Just got a court summon for TV licence

TFleming

TFleming

TFleming

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Redcar, Cleveland
Hi guys,

As the title says. I live in a student house (7 of us, although the summon is addressed to one) and we haven't got a TV licence. Someone from the company came round a while back and asked us to turn the TV on (we didn't watch it anyway) and we had a signal. I'm not saying we shouldn't have to pay it if we watched the TV, but we didn't. I asked the guy if we could take out the signal cable so we couldn't watch TV, and asked would we still have to pay it and he kind of evaded the question with "If you watch it from now you have to pay". Right now we can't get a signal. On the summon it says "Caught watching Bargain Hunt", but we definitely don't watch Bargain Hunt. Could this be just from when the guy turned it on and got a signal?

Just wondering where we stand? The man who came round just evaded answering my question that I asked several times.
 
as above, absolute nightmare people. I really really detest them, dont even watch the filth on tv and get letters from them every year about summoning to court and this and that.
 
You often let people walk into your property? Meh, you had the ability to receive TV as the telly was plugged in. That is what a license is needed for. You no doubt got heaps of letters. Your own fault for letting him in, he had no right to do so.

My pal, a copper, had two of them turn up to his flat a few weeks ago and tried all sorts of nonsense to get in. According to them, they have more right than the police to enter property.

Go to court and contest it if you want, or just pay up. Are you actually sure it's a court summons and not just from the TV license folk?
 
Just for information of anyone else reading the thread...

You must treat TV licence people as door to door salesmen. You should be rude to them, they're bothering you at home for no reason at all. Be abrupt, answer none of their questions and tell them to leave your property immediately. Close the door in their face. If they don't leave right away, phone the police - ideally grab the phone and open the door in front of them and do it.

Better than that you can remove their implied right of access to your property. Write to TV licensing and tell them not to go near your property.

The TV license is an utterly stupid form of taxation. There's plenty of other government services that are not levied directly, that not everybody consumes. If Capita weren't involved, and the government just gave the money to the BBC then it'd be a whole lot simpler.

That will not happen while people are bullied by the door to door debt collectors. Make sure everybody you know is aware they have absolutely no legal enforcement ability, they cannot make demands of you and you don't need to answer any questions they ask.
 
You have to tell them beforehand if you don't believe you need a TV license anyway I don't believe than no one in you house will watch TV even once in the next year
 
Glaucus said:
Ignorance.
If you didn't watch tv why did you have it connected up?
Click to expand...

Don't know really. Wasn't much we had given thought to. The TV was supplied by our landlord and all the appropriate cables were in place for us to watch it when we moved in.
 
TFleming said:
Don't know really. Wasn't much we had given thought to. The TV was supplied by our landlord and all the appropriate cables were in place for us to watch it when we moved in.
Click to expand...

That's a very reasonable defence then - but I have no idea at all what would happen in court.

You have not broken the law though, you only need the license if you're watching a mains powered device (assuming your non-term address has a license) and watching TV as it's being broadcast (internet stream also counts).

However I've no idea at all if a judge will say that having a connected and tuned TV is enough 'proof' or if he'll take your word over Capita's. Capita are scum bags, so hopefully the judge will already be aware of that.

There are TV license forums out there, perhaps they'd be able to give more specific advice.
 
Apparently it's based on your income and my mate only gets £75 a week wages. The fine works out at £150, only £5 more than an actual TV licence. Lol.
 
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