TV Licence Super Thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ken
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I have declared online I don't need a license in October 2013 and still got the letters in the post. I did the online bit again and still got the letters in the post. I just binned them. Last year I got some very threatening letters and did the online thing again. Still got the letters. I have kept all the confirmation emails for the online declaration.

Just before xmas I got a letter in the post saying thank you for my online declaration form and it went on to say they would be in contact in 12 months to see if my situation has changed, Fair enough.

2 weeks ago I got a letter informing me an investigation has been set up to determine if I need a license or not. I will be expecting a visit from one of the TVL goons. I did the online dec form again that day, got email confirming it. 2 days after I got another letters threatening me with court action.

I also noted EVERY one of the letters was from a different part of the UK. Signed by different people with some being the same signatures.

I have not had a TVL since I moved in over 9 years ago. Yet they still deem it necessary to keep sending me these letters.

Yes. I have also been on that website that the blogger posted all his letter and has a multitude of information and I can say its pretty much spot on. The TVL are idiots.

Just now waiting for TVL good to knock on my door.

Very sad company indeed in my opinion. :(
 
I've always declared that I don't watch live TV or have the need for a license, and on one occasion I had a knock at the door out of the blue, I opened the door, he explained who he was etc... I said come in straight away, he put one foot over the threshold, then pulled back, I asked him in surprise, don't you want to see the TV etc.. He said no need, people pulling a scam wouldn't invite me in so fast, lol :D

But each visit I've had (roughly once every 3yrs) has been fine, they've looked around the set, saw no ariel connections and only DVDs and old videos and they were polite and fine, much easier than playing cat and mouse!
 
Kenai said:
You shouldn't need to ditch the TV, just get rid of the cable to the aerial socket so it's obvious enough you only have devices connected, though if you don't use it for anything then it would be easier to get rid entirely I suppose and give someone else the benefit of it
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That, and if he wanted to be really safe he could put a bit of tape over the socket on the wall or something.
 
Space Monkey said:
I've always declared that I don't watch live TV or have the need for a license, and on one occasion I had a knock at the door out of the blue, I opened the door, he explained who he was etc... I said come in straight away, he put one foot over the threshold, then pulled back, I asked him in surprise, don't you want to see the TV etc.. He said no need, people pulling a scam wouldn't invite me in so fast, lol :D

But each visit I've had (roughly once every 3yrs) has been fine, they've looked around the set, saw no ariel connections and only DVDs and old videos and they were polite and fine, much easier than playing cat and mouse!
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That's the thing that gets me, it seems that most of the people that have a lot of trouble with the evil TVL thugs are the people that refuse to let them know they don't watch TV (and then complain about the letters), or deliberately make life difficult for themselves and everyone else.
 
I find its easier to just not to answer the door and bin the letters. If you give them your name you are setting up a contract with a private company. by giving them your name it won't stop them wanting to search your house. They will want to do it as now they will want to "confirm" your claim that you don't have a tv. If you are prepared to do that, then you might as well wait till they come around and let them search your house. If you are not prepared to have your house search by the tv gestapo then don't give them your name.

I think there is a big security risk with allowing tv license to walk around knocking on doors and searching houses. Its a perfect job for a predator.
 
Similar to a poster above, did the online declaration, still get the threatening letters. They now get ripped up and recycled straight away, same as any junk mail. If they bother to send anyone, I shall be denying them access as we don't deal with door to door salesmen, which is what they are.
 
I've gone without TV at various times

the online form should stop the silly letters, they are amusing more than anything though I could see how they might be 'harassing' for some older people

de-tune the TV as suggested and get rid of the ariel cable

you're not actually obliged to let them in but it will probably stop further visits for a few years if you do, make the guy take his shoes off, show him to lounge and present TV with only a HDMI cable in connected to an AMP... he'll then go away and you'll hear nothing from them for years

alternatively you can ignore them, most of the time they'll probably try to visit when you're at work anyway - if you don't want them to come in you can politely say no thanks and ask them to go away - if for some reason they don't then get your camera phone out, they'll likely go away then
 
Mynight said:
My mate doesn't have a license as he doesn't watch TV live. I was there when they paid him a visit and he just looked at the TV saw it was connected to a laptop and ps4 only and asked if he watched iplayer live, mate says no. Tv license guy says well we will know if you do so no worries and then gave him a document to sign and off he went.

I'm calling bull on the we will know bit but I guess it's possible.
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Well he asked him if he did, so that tells you everything you need to know about whether they do actually know or not. :p
 
You just say to the TVL goon at the door that you do not require a licence and then close the door.

Oh, and if the goon hands you document to sign, never sign it!
 
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spoffle said:
Well he asked him if he did, so that tells you everything you need to know about whether they do actually know or not. :p
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exactly

next thing they'll be claiming they have vans that can detect whether you're watching TV.... but for some reason they still need to knock on your door and ask to come in
 
Strife212 said:
Took 19 posts until the Freeman of the Land stuff showed up, I'm disappointed.
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That isn't freeman of the land stuff. It's simply a method you can use to stop certain parties making use of the implied right of access to your property.

You could do it for the postman/postwoman as they come to your property on similar terms (implied right of access).

If someone doesn't want to be contacted by the TVL for any reason in person, I don't see a problem with them doing that. I don't even see a problem with people who do it but still watch TV, simply because I think the TV license is ludicrous.

I don't have a TV license, but I also don't watch live TV. I haven't had any trouble from the TVL, so I haven't felt the need to withdraw the TVL's implied right of access. However if they did start knocking and didn't accept my statements then I'd do so.

I could have course let them in, but I shouldn't have to let a stranger in my home to snoop around to make sure I'm keeping to my word.

But as I've said, I've never had any trouble with them and they have just accepted that we don't watch TV, I just don't doubt that some people have unjustified hassle from them. I suspect it's more about where you live, and that they're more likely to harrass or hassle homes in low or lower demographic areas.

Werewolf said:
That, and if he wanted to be really safe he could put a bit of tape over the socket on the wall or something.
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You don't have to do anything. You can have your TV connected up to the aerial, with it actually tuned in to channels and it means nothing. It's simply a matter of whether you actually watch a live broadcast or not. Anything else is irrelevant.

Werewolf said:
That's the thing that gets me, it seems that most of the people that have a lot of trouble with the evil TVL thugs are the people that refuse to let them know they don't watch TV (and then complain about the letters), or deliberately make life difficult for themselves and everyone else.
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It's a hard thing to really say, I find some of the videos entertaining, but the one thing I do notice is that they seem to take place predominantly in lower demographic areas, and I assume the thinking is that people who live in such areas are going to be more likely to want to avoid having to pay it to save money.

As I said above, I've never had any troubles with them, I don't even recall ever having been visited by them. But if they were to come knocking, I wouldn't be letting them in, which is of course my right with my home.
 
Spook187 said:
So many tv Licence dodgers on these forums :eek:
Anyway why don't the bbc just encrypt the tv licence and iplayer, don't pay you don't get simple:)
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I don't know why anyone bothers, there's nothing worth watching anyway.

I haven't had license for a few years now and I don't even miss live TV. Anything I watch is on demand anyway. Having to actually wait for stuff to broadcast at specific time and then only watching it then seems so strange and antiquated.
 
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