tv license inspection deemed as "no proof either way"

krisboats

krisboats

krisboats

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Joined
17 Dec 2006
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Loughborough
Just had the guy round and we've not had a tv license since it expired. Just bought a new tv a few weeks ago so i guess that triggered the visit. He said "you've been receiving signals in this property within the last couple of weeks".

Now i take him round the house, show him the nice new lcd in the front room with no aerial in sight or tv stations tuned in and it was currently hooked up to the pc, surround sound and 360 (which was playing at the time).

Tv in the lounge was plugged into nothing but an xbox one and the mains. Virgin box nearby which was plugged in at the mains but not plugged into anything else.

Tv upstairs which again was just plugged into the mains and told him it was for playing the 360 in bed if i'm being lazy/days off work. Freeview box on the floor in room but again, no cables.

Housemate had tv screen as pc monitor, clearly not plugged in to anything but vga.

Also showed him an indoor aerial in the cupboard upstairs not plugged in to anything with cables wound up.

He says that he can't class it either way and that would be in the review and it's up to the office what they're going to do with it. Anyone got an idea of what is going to happen? I know i probably shouldn't have let him in but none of the tv's are tuned in and none of them connected to any receiving equipment/aerials.

Apparently because i'm paying for a virgin tv connection i have intent to use it and my excuse that it was £30 for broadband or £31 for broadband phone line and tv was a bundle to get me a phone line for £12 a year.

I genuinely had nothing to hide so didn't see a problem in letting him in. Is there anything i should do or just leave it? He was an idiot though, checked the new lcd for tv signals by pressing channel one then repeatedly pressing the "menu" button to bring the menu on and off over and over again before deciding "this ones okay". He never even looked behind it!
 
The problem here is the fact that you admitted to having an aerial. So what if its was just 'wound up'. Easy enough to have done it before he came. Same as the Virgin box. The fact that you have it proves you could have used it. Virgin doesn;t need to be tuned into channels for the TV, so again, no proof at either way.

Seems fair.
 
If you get any letters from them, read them, laugh at their hollow threats then bin them, if they come to the door, don't let them in.
 
It's my understanding that unless they actually see a TV on then they can't actually do anything. Just stand your ground and be taken to court if necessary, they have no proof.
 
Noob, when they come to your door and ask to be let in, you just say no, then if its playing on your concience buy a TV license when the opportunity arises.

Legality/morality of it all aside, if you have a TV and a Virgin Box, and you have no license what possessed you to let him hoke about your house? The "office" is just going to slap you with a small claims court summons.
 
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Having the virgin subscription could go against him... but they'd have to be crazy to take it to court based on that... most likely they will just harass you with letters.
 
Or write to them and tell them you're denying them of their assumed right of access to your property. They have no legal powers to enter your property and if you tell them that then they're not even allowed to knock on your door :p
 
So why have you got a virgin box and freeview box in close proximity to your teles and plugged in if you don't ever use them. (devils advocate by the way ).
 
I know now i would have been best saying no but i thought they would leave me alone if i showed them there's nothing being used. I had no idea i could refuse them to come in and figured refusal would be a sign of guilt.

He did say it's not a problem to have an aerial and that i didn't need to show him it.
 
mollymoo said:
So why have you got a virgin box and freeview box in close proximity to your teles and plugged in if you don't ever use them. (devils advocate by the way ).
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Lazyness from when we did have a license. It never even got switched off just unplugged. The tv aerial plug was pulled from the cable to so it has bare wire with no adapter. He never checked that either.
 
krisboats said:
I know now i would have been best saying no but i thought they would leave me alone if i showed them there's nothing being used. I had no idea i could refuse them to come in and figured refusal would be a sign of guilt.

He did say it's not a problem to have an aerial and that i didn't need to show him it.
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They'll never leave you alone if you've not got a licence, even if you prove to them you've got no need for one.

They've got no legal powers, 99% of the letters they send are just empty threats to scare people in to getting a licence. It's extremely rare that they'll ever follow up on their threats.
 
In his fairness he was very friendly and polite and said my diy sub looked very good. At the end of the day he wasn't able to get a tv picture on any of the equipment and said they'd most likely send someone round again sometime soon.

Does a virgin box count as being against the law if it's just switched on? I mean it's a cable box so not receiving broadcasted waves and the cable isn't attached.
 
I got a big red one today saying that my property was under investigation because I ignored their several previous letters. Its true, I let my dog play tug with them. Apparently officers will soon be arriving at my door. I think I'll let them in and hoke about, leave the telly on or something too on a gay porn channel or something, I do actually have a TV license, but apparently this wonderful database of theirs isnt all its cracked up to be. :D
 
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