TV Licence Super Thread

[SpellowHouse]

All pensioners WERE exempt from the TV licence fee until the scumbag BBC forced them to start paying again a few years back, with only those on pension credit being eligible to get it free.

Also agree with a non-essential service like the BBC not being wanted as yet another tax. If you don't use it you should not be required to pay for it, nor prove you don't need to. As others have said, make them fund themselves or die. They already own part of Channel 4 I believe so presumably make money from advertising there, and I'm sure they probably get advertising revenue elsewhere too. There's no reason they can't do that for the main BBC channels.

In fairness to the BBC this wasn't their fault. The payment for old-folks licences was made to the BBC by the government. The government sneakily decided to scrap the payment to the BBC, leaving a black hole in their yearly. Of course the BBC decided not to issue free licences any more.

Not that I am in favour of the licence continuing, I'm not. The BBC is just not good value for money. I've said it before, the government should reduce the licence by £30 a year and remove all rules for BBC funding, so they have to make the rest up by themselves.

 

[Finglonga]

That's how you get tv licence letters forever due to the property neither being licensed or declared not needing one

Just call the number and cancel it.

It's their money they are wasting, they want you to do that they can do one as I am not as why should I. Just had my latest letter with "Will you be in on the 9TH of December" on the front. Inside it says they may visit on the 9th, or any other day at any time. ..... They will not come, shame really as I will remove their right of access to the property when they come next time.

 

[IC3]

That's how you get tv licence letters forever due to the property neither being licensed or declared not needing one

Just call the number and cancel it.

It'll just go straight in the bin... I already receive so much junk mail that another one won't make a difference.

 

[Pottsey]

That's how you get tv licence letters forever due to the property neither being licensed or declared not needing one

Just call the number and cancel it.

That can back fire like it did with me and many others in this thread. For me all ringing the number did was allow them to personalise the threats and increase the harassment which at its worse was every week. Calling the number is a real gamble it might stop the letters for 2 years it might stop them for 1 year or 6 month or it might increase the threats from them. That's why so many people recommend you don't contact them.

 

[Hades]

That can back fire like it did with me and many others in this thread. For me all ringing the number did was allow them to personalise the threats and increase the harassment which at its worse was every week. Calling the number is a real gamble it might stop the letters for 2 years it might stop them for 1 year or 6 month or it might increase the threats from them. That's why so many people recommend you don't contact them.

After my experience cancelling this week I recomemend not contacting them and just cancelling the DD. I'll use the letters as free fire starters.

 

[Hotwired]

Letters? Visits? Harassment? Threats?

I get nothing but a straightforward request every year or two as an email, which I fill in, get acknowledgement and that's it. AND they have my name and address so these are all personalised and they're not lacking details.

They're not about to run out of money to endlessly send you letters once you're flagged as a suspect property and it's no special cost to have you marked for a visit.

Why set yourself up to spend the rest of your life seething over the inconvenience from not sorting it properly.

All I do is spend about a minute filling in the form and think nothing of it til the next year or two when they send another.

 

[steve5424]

Letters? Visits? Harassment? Threats?

I get nothing but a straightforward request every year or two as an email, which I fill in, get acknowledgement and that's it. AND they have my name and address so these are all personalised and they're not lacking details.

They're not about to run out of money to endlessly send you letters once you're flagged as a suspect property and it's no special cost to have you marked for a visit.

Why set yourself up to spend the rest of your life seething over the inconvenience from not sorting it properly.

All I do is spend about a minute filling in the form and think nothing of it til the next year or two when they send another.

Would the police constantly harass us as they were suspicious we committed a crime? Would any other company harass people just incase they may have used there services and want us to prove we didn't? Nope innocent till proven guilty. Not guilty unless proven innocent.

Licence and it's 'enforcers' are just at it and try to scare people in to paying even if they don't need to.

 

[Hotwired]

Would the police constantly harass us as they were suspicious we committed a crime? Would any other company harass people just incase they may have used there services and want us to prove we didn't? Nope innocent till proven guilty. Not guilty unless proven innocent.

Licence and it's 'enforcers' are just at it and try to scare people in to paying even if they don't need to.

And thus you spend the rest of your life seething over the inconvenience of not sorting it properly.

I have not paid for a licence for longer than this long and old thread has existed for and at no point have I thought twice about it. Or got any form of communication beyond a civil check via email that I still don't need one.

Yet the thread is full of angry people promoting not doing it properly... ?

