TV Licensing Letter

Burnsy2023 · 8 Sep 2015 at 09:42

el_dazza said:
BBC's policy is not to force entry anyway. As long as you know your stuff then they wouldn't get in. There are thousands of videos of TVL turning up with 'warrants' and made to look rather silly and sent packing.

I can't really comment on what their policy is, only what powers they have.

el_dazza said:
Thought the police weren't allowed to get involved in civil matters? They deal with criminal law don't they?

This is a criminal matter.

robj20 · 8 Sep 2015 at 09:49

BigglesPiP said:
I just go with "please leave", done so twice at two different flats, both of them were polite and left.

I pay for netflix, the occasional Sky F1 race on Now TV, and I Patreon a bunch of Youtube channels. If The BBC started charging for the few things I watch via iPlayer I'd probably pay if it didn't involve subscribing to everything and wasn't too expensive.

Is the Sky F1 race live, i thought Now TV was a live based service?

I dont pay but only use Amazon Prime and the catch up services.

glenimp617 · 8 Sep 2015 at 09:52

robj20 said:
Is the Sky F1 race live, i thought Now TV was a live based service?

I dont pay but only use Amazon Prime and the catch up services.

Yep, he is breaking the law

The TV licence covers ANY live broadcast (not just ones from the BBC)

If you watch live Sky TV (either through the box, sky go, now tv) you need a TV licence

Now I'm not sure what the implications would be, if you recorded the first five minutes first and then started watching it as technically you are not watching live TV

Basher · 8 Sep 2015 at 09:54

glen8 said:
Yep, he is breaking the law

The TV licence covers ANY live broadcast (not just ones from the BBC)

If you watch live Sky TV (either through the box, sky go, now tv) you need a TV licence

Now I'm not sure what the implications would be, if you recorded the first five minutes first and then started watching it as technically you are not watching live TV

It is live. He should have a TV License.

glenimp617 · 8 Sep 2015 at 09:54

Yes I remember now

The licence covers for both watching and recording live TV

Playing devils advocate here, what about buffering?

If you had a server with a huge amount of RAM and could buffer the stream into volatile memory first, would that be breaking the law?

You are neither watching, nor recording live TV

Jim99 · 8 Sep 2015 at 09:59

glen8 said:
Yes I remember now

The licence covers for both watching and recording live TV

Playing devils advocate here, what about buffering?

If you had a server with a huge amount of RAM and could buffer the stream into volatile memory first, would that be breaking the law?

You are neither watching, nor recording live TV

It's still recording though, isn't it?

Your argument is about transmitting it to volatile memory rather than non-volatile, and I doubt a court would care much for the distinction.

Brenn47 · 8 Sep 2015 at 09:59

el_dazza said:
BBC's policy is not to force entry anyway. As long as you know your stuff then they wouldn't get in. There are thousands of videos of TVL turning up with 'warrants' and made to look rather silly and sent packing.

There isn't thousands, search warrants are extremely rare and only used for trouble makers who cause the TVL problems like sticking videos on YouTube of them telling the TVL officers to "sod off" or the idiots who start banging on about being a Freeman of the Land rubbish.

glenimp617 · 8 Sep 2015 at 10:01

Jim99 said:
It's still recording though, isn't it?

Your argument is about transmitting it to volatile memory rather than non-volatile, and I doubt a court would care much for the distinction.

That's the key difference, you are not recording it. If the server powers down the buffer is lost.

I guess it's the definition of 'recording'

I suppose the law should change to "accessing any live TV broadcast" but then any device capable of receiving a signal no matter if it's being used or not would require a licence

If you have a TV sat in the loft for example, would then require the licence fee to be paid

Think in this ever changing digital age, the licence fee needs to change with it

Dup · 8 Sep 2015 at 10:04

They send these letters to my empty property. I called them, told them it's empty so they said they would not send them for a month... Aa month...

What do they do, spam you and guilt you into paying?

I have no issue of course. The house is empty. They're welcome to try find any kind of TV and recording device. But nobody will be in.

el_dazza · 8 Sep 2015 at 10:09

Brenn47 said:
There isn't thousands, search warrants are extremely rare and only used for trouble makers who cause the TVL problems like sticking videos on YouTube of them telling the TVL officers to "sod off" or the idiots who start banging on about being a Freeman of the Land rubbish.

I've watched quite a lot of videos like that and they're an interesting watch. You do get the odd 'sod off' one but if someone explains enough then they'll go away. I pay my bills so I'm not one of that brigade btw, it's just an interesting take on those that stand up for themselves.

