TV licensing (Capita) impersonating police officers?

[jondude]

paintman said:

Interviewing under caution is not the sole territory of the Police.

There are many organisations that do so. This includes council workers/local authority investigating fraud such as false benefit & housing claims, Trading Standards officers, Customs & Excise, the HSE etc.

So your 'impersonating a police officer' claim purely on those grounds is without foundation.

ETA Enter 'interview under caution' into Google & you'll find any number of examples.

Edited by paintman on Sunday 28th January 13:30

Think I said this in the OP - that yes, there are others who can do this (customs officers).

The question is can a salesman from Capita do this? They do not seem to be mentioned in a quick net surf.

[CoolHands]

jondude said:

Thanks all.

I'm still a bit bemused by it. So let's say the Capita guy reads my rights on my doorstep and I say 'I do not respect your position here, so no comment at all'.

Then what? They pass this to whom, exactly?

when capita guy asks who you are you say you no understand in a mexican accent and problem solved. they only go after soft targets

[vikingaero]

They can try to interview you under caution. What happens when you slam the door shut? The interview ends!

[Sheepshanks]

I'd have thought anyone can make up their own caution - I did it in a dispute with O2 when talking to a supervisor who I felt was mis-using the data protection act. Caused quite a kerfuffle, but I didn't seem to get anywhere - although the issue (they'd disconnect one of our daughters phone for the first week she was at uni) magically was fixed a few hours later.

[Mojooo]

I presume that not having a licence when you should is a criminal offence.

The standard procedure is that
- you are suspected of an offence
- you are given the opportunity to put your side forward (interview)
- someone looks at the evidence and decides whether to prosecute

If a criminal offence has been committed it IS possible for the Police to get involved, but I am presuming they don't bother with TV licence offences.

So if you are offered an interview you can say no - as it is voluntary and you don't have to put your side forward (the reason I mention Police above is because if you are suspected of an offence and refuse a voluntary interview the Police could in theory arrest you if they were jointly investigating with TVL. I suspect the Police won't get involved because they don't need thousands of extra cases).

So without your interview they would just have to decide whether to prosecute on the evidence they have - which may or may not be enough.

NB - if you are suspected of a criminal offence and questioned you have to be cautioned and dealt with in a certain way for it to be admissible. For this reason a proper interview should be in an office and recorded and not really on the doorstep.

[gillywig2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUKqwbEHS2w

[Boosted LS1]

Riley Blue said:

The word 'officer' doesn't have to mean 'police officer'.

Another example of non-police officer enforcement is on-street parking where responsibility has passed to local councils who in turn often employ contractors to issue fines.

Are police constables officers in the first place?

[Funk]

jondude said:

Thanks all.

I'm still a bit bemused by it. So let's say the Capita guy reads my rights on my doorstep and I say 'I do not respect your position here, so no comment at all'.

Then what? They pass this to whom, exactly?

They 'may' interview... You have to read between the scare-tactic lines (or better, ignore them completely). I 'may' dress up in a pink tutu and teabag you, I 'may' inherit Buffet's billions - but it'll never happen.

If you don't watch or record live TV as it's broadcast or use iPlayer then you can safely ignore the letters and, should they turn up, you can also ignore the Capita salesmen (it's nearly ALWAYS men!). They have no right to enter, no right to speak to you - treat them like you would any other unsolicited sales call at your door.

[BlueHave]

rustfalia said:

TVR Moneypit said:

To be fair Naga Munchetty is rather Pity she doesn't show quite as much leg in the mornings as she used to.

Same too for Sophie Rayworth. "Oi, Sophie. Stop wearing bloody trousers and get back in the short skirts!".

If Naga is on £400k then Sarah Jane See on Sky Sunrise must be on £1m as she's more than twice the presenter with her presenting skills and that.

[Red Devil]

BlueHave said:

If Naga is on £400k then Sarah Jane See on Sky Sunrise must be on £1m as she's more than twice the presenter with her presenting skills and that.

