TV Licence Super Thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ken
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There are stories that innocent people are asked to sign a piece of paper after inspection only to then be accused of dodging the TV fee so to be on the safe side I would rather lean to ignore their letters and refuse entry if they come in person and be done with it. Even if you can prove yourself to be innocent it still will take time and energy.

I myself made a mistake of trying to do the right thing, told them I do not need the licence on their website, then when I still kept receiving those infamous aggressive letters I called them to sort things out, obviously the person on the phone was utterly useless. So now I just occasionally receive those aggressive letters and sometimes they leave notes that they visited he property and nobody was in (they only try to visit when I am working and not at home). Makes me glad that they are wasting their time with those visits as I wasted time to make things right with them.
 
Droolinggimp said:
Or if you genuinely don't need a TVL, tell them they can come in and check. I did and guess what? The man said no it's ok. If people are just honest and have nothing to hide then you can be sure they won't even need to come in and check. The bloke I had was a nice enough chap and very polite and pleasant. He didn't get in my face and I didn't get in his. Crossed me off his list and since then I have had 2 or 3 letters just asking if my circumstances have changed, (he came about 3 years ago). They have not changed so I just spent a few minutes filling the form out online saying I don't need a TVL.

Simple, no hassle.
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so even tho you have broken no laws you still had to prove to a private company that your innocent, and then once a year confirm to them that your still innocent
 
Droolinggimp said:
Or if you genuinely don't need a TVL, tell them they can come in and check. I did and guess what? The man said no it's ok. If people are just honest and have nothing to hide then you can be sure they won't even need to come in and check. The bloke I had was a nice enough chap and very polite and pleasant. He didn't get in my face and I didn't get in his. Crossed me off his list and since then I have had 2 or 3 letters just asking if my circumstances have changed, (he came about 3 years ago). They have not changed so I just spent a few minutes filling the form out online saying I don't need a TVL.

Simple, no hassle.
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Accept for its not always simple and no hassle. If it was that easy for everyone without problems we wouldn't be on page 105 and going. While its clear some people go though the system ok others have nothing but problems while others like myself where ok for the first 3 ish years then ran into problems.
 
My TV license ran out 2 weeks ago. Have just had a letter from them telling me the usual rounds.

So I phoned them to enquire-reassure that I'm all good; I explained I don't watch any live/broadcast TV channel, the only TV programs I watch are from the likes of Netflix - and not BBC iPlayer programs. The guy was sound about it.

I have a TV but its not connected to any aerial, Virgin or satellite. Its only connected to my PC which I use to watch programs like Game of Thrones, Walking Dead etc, and youtube.
 
Droolinggimp said:
Or if you genuinely don't need a TVL, tell them they can come in and check. I did and guess what? The man said no it's ok. If people are just honest and have nothing to hide then you can be sure they won't even need to come in and check. The bloke I had was a nice enough chap and very polite and pleasant. He didn't get in my face and I didn't get in his. Crossed me off his list and since then I have had 2 or 3 letters just asking if my circumstances have changed, (he came about 3 years ago). They have not changed so I just spent a few minutes filling the form out online saying I don't need a TVL.

Simple, no hassle.
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You're one of the lucky ones.
As I've said elsewhere in this thread, I let one in & showed there was no tv. It was 2-3 months or something like that & the letter spam started all over again.
 
Had some bloke turn up from the mori poll ? cold call on doorstep thursday. he was canvassing the whole area though claimed I was one of the select few. Said I don't watch tv which didn't seem to stop his routine suggesting I was just the person that mori poll wanted info from...showed him the door at this point. Chap seemed very upset his last words being " what a great shame"
Was I too harsh on the chap?:p
 
ThriceNightly said:
Had some bloke turn up from the mori poll ? cold call on doorstep thursday. he was canvassing the whole area though claimed I was one of the select few. Said I don't watch tv which didn't seem to stop his routine suggesting I was just the person that mori poll wanted info from...showed him the door at this point. Chap seemed very upset his last words being " what a great shame"
Was I too harsh on the chap?:p
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Did they show ID from mori poll (never heard of that until today)?
Could be some runt from capita trying their luck.
 
