TV Licence Super Thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ken
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I have the fear it will be bundled into general tax eventually . Then it will just bloat even more as you have no say/visibility of the cost.
It will die otherwise and its likely seen by the government is too big to fail..


That pension black hole!

I hope I'm wrong and it dies
 
I'd rather they separate out the services. Even when I used the aerial I mostly watched the channels with adverts. Isn't the TV licence really for the BBC only? Seems wrong to need a licence if using any terrestrial broadcast channels.
It's a dated service.
Must admit when I completed the online form they didn't have straight easy questions that everyone would understand. For example, there was no checkbox for anything like "I use online services only such as netflix", it was worded differently.
 
I pay my licence fee as I do watch live TV and overall they do produce some fantastic shows and comedies etc, despite the odd examples of blatant bias and social engineering.

SpeedFreak said:
It's a letter where you declare that you don't use the service, possibly one visit and then a reconfirmation every two years. While inconvenient it is not a great hardship.
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I have a different experience. My nana passed away and her estate was in probate for a year. During that time, despite the BBC being informed of her death, we received monthly threatening letters for non-payment of the fee that escalated in quite nasty threatening language (and poor spelling) each time. I caught an inspector snooping round the empty property twice in that year, much to his embarassment.
 
If they are going off looking around the property then they are trespassing. Right of access only gives someone permission to go and knock on the front door, not go exploring if they don't get an answer.
 
I got rid of the license about 6 months ago by filling in the online form and I haven't heard anything since. We use Netflix and prime which is so vastly superior we'll never go back to broadcast TV.

If someone turns up wanting to check I have no problem showing them, it's only like having your meter read... (I suspect that most of the moaners do watch at least some live TV and are simply trying their luck, if this isn't the case just spend 30 seconds filling the website in and experience a hassle free life)
 
Don't you have to prove that your setup cannot physically receive broadcast TV, not just that "I don't watch it, honest gov." If so I can see why someone wouldn't want to show them around, even if they are complying with the spirit of the law.
 
Luckystrike123 said:
I got rid of the license about 6 months ago by filling in the online form and I haven't heard anything since. We use Netflix and prime which is so vastly superior we'll never go back to broadcast TV.

If someone turns up wanting to check I have no problem showing them, it's only like having your meter read... (I suspect that most of the moaners do watch at least some live TV and are simply trying their luck, if this isn't the case just spend 30 seconds filling the website in and experience a hassle free life)
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You suspect wrong and its not always anything at all like just having your meter read. Its rather naïve to say its just a simple 30 seconds form and hassle free. If that was true there wouldn't be so many people reporting so many problems and those problems are not because we are trying our luck and watching live TV.
 
Pottsey said:
You suspect wrong and its not always anything at all like just having your meter read. Its rather naïve to say its just a simple 30 seconds form and hassle free. If that was true there wouldn't be so many people reporting so many problems and those problems are not because we are trying our luck and watching live TV.
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Can you give examples of these problems? Before cancelling my license I did a bit of YouTube research and found that any issues encountered were with people being unneccassily confrontational and/or were clearly trying to cheat the system.

Anyway if/when someone turns up I'll report back here with my experience.
 
Luckystrike123 said:
Can you give examples of these problems? Before cancelling my license I did a bit of YouTube research and found that any issues encountered were with people being unneccassily confrontational and/or were clearly trying to cheat the system.

Anyway if/when someone turns up I'll report back here with my experience.
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The first year 1+ was fine the first two inspectors I was friendly towards and let them a look around as I have never owned a TV in my life and BBC is blocked on my network so I cannot even accidently go on. They know I don’t have a TV but for some reason after a while they decided to stop believing me.

They started to trespass, sent weekly threats and hand written notes though the door. They walked around my home all times of day and night looking through windows and more. I was never once confrontational or trying to cheat the system yet they kept getting more and more aggressive. Hence why I had to go down the route of withdrawing all rights of access they are now not allowed near my home.

Thecaferacer just 2 posts before you posted said he had a bad experience having reported a death with his nana passing away. They responded to that news by sending threatening letters and where caught trespassing and snooping around.

Lots of other people have reported the same thing and worse in this thread and other locations. They have even been caught video recording though people’s windows and illegally entering buildings. They have a bad reputation for a reason and its not because people are being confrontational or trying to cheat the system. Also many of those that are being confrontational are because they have been pushed to the edge by the aggressive goons.
 