Getting her name right might be a good idea though...

[Sa Calobra]

OddCat said:

I think the OP should just pay for a licence anyway.

How the hell are they going to afford to pay John Humpries £600k per annum, Jeremy Vine £700k per annum, Naga Munchetty £400k per annum etc etc if we don't all pay up ?

They are on THAT much for reading an auto que?!?!?!!?

[Atomic12C]

Never understood the law when it comes to a crapita salesman having gained entry for "an inspection" to then turn on a TV to a channel that it is tuned in to a live broadcast.

Does the action of a crapita salesman then land the home owner in court?

[Cliftonite]

Sa Calobra said:

They are on THAT much for reading an auto que?!?!?!!?

[DanL]

Atomic12C said:

Never understood the law when it comes to a crapita salesman having gained entry for "an inspection" to then turn on a TV to a channel that it is tuned in to a live broadcast.

Does the action of a crapita salesman then land the home owner in court?

Naturally, if you don’t watch live TV then your TV isn’t connected to an aerial, and their “ah ha!” moment if they turn the TV in rather fails... If you do have the TV connected to an aerial, you probably need a TV licence.

[shakotan]

Sa Calobra said:

OddCat said:

I think the OP should just pay for a licence anyway.

How the hell are they going to afford to pay John Humpries £600k per annum, Jeremy Vine £700k per annum, Naga Munchetty £400k per annum etc etc if we don't all pay up ?

They are on THAT much for reading an auto que?!?!?!!?

[shakotan]

DanL said:

Atomic12C said:

If you do have the TV connected to an aerial, you probably need a TV licence.

I could have a TV connected to an aerial, fully tuned in to all available channels, and still not require a TV licence.

[AndStilliRise]

vikingaero said:

Sneaky Crapita employees can claim to a Police Officer that you are being abusive and threatening to them and attempt to engage an officer into allowing him in. It's in the training to get inside under any pretense to observe the heinous crime of watching live broadcast TV. Sometimes they can see live TV being watched from the window or hear the sound of a live TV show. That would be enough evidence for them to apply to a magistrate for a warrant.

I think they have to be inside i.e. on the property.

[DanL]

shakotan said:

I could have a TV connected to an aerial, fully tuned in to all available channels, and still not require a TV licence.

I would imagine it would be quite hard to tune a TV in without breaking the law, but I suppose you do that when you have a licence, and then cancel it.

Look at it practically though - if you have such a set up, and it goes to court, you’ll have a hard time convincing anyone that you don’t need a licence...

[Atomic12C]

DanL said:

Atomic12C said:

Never understood the law when it comes to a crapita salesman having gained entry for "an inspection" to then turn on a TV to a channel that it is tuned in to a live broadcast.

Does the action of a crapita salesman then land the home owner in court?

Naturally, if you don’t watch live TV then your TV isn’t connected to an aerial, and their “ah ha!” moment if they turn the TV in rather fails... If you do have the TV connected to an aerial, you probably need a TV licence.

I wouldn't have thought that to always be the case (and therefore become irrelevant for the application of this law) - for example in order to receive radio channels and listen to them through your TV, you'd need the aerial plugged in.
A TV license is not required for the live broadcast of radio. And as far as I know the picture that shows up on the TV to display the radio station name is not considered "live broadcast TV".
So one can have the TV tuned in, with aerial plugged in and listen to radio without a TV licence.

So still wondering if a crapita goon can configure a TV, turn it on to a live broadcast, then issue you a penalty or court papers ?

[Sa Calobra]

shakotan said:

Sa Calobra said:

OddCat said:

I think the OP should just pay for a licence anyway.

How the hell are they going to afford to pay John Humpries £600k per annum, Jeremy Vine £700k per annum, Naga Munchetty £400k per annum etc etc if we don't all pay up ?

They are on THAT much for reading an auto que?!?!?!!?

News readers read from a screen infront of them as a prompt.