ThriceNightly said:
Had some bloke turn up from the mori poll ? cold call on doorstep thursday. he was canvassing the whole area though claimed I was one of the select few. Said I don't watch tv which didn't seem to stop his routine suggesting I was just the person that mori poll wanted info from...showed him the door at this point. Chap seemed very upset his last words being " what a great shame"
Was I too harsh on the chap?:p
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IIRC the mori poll people often do TV research as a big part of some polls because the advertisers want to know what people are watching and think of the various broadcasters (as do the BBC and commercial broadcasters).
A few years back I did a few of the surveys and it wasn't uncommon for there to be a load of questions about how you rated the broadcasters for their content, reliability and news, and what you thought of them, the same for the newspapers.

I can actually see "non linear TV watcher" as being a distinct group in the polls now, as the likes of netflix and general catch up TV mean that some people don't watch live TV at all now, so the likes of the advertisers want to know what services they are using to better target the adverts for different demographics and products, same with "no TV at all" being of interest to the advertisers who are aiming adverts at the internet news and entertainment services.

In some says the more uncommon your viewing/news consumption habits the more interesting you are to the pollsters as a specific demographic (as they might have surveys that need that group but can't find many of them).
 
The Government has responded to the petition you signed – “Abolish the TV Licence”.

Government responded:

A licence is required to watch or receive television programmes and is not a fee for BBC services. The government will maintain the BBC funding model for the duration of this Charter period.

The new BBC Royal Charter came into effect in January 2017, following the Charter Review process, which was one of the biggest consultation exercises undertaken by government. This extensive process of consultation and evidence gathering included 192,000 consultation responses and engagement with over 300 organisations and experts.

We considered the question of funding during the BBC Charter Review process. While no funding model meets all the criteria of an ideal system, the current model provides the BBC with a sustainable core income paid by all households that watch or receive television. This model also has wider public support than any alternative - 60% of consultation responses indicated that no change was needed to the current licence fee model, and only 3% favoured full subscription funding. That is why we have committed to maintain the licence fee funding model for the BBC for the duration of this new 11 year Charter period.

The BBC has committed to consider whether elements of subscription have a role to play in its future funding, alongside the core licence fee model. It is for the BBC to set the scope of these plans, but the government expects that progress and success will be appropriately reviewed, to feed into the next Charter Review process.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
 
Seen that as I signed it and think it draconian BS, also received 2 letters in 7 days both of which went in the shredder without opening so a waste of licence payers money (think it was £6m in this thread).
 
Droolinggimp said:
If people are just honest and have nothing to hide then you can be sure they won't even need to come in and check.
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"I've got nothing to hide" is what allows the state to put cameras every where and watch every thing you do.
If everyone said to them "it's none of your ******* business", they would get the message and abolish the TVL completely.
 
stopper said:
"I've got nothing to hide" is what allows the state to put cameras every where and watch every thing you do.
If everyone said to them "it's none of your ******* business", they would get the message and abolish the TVL completely.
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Or simply follow in the footsteps of multiple other countries where you either have to sign a legal document that you don't watch TV (and then it's backed up by both perverting the course of justice/perjury or similar, and full on legal officers checking it out), require it if you simply own a TV, or bung it on your electricity bill or council tax.

Given the government has repeatedly looked at the TVL and funding the BBC and decided it was still needed those would be the likely results if too many people started playing the "I don't watch live TV;) ;)" game.
 
I registered as not needing a licence again about 6 months ago. Up until now I'd never had any bother but now have started receiving stuff through the door. Just registered again - looks like they're launching a new wave of paperwork after the iPlayer changes.

Hopefully should be the end of it, otherwise I'll be using further correspondence as toilet paper and mailing it back to them. :D
 
Narj said:
I registered as not needing a licence again about 6 months ago. Up until now I'd never had any bother but now have started receiving stuff through the door. Just registered again - looks like they're launching a new wave of paperwork after the iPlayer changes.

Hopefully should be the end of it, otherwise I'll be using further correspondence as toilet paper and mailing it back to them. :D
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Same. We had registered online as not needing one last year, we just received a letter and have registered again.
 
benjii said:
Same. We had registered online as not needing one last year, we just received a letter and have registered again.
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Odd thing is it's addressed to "present occupier" when they already have my details... guess it's a scattergun general thing.
 
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