Luckystrike123 said:
Can you give examples of these problems? Before cancelling my license I did a bit of YouTube research and found that any issues encountered were with people being unneccassily confrontational and/or were clearly trying to cheat the system.

Anyway if/when someone turns up I'll report back here with my experience.
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Well there was the scummy interview that the Daily Fail did:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2jVgO-Id2U

They call convicting people sales! lol
 
lnoton said:
Guys just doing his job? Why not let him in and offer them a cuppa tea whilst he is doing their check?

she isn't a hardened criminal, just a person making a living. Admittedly there are more interesting jobs.
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If it's a she I can let her in, whilst I am playing some series on netflix and show them I'm not watching mainstream channels in my spare time
 
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Luckystrike123 said:
Can you give examples of these problems? Before cancelling my license I did a bit of YouTube research and found that any issues encountered were with people being unneccassily confrontational and/or were clearly trying to cheat the system.

Anyway if/when someone turns up I'll report back here with my experience.
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You can own a TV but if you are proven to have an 'active' connection for example, a cable going to the TV from the Arial or you are caught watching BBC iPlayer without a license is where the problem is. They are not allowed to bully or harass you to get into the property though.
 
Pottsey said:
The first year 1+ was fine the first two inspectors I was friendly towards and let them a look around as I have never owned a TV in my life and BBC is blocked on my network so I cannot even accidently go on. They know I don’t have a TV but for some reason after a while they decided to stop believing me.

They started to trespass, sent weekly threats and hand written notes though the door. They walked around my home all times of day and night looking through windows and more. I was never once confrontational or trying to cheat the system yet they kept getting more and more aggressive. Hence why I had to go down the route of withdrawing all rights of access they are now not allowed near my home.

Thecaferacer just 2 posts before you posted said he had a bad experience having reported a death with his nana passing away. They responded to that news by sending threatening letters and where caught trespassing and snooping around.

Lots of other people have reported the same thing and worse in this thread and other locations. They have even been caught video recording though people’s windows and illegally entering buildings. They have a bad reputation for a reason and its not because people are being confrontational or trying to cheat the system. Also many of those that are being confrontational are because they have been pushed to the edge by the aggressive goons.
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I have to say also, that this isn't the first time I've heard stories of this nature, and that's the reason why I won't be responding to them and I won't ever answer the door to them.

At the moment I'm getting a letter every month or so, and they go straight in the cardboard bin :p
 
Vargas said:
This is how you do it. The last couple minutes of this is brilliant :D

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Yes it is a great video so much wrong in it as well with that copper... hear him at the very start walking up to the window and saying ''we are here today with ''colleagues'' from tv licence....

They are not his colleagues.. they have nothing to do with him.. in fact he should not even have the paperwork in his hand. he should be standing at the gate observing and keeping his mouth shut.. the only reason he is there is to prevent a breach of the peace not help his ''colleagues'' in gaining entry. could excuse it if it was just an ordinary plod but this guy is a sargent and should know better. It is a civil matter not criminal so he should just give the paperwork back and clear off to the gate..

The other realy funny part is the grey haired guy at the end. anyone recognise him... Doesn't he look at lot like Tv license guy Ian Doyle that was caught in a daily mail expose a while back telling new recruits how they have to bully people into getting convictions to earn there bonus. have a look at the you tube link see if you thinks it's him

https://youtu.be/w3eL4I5F-zo
 
Rincewindle said:
Yes it is a great video so much wrong in it as well with that copper... hear him at the very start walking up to the window and saying ''we are here today with ''colleagues'' from tv licence....

They are not his colleagues.. they have nothing to do with him.. in fact he should not even have the paperwork in his hand. he should be standing at the gate observing and keeping his mouth shut.. the only reason he is there is to prevent a breach of the peace not help his ''colleagues'' in gaining entry. could excuse it if it was just an ordinary plod but this guy is a sargent and should know better. It is a civil matter not criminal so he should just give the paperwork back and clear off to the gate..

The other realy funny part is the grey haired guy at the end. anyone recognise him... Doesn't he look at lot like Tv license guy Ian Doyle that was caught in a daily mail expose a while back telling new recruits how they have to bully people into getting convictions to earn there bonus. have a look at the you tube link see if you thinks it's him

https://youtu.be/w3eL4I5F-zo
Click to expand...

Looks like the same lying goon although they all look haggard doing that crap job.
 
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