So the television licence?
Discussion
I have returned to the UK after quite a few years abroad and the house I bought a year before entering was bombarded in very threatening letters from tv licensing. My friend watching the house put them aside and the last one (rather comically) asks if I am in October 14th as 'you may or may not get a visit'.
My situation is clear in that we only use the television we have for Netflix and even that is rare. Maybe once or twice a week.
I am getting conflicting advice as to whether or not to respond to the letters, some saying it will mean they double the efforts as they then know I'm here, others saying it should stop things for at least a while.
I have no objections to letting them in to check but the language they use in these letters really has made me anti tv licensing and I am against doing their work for them.
Am I going to jail????
My situation is clear in that we only use the television we have for Netflix and even that is rare. Maybe once or twice a week.
I am getting conflicting advice as to whether or not to respond to the letters, some saying it will mean they double the efforts as they then know I'm here, others saying it should stop things for at least a while.
I have no objections to letting them in to check but the language they use in these letters really has made me anti tv licensing and I am against doing their work for them.
Am I going to jail????
Ha, I have a house that I'm not currently living in and I can confirm that they are quite threatening, I'm pleased I'm not the only one who has become anti them!
I have let them know 3 times by different forms of communication (telephone, email & letter) and they still regularly write to me, telling me that they are 'investigating' me. There's not a television or radio in the house.
If I only I could get this much interest on Tinder!
I have let them know 3 times by different forms of communication (telephone, email & letter) and they still regularly write to me, telling me that they are 'investigating' me. There's not a television or radio in the house.
If I only I could get this much interest on Tinder!
GrandAndrew said:
Ha, I have a house that I'm not currently living in and I can confirm that they are quite threatening, I'm pleased I'm not the only one who has become anti them!
I have let them know 3 times by different forms of communication (telephone, email & letter) and they still regularly write to me, telling me that they are 'investigating' me. There's not a television or radio in the house.
If I only I could get this much interest on Tinder!
Ha! But yes, it is the attitude that I think demands at least some resistance. I have let them know 3 times by different forms of communication (telephone, email & letter) and they still regularly write to me, telling me that they are 'investigating' me. There's not a television or radio in the house.
If I only I could get this much interest on Tinder!
md4776 said:
As far as im aware it doesnt matter if you only use the telly to watch netflix, channel 4 or your old VHS porno collection. If you own a tv you need the licence.
Suggest hooking up whatever you use to access netflix to a PC monitor that has no capability to recieve a tv signal then you can invite them round, youll have nowt to worry about.
Ah, I thought that and was about to pay but their own site makes that bit at least very clear. You do not need a license just because you own a tv, indeed only if you watch so called 'live' tv...that is you are watching the channels as they are broadcasting.Suggest hooking up whatever you use to access netflix to a PC monitor that has no capability to recieve a tv signal then you can invite them round, youll have nowt to worry about.
So if you watch Netflix, You Tube or old porn....no license needed.
Probably why they are so aggressive, this is the first major change for them as now they must prove you use it to watch 'live' tv and that is nowhere as easy as when it was a tv ownership license.
md4776 said:
As far as im aware it doesnt matter if you only use the telly to watch netflix, channel 4 or your old VHS porno collection. If you own a tv you need the licence.
Wrong......You only need a tv license if you watch or record tv as it is broadcast "live".Netflix, Amazon Prime et al means no license required.
ETA...Johndude has it right.
Fill in the online form telling them you dont need a licence.
https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/cs/no-licence-needed...
https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/cs/no-licence-needed...
GrandAndrew said:
There's not a television or radio in the house.
Even if there were, you would still not need a licence. Whatever impression is given, the law only requires you to have a licence if you watch the TV (including, nowadays, iPlayer). You could, for example, have a TV dedicated to watching DVDs or playing games, and no licence would be required. In those circumstances, a prudent person would probably detune the TV and ensure that the antenna was not connected.
And none of us is under any obligation to let the inspectors into our home, unless they have a warrant. Bear in mind that the inspectors are from Capita, not the BBC and there are many tales of their unscrupulousness around.
I'm cancelling my Sky subscription and junking the TV because I feel it is such a time suck. I'm not looking forward to the inevitable barrage of intimidation from TV Licensing and I shall do all in my power to ensure that Capita wastes as much of its profit margin as possible in doing so.
Personally, if anyone did turn up, I'd not let them in to look at anything. You tell them you don't need one. End of. Even if you were in fact watching live TV all day, unless you admitted it to them or they videoed you through a window, they can't do anything. Are they still pushing the 'TV detector' BS? Makes me laugh.
Thermobaric said:
Personally, if anyone did turn up, I'd not let them in to look at anything. You tell them you don't need one. End of. Even if you were in fact watching live TV all day, unless you admitted it to them or they videoed you through a window, they can't do anything. Are they still pushing the 'TV detector' BS? Makes me laugh.
I think this is where I am at. I am under no obligation to respond to their letters but if they come I will simply repeat the 'I have no need for a license' and ask them to leave.Thanks all.
Thermobaric said:
Personally, if anyone did turn up, I'd not let them in to look at anything. You tell them you don't need one. End of. Even if you were in fact watching live TV all day, unless you admitted it to them or they videoed you through a window, they can't do anything. Are they still pushing the 'TV detector' BS? Makes me laugh.
Don't be overly complacent. There are indeed stories of the inspectors giving allegedly perjured evidence to magistrates of "hearing" TVs on, or of having seen TVs on by peeking through windows.
There are also stories of their interviewing individuals without giving them PACE warnings when they should have and then using what has allegedly been said to them as culpatory evidence in court. Best to say nothing to them at all.
I think, now that iPlayer is in scope, their powers under RIPA might also allow them to obtain usage data from ISPs which can be used in court.
Right at uni this is a well known thing. I dont have a tv licence, i watch netflix, itv player etc, i use my dads sky go to watch things like BTCC or F1 live. I get letters from the tv licencing people, but so does everyone in my block flats of about 40. As far as i know, I'm not breaking the law as it comes under my parents tv license as its in their name using their account, but a few have had the tv people round and they simply just tell them they dont watch live tv and they're on their way. Whether thats a lie or not, never had a problem and I've been at at uni for 3 years now
psi310398 said:
GrandAndrew said:
There's not a television or radio in the house.
Even if there were, you would still not need a licence. Whatever impression is given, the law only requires you to have a licence if you watch the TV (including, nowadays, iPlayer). You could, for example, have a TV dedicated to watching DVDs or playing games, and no licence would be required. In those circumstances, a prudent person would probably detune the TV and ensure that the antenna was not connected.
And none of us is under any obligation to let the inspectors into our home, unless they have a warrant. Bear in mind that the inspectors are from Capita, not the BBC and there are many tales of their unscrupulousness around.
I'm cancelling my Sky subscription and junking the TV because I feel it is such a time suck. I'm not looking forward to the inevitable barrage of intimidation from TV Licensing and I shall do all in my power to ensure that Capita wastes as much of its profit margin as possible in doing so.
Remember moving into a flat years ago, picked up my first ever tv license threat which I found so damn impertinent it went in the bin. I dont respond well to threatening behaviour, it just makes me want to go out of my way to spite you.
Have sky now so have no choice but to pay the beeb to make their mostly unwatchable drivel.
Have sky now so have no choice but to pay the beeb to make their mostly unwatchable drivel.
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