TV Licence Super Thread
- Thread starter Ken
- Start date
We also had one of these "we missed you" letters through the door, complete with the name and ID of an "officer". Fortunately I was in at the time working in the office, but we have CCTV and I don't answer the door unless we're expecting a parcel - new build estate = we get a lot of cold callers!
The interesting part was that he worked for a meter reading company (I forget the name but I'm sure it was related to Morrisons as I ended up Googling it). He had the uniform on and drove the company car. Likewise with you, he didn't knock, just pushed the letter through the door and quickly ran away.
Pretty shady scare tactic.
So shady... my one worked for Morrison Data Services. He posted the letter, tapped on his little tablet for a bit and then walked off
So shady... my one worked for Morrison Data Services. He posted the letter, tapped on his little tablet for a bit and then walked off
Yep that's it - ours was the same company!
Soldato
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Why don't you do the right thing
and simply go to their website and state you don't need a licence?. That will stop the letters. Takes a few minutes at most.Annoying but I wanted to do my bit to save the trees and the other licence fee payers from footing the bill sending out all the stupid letters.
You can tell them when you expect to need a licence or can tick "not likely to". Then they'll just check up with your periodically, I think every 2 years if I remember the text from thewebsite when I did that.
I like having the TV on for a few mins before bedtime but now no longer even do that. Just renewed a Netflix account instead at the cheapest rate. Not paying £150 a year for something I hardly use and line the pockets of the "same old" faces
Why don't you do the right thing
Annoying but I wanted to do my bit to save the trees and the other licence fee payers from footing the bill sending out all the stupid letters
The trees being saved is irrelevant, I want them to suffer the wasted time.
Trees are easily replanted, you can’t get back the time printing, sending those worthless threats out though.
To think these cretins could be doing something far more interesting with their lives.
Soldato
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Ink, toner, chemicals
.The letters are automated mostly so cretins largely not involved.
I'm expecting a knock on the door at some point. Providing it's not flilthy outside they'll be welcome to come in and check my setup. if they get funny about anything, I'll tell them where to go however. Most inspectors will probably be fine
That’s not the right thing to do, won’t always stop the letters and at times make things worse. It also can cause a lot more time lost then just a few minutes. Its not as simple as you make out. Contacting them is like playing the lotto. You don't know what will happen, sometimes it stops the letters and sometimes it means they ramp up the campaign against you.Why don't you do the right thing
Soldato
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That's not the experience I've had in the past. I left a place empty and just told them via the online form that the property may require a licence in 6 or 8 months time and I received no more letters in the post until then. I did it again, and same again (no more letters).
It;s like road tax where you log in and then state that you will not being using x car on the road. That causes people to commit to the decision which I think is fair. If you don't tell them that you don't need a TV licence, they assume you do.
If you're not using the services then IMO what's the problem filling in an online form to state that?
They can't take out a campaign against you if you're indeed not watching the telly
. One could deem it harrassment.I may be wrong
but it feels to me people are having a problem confirming they don't need a licence because actually they're probably still using the services . Let them know, then don't use the telly. Can do all they want but if you're not using the services (innocent), who cares?
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Soldato
I feel like you haven't read this thread.
Soldato
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You don't have to read the entire thread to reply to and advise on certain posts.
I've been getting their letters to the occupier for 7 years.Ink, toner, chemicals
The letters are automated mostly so cretins largely not involved.
I'm expecting a knock on the door at some point. Providing it's not flilthy outside they'll be welcome to come in and check my setup. if they get funny about anything, I'll tell them where to go however. Most inspectors will probably be fine
They go in an automated cycle of ever increasing threats then goes back to the start again.
It's pretty laughable, If you genuinely don't need a tv license I would just ignore them and put the letters in the bin.
I would never let them in the house I've seen youtube videos where people did they brought the guy in to show the TV wasn't connected, the guy comes and plugs the cables in to the TV, starts tuning the channels
Like WTF the guy was clearly only watching DVDs or whatever, the TV inspector is basically setting up the TV so he can watch live broadcasts
There was another one where the BBC or whatever company altered the footage someone had recorded of one of the inspectors but they were caught out when the guy showed the judge the original footage showing there was errors in the timestamps on the BBCs evidence.
I can't find it on google right now though but they are certainly dodgy as hell
Associate
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but if you had read the entire thread you would have seen multiple replies from people who have done what you have suggested and still got letters sent to them weekly.
It only took them 11 months from me filling out the online form before they started again.
Now i bin the letters.
Even the new ones with the big cut out window saying in big red ink ''investigation started''
Considering how aggressive they can get and what I went though I very much do care. The advice you gave was given out by someone else and it caused me major problems by following it. If you have read the thread you would know contacting them is not always the right thing to do and can cause more problems. Knowing what I know now I would not let them in or given them any information.
You got lucky it’s not like your experience for everyone and it might not even last for you. Dealing with them is like gambling you never know what type of experience you will get. You might get the we will leave you alone for 2 years or you might get 6months or you might get we are going knock on your door weekly, video record though your windows and force our way into the house when you are out but children are in type experience.
"I may be wrong
but it feels to me people are having a problem confirming they don't need a licence because actually they're probably still using the services "You are very wrong.
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Soldato
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Fair enough. I'll see what happens with mine. I can only go on what has worked in the past for meConsidering how aggressive they can get and what I went though I very much do care. The advice you gave was given out by someone else and it caused me major problems by following it. If you have read the thread you would know contacting them is not always the right thing to do and can cause more problems. Knowing what I know now I would not let them in or given them any information.
You got lucky it’s not like your experience for everyone and it might not even last for you. Dealing with them is like gambling you never know what type of experience you will get. You might get the we will leave you alone for 2 years or you might get 6months or you might get we are going knock on your door weekly, video record though your windows and force our way into the house when you are out but children are in type experience.
"I may be wrong
You are very wrong.
. When I completed the online form this time it mentioned checking up in a while, think it was two years (should have screenshotted it). I don't mind completing the online form yearly if it comes to it. If they continue sending letters when not expected then I'll complain.If you've told them you don't need a licence and they're still getting aggressive then it does make me wonder if there's an harassment case there
.I had the red warning this time "Investigation started", hence why I did completed the online form.
Associate
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Incredulous that they are going to start charging to watch the back catalogue.
Soldato
No one mentioned making the back catalogue available did they? That'd be a substantial technical challenge.
All of it would be but they could pick some parts. Some of the back catalogue is already on Netflix so it cannot be that hard to convert it over to other systems.
Soldato
Signing up on their website to tell them that you don't need a licence doesn't save the BBC or licence payers money. I understand that Capita pay the BBC a set amount each year from what they collect and anything over Capita keeps. So really you are costing capita money and not the BBC/licence payers.
Associate
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Someone in this thread described how they have most of it on an in-house system already. Their staff can use it. Why not the People who fund the BBC?