MrMoonX · 8 Sep 2015 at 10:25

whilst burnsy is acting like a lawyer, he's a copper so will just do what he's told by the sgt, but anyway don't you agree burnsy that the police have better things to do with their time and that they should just de-criminalise the bbc tax?

some police forces refuse to do welfare visits or search for children at risk of CSE. The police will put a door in for TVL just shows the governments priorities and the fact that the police are there for the protection of the establishment and nothing else

fatiain · 8 Sep 2015 at 10:28

MrMoonX said:
whilst burnsy is acting like a lawyer, he's a copper so will just do what he's told by the sgt, but anyway don't you agree burnsy that the police have better things to do with their time and that they should just de-criminalise the bbc tax?

some police forces refuse to do welfare visits or search for children at risk of CSE. The police will put a door in for TVL just shows the governments priorities and the fact that the police are there for the protection of the establishment and nothing else

TVP have never put a door in for TVL in the past 8 years I've been working for them.

Burnsy2023 · 8 Sep 2015 at 10:35

MrMoonX said:
whilst burnsy is acting like a lawyer, he's a copper so will just do what he's told by the sgt, but anyway don't you agree burnsy that the police have better things to do with their time and that they should just de-criminalise the bbc tax?

Enforcement of other taxes are still criminal offences; council tax for example so I don't see why this should be different. If you're asking my opinion, I think the TV Licence should be just amalgamated into other taxes and paid by everyone.

MrMoonX said:
some police forces refuse to do welfare visits or search for children at risk of CSE.

*Sigh* We both know the reality is much more complicated than that.

MrMoonX said:
The police will put a door in for TVL just shows the governments priorities and the fact that the police are there for the protection of the establishment and nothing else

The Police are servants of the Crown and act on behalf of the courts. If the court has issued as search warrant than that's why police assist just like any other criminal search warrant.

Burnsy2023 · 8 Sep 2015 at 10:36

fatiain said:
TVP have never put a door in for TVL in the past 8 years I've been working for them.

That's likely due to the very small numbers of warrants issued under the communications act. It's an incredibly rare occurrence for them to be issued.

GSXR Gaz Mc · 8 Sep 2015 at 10:42

Burnsy2023 said:
I think the TV Licence should be just amalgamated into other taxes and paid by everyone.

the bbc should just goto adverts and let the fat cat companies adverts pay for it just like every other channel

simple

fatiain · 8 Sep 2015 at 10:45

Burnsy2023 said:
That's likely due to the very small numbers of warrants issued under the communications act. It's an incredibly rare occurrence for them to be issued.

They have done several welfare checks for CSE victims though.

glenimp617 · 8 Sep 2015 at 10:47

What confuses me, and maybe someone here could explain it, is that this is a fee from the BBC

yet, you need it for watching sky? eh

so if you only watch sky, and never the bbc, you still need to pay a fee for the bbc?

MrMoonX · 8 Sep 2015 at 10:48

Burnsy2023 said:
Enforcement of other taxes are still criminal offences; council tax for example so I don't see why this should be different. If you're asking my opinion, I think the TV Licence should be just amalgamated into other taxes and paid by everyone.

*Sigh* We both know the reality is much more complicated than that.

The Police are servants of the Crown and act on behalf of the courts. If the court has issued as search warrant than that's why police assist just like any other criminal search warrant.

yes the reality is the cuts to police forces is hampering everything, but until the police grow a set and turn round to their masters and say enough is enough, they will continue to get whipped.

I pay TVL, but the point is it shouldn't be a criminal offence, the police don't get involved in council tax either.

MooMoo444 · 8 Sep 2015 at 10:53

I'd like to think if it was a mandatory fee, then they would have more people paying and therefore could reduce the cost of it, but hah - like that would ever happen. They would just charge the same if not more.

ubern00b · 8 Sep 2015 at 11:00

To everyone saying "let them know, it takes 2 sec" or "let them in to confirm and you will not hear from them again". You all fail at reading comprehension.

I have stated numerous times that I have done EXACTLY THIS. Other posters here have also said the same. It does not stop the letters, it may do for a period of time but then they start again. I refuse to have to justify myself every 6 months.

The sole purpose of this thread was to ask the questions I did, clarifying if they can indeed get a search warrant etc. I did not think it was something they could do. They love their scare tactics which is exactly how they got my father to pay when he was staying with me for a period of time. I was fuming.