As soon as I signed, he have me a receipt, and a booklet explaining I might get prosecuted! This is a bit of a shock as me paying then and there, and allowing him access to the house, was all based on his statement that I wouldn't be prosecuted if I paid up immediately and allowed him to inspect the TV!
I've since called the TV License help line, who haven't been able to give any specific advice, other than the enforcement officer would not be able to offer any of the guarantees that he did. They've said they can't tell me if I will be prosecuted or not (I'll know in the next 3 months), but just that I can be.
So, official channels exhausted, I'm after anecdotal evidence...
Do people really get prosecuted if they don't setup their TV license immediately when they move house?! What's the likelihood of this going any further?
The only saving grace is if the licence for the old address was still current at the time you let the salesman in.
Suggest you take a look here and be prepared in case the worst happens.
http://www.tvlicenceresistance.info/forum/
I wouldn't worry fella. My missus went months without a TV licence before moving in with me and got a summons. By the time she attended court she was living with me. They checked her address before she went in to court properly and let her go because I had a licence. I doubt they'll bother with less than 2 weeks tbh.
mickmcpaddy said:
Point one, he's not an officer he is a door to door salesman, point two you didn't have to sign anything, his authority is precisely zero, however now that you have its game over if they do decide to prosecute. Why anyone would let a stranger into their house is beyond me, you spend a lifetime telling your kids not to do it and then fall for it yourself, seen it so many times.
The only saving grace is if the licence for the old address was still current at the time you let the salesman in.
Suggest you take a look here and be prepared in case the worst happens.
http://www.tvlicenceresistance.info/forum/
Easy to say when you already know the facts! The only saving grace is if the licence for the old address was still current at the time you let the salesman in.
Suggest you take a look here and be prepared in case the worst happens.
http://www.tvlicenceresistance.info/forum/
When you've got someone at the door, and:
- you know you're technically in the wrong,
- they introduce themselves as an enforcement agent/officer/something or other
- they tell you that the only way to stop prosecution is to pay up right now
Thanks for the link though, will take a look.
Everyone makes mistakes, but sorry mate, you have brought the consequences of your trivial mistake with the TV licence on yourself.
You shouldn't have let the guy in, you shouldn't have said anything or signed anything. You should have just closed the door. TVL then would have evidence of jack. Instead you signed your own confession.
You shouldn't have let the guy in, you shouldn't have said anything or signed anything. You should have just closed the door. TVL then would have evidence of jack. Instead you signed your own confession.
Edited by creampuff on Thursday 9th March 17:17
As for the BBC being "the envy of the world", I've lived in 6 countries and visited over 60 and I've yet to hear one single person say they wish they had a homegrown BBC. They sure as hell aren't asking for something you have to pay almost 2 dayscaverage after tax pay for under threat of being summonsed to a criminal court and getting a criminal record. BBC. f
k it. It sucks.
k it. It sucks. I've have claimed i hadn't watched any live TV at my new address yet and thus no offence has been committed and that's why you hadn't set it up yet but moving forward you would be watching live at some point soon and that when you would be, you would purchase a license online.
Assuming you hadn't watched live TV of course....
Assuming you hadn't watched live TV of course....
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