David Lock

As soon as I moved house recently I started to get letters asking if I had a TV Licence. I didn't like the tone of the letter and wrote and told them so. A couple of years back I was in hospital for an extended stay and told them to stop taking Direct Debits from my account as I wasn't watching TV which they ignored.


I have had a licence for 40 odd years but they p,iss me off and I haven't told them about my change of address.


Have just received further letter saying the heavies are coming around to "investigate" my new property.


My question is do I have to speak to them and do they have the right to enter the premises?


David

tony de wonderful

I've not had a licence since 2012 when I moved into the flat I was last in.

They must have sent me hundreds of threatening looking letters, and they rang my buzzer many many times, but I just ignored the scum.

It amuses me that this must have cost them £££'s

Of course I don't watch TV your Honour, or even catch up. And there was absolutely nothing the licence fee chasers could do to prove otherwise.

Now I'm moving into my own house I'm tempted to get a licence to save on the hassle though. However, I really didn't watch TV. If I did start watching TV again it would just be the odd BBC iPlayer match of the day.

tony de wonderful

They have absolutely no legal powers to compel you to talk to them or enter your property.

Same as any Tom, Dick or Harry who turns up at your door.

If they want to enter your property (without your permission) they need to give evidence to a judge to get a warrant which must be exercised by the police. They need to have good reason to suspect you are watching an unlicensed TV. Not having a licence isn't a good reason. They really need to see you watching TV, which they can't do if you don't let them in.

Mostly these scum trick people into incriminating themselves. They will ask to enter and some people are dumb enough to let them, or they will ask if you have a licence and some people are dumb enough to admit they don't.

There are some real scum bag licence chasers who will peek through windows and climb over fences etc, or even physically intimidate people (especially vulnerable people) into 'letting them in'. They can be unscrupulous and devious.

captainlip

Unfortunately anything capable of playing TV is classed as needing a TV license, the likes of a laptop or tablet can be classed as requiring a licence

tony de wonderful

That was changed years ago. A TV doesn't need a license unless you use it to watch broadcast or catch up TV. If you use it just for Playstation or DVD's it doesn't need a license.

dpb

https://www.scoobynet.com/1001408-pa...ve-a-tv-3.html

dpb

jesus christ , prolly earns a grand a day on the rigs

but its the principle don't you know

tony de wonderful

I'm unemployed now due to the oil downturn. Have been for almost one year.

RAGGY DOO

iTrader: (1)

Not had a license since I moved back home 4 years ago

scoobyboy1

iTrader: (16)

Have you watched the videos on You Tube when the inspectors turn up to check why you haven't got a TV license?? Id not pay it personally but I cant be dealing with the hassle of them knocking on the door!!!

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

The tv licensing have no right to enter your property even if they have the police with them. You could even have your tv blasting in the background when you answer the door to them and deny having a tv and there is nothing they can do. They need a warrant to enter your property.

dpb

https://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/23845966.jpg

tony de wonderful

That video is quite eye opening. These scum are telling some right lies. One saying it's illegal to film them which is BS. Demanding ID from people, which isn't lawful. One guy at 38 mins or so saying he'll get the police around in 30 mins if they don't pay which is surely an unlawful threat?

markjmd

iTrader: (11)

All legalities aside, are you honestly denying that many of the refuseniks in that vid come across as somewhat kn0blike themselves?

tony de wonderful

Yes you can imagine some of them driving battered blobs.

David Lock

When the boys turn upIthink I might go into my "From Poland" mode with confused expression


D

tony de wonderful

The guy threatening the Polish dude with 'getting the police van around in 30 mins' if you don't pay up is bluffing. A) it would take him much longer than that to get a warrant, B) even longer to request the police to enforce it (they can't just dial 999 lol), and C) if he was in a position to prosecute he would cos its a big fine = more money for them.

scotty boy 80

iTrader: (5)

Not paid mine in years just sign the declaration you don't watch live TV, never had any hassle, had an email saying it's been 2 years since you declared you don't need a licence do you need one now..........no thanks

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-i...d-a-tv-licence

^Qwerty^

Had a guy turn up late one Sunday afternoon whilst we were eating our roast. Invited him in, made him a brew and carried on eating with the family and told him I'd sort it when we'd finished. Friendly chap he was, but I wasn't interrupting my Beef and Yorkshire puds for nobody.

urban

iTrader: (1)

Did you have a licence?

David Lock

As I said in OP I do have a licence but I'm just a stroppy sod who a) doesn't like their bullying approach b) is owed a couple of months fee payments and c) is fed up with the culture of "we don't believe you so prove it" F,uck them I say.


Yes I know I should conform and cow down to their demands - but sod them


Does one need a licence for Sky or ITV only? Or catch up Beeb watched on unplugged laptop?


David

^Qwerty^

Yes, I'd bought it a few days before. We bought a house and had gutted it, so had just moved in. His handheld record thing didn't have access to live data.

scunnered

iTrader: (1)

If you have any device capable of watching live TV on any channel, or BBC iplayer, or BBC on demand services, then you need a licence. That includes laptops tablets and smart phones.
http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-i...layer_ref-news

urban

iTrader: (1)

TV licence - its a load of *****, paying all those overpriced ******* on tv/radio and BBC management.
We're all used to advertising nowadays anyway, so scrap the licence and go down the advertising route.

dpb

Alright if you can bypass them* , deff not otherwise

David Lock

Why should I need a licence to watch ITV? David

tony de wonderful

Interesting that the link you posted doesn't say what you think it says. It doesn't actually say you need a licence if you have a "device capable of watching live TV", although it tries to con you into thinking this.

tony de wonderful

I know it's BS but unfortunately the law.

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Bought a place in November and bought a TV license at the same time (good citizen that I am or mug - delete as applicable). Place comes with a holiday let in a separate building and apparently that too requires a TV license - which is BS as far as I am concerned as most people will have their own and I do as well. Anyway, I called them in November to discuss holiday let situation and as I had no visitors, I elected to not take up secondary license at this time.
They obviously forgot this conversation as I was bombarded with threatening letters and notices of "investigation". Got fed up a couple of weeks ago after my last letter, so rang them up to tell them the place was empty and they could get lost for the time being. OMG what an answer messaging system, quite one of the worst I've had to suffer and didn't go any way to diffusing anger levels.
The woman on the end of the phone was quite reasonable but she received several months pent up indignation of being treated like a criminal and not having actually done anything wrong.
Absolutely outrageously aggressive system.

tony de wonderful

The threatening letters about 'investigations' with red ink saying 'final warning' are just props. All they mean is that at some point a TV licensing goon will call around and try and make you buy a license and/or try and entrap you if you illegally watch live TV.

Like I said. I've filled sack loads with these 'final warning' letters since 2012 lol.