 

[steve5424]

And thus you spend the rest of your life seething over the inconvenience of not sorting it properly.

I have not paid for a licence for longer than this long and old thread has existed for and at no point have I thought twice about it. Or got any form of communication beyond a civil check via email that I still don't need one.

Yet the thread is full of angry people promoting not doing it properly... ?

But you ain't getting it. No other company expects us to tell them or prove we don't use their service. The TVL is out of date and totally irrelevant. It needs modernised.

 

[Hotwired]

But you ain't getting it. No other company expects us to tell them or prove we don't use their service. The TVL is out of date and totally irrelevant. It needs modernised.

That's your flag to wave. I don't need to touch it. Make your own standalone post if you're not replying to what I said.

I'm presenting my experience of having zero drama after going through the process to list my property as not needing a licence and doing so for probably longer than anyone else in here.

 

[steve5424]

That's your flag to wave. I don't need to touch it. Make your own standalone post if you're not replying to what I said.

I'm presenting my experience of having zero drama after going through the process to list my property as not needing a licence and doing so for probably longer than anyone else in here.

I have no drama either. I'm just pointing out, why should an individual have to make contact with a company to tell them they don't use the service.

In normal situations you contact a company because you wnat to use their service and agree price and payment terms. Not have to contact them to tell them you don't want it.

 

[Hotwired]

I have no drama either. I'm just pointing out, why should an individual have to make contact with a company to tell them they don't use the service.

In normal situations you contact a company because you wnat to use their service and agree price and payment terms. Not have to contact them to tell them you don't want it.

I really doubt we're on the same ship here.

The licence fee is in many ways very similar to a tax. If you want an exemption from a tax you gotta say so and you gotta keep saying so each time they check up.

I put forward simplifying the the whole business, deleting all confusion and putting myself into a paying category by converting it to a tax in name and enforcement instead of a kinda sorta tax that in theory can't be enforced. But the reality is that heads of households and companies overwhelmingly pay the kinda sorta tax that has very weak enforcement so what do I know about efficient ways to obtain money from the public to fund the unique situation of the BBC

Before it heads there again, I'm not on board with anything that is a variation of *lets defund the BBC into a profit chasing skeleton*.

 

[Pottsey]

And thus you spend the rest of your life seething over the inconvenience of not sorting it properly.

I have not paid for a licence for longer than this long and old thread has existed for and at no point have I thought twice about it. Or got any form of communication beyond a civil check via email that I still don't need one.

Yet the thread is full of angry people promoting not doing it properly... ?

Can you please stop pretending its our fault. We did try to sort it properly and in doing so they treated us like criminals. We are not angry. We are saying we did it properly and ran into problems. Then over and over again people like you come in here and act like its all our fault.

The inconvenience came from trying to sort it properly.


"All I do is spend about a minute filling in the form and think nothing of it til the next year or two when they send another."
But what about when it doesn't work and makes the situation worse which has been reported time and time again? Hades was treated like a criminal when he attempted to do it properly and so was I. Filling out the form didn't stop the letters or up to weekly inspections. Well it did for the first 4 years but I think it was around year 5+ onwards they treated me like a criminal.

​

 

[Sho]

I've not had a visit from the TV goons Every letter goes in the bin.

Zero contact. Been like this since 2017/2018. Long may it continue.

 

[Hotwired]

Can you please stop pretending its our fault. We did try to sort it properly and in doing so they treated us like criminals. We are not angry. We are saying we did it properly and ran into problems. Then over and over again people like you come in here and act like its all our fault.

The inconvenience came from trying to sort it properly.


"All I do is spend about a minute filling in the form and think nothing of it til the next year or two when they send another."
But what about when it doesn't work and makes the situation worse which has been reported time and time again? Hades was treated like a criminal when he attempted to do it properly and so was I. Filling out the form didn't stop the letters or up to weekly inspections. Well it did for the first 4 years but I think it was around year 5+ onwards they treated me like a criminal.

​

Maybe I did get lucky for 10 years straight.

I can't think of anything better than cancelling the DD and head in the sand to get on the spam list and yet that's being promoted. I speculate that this sets one on the path to a chip on the shoulder forever about the matter.

 

[HACO]

I've not had a visit from the TV goons Every letter goes in the bin.

Zero contact. Been like this since 2017/2018. Long may it continue.

Neighbour keeps getting them. Now shuts the door as soon as they speak.

 

[Pottsey]

Maybe I did get lucky for 10 years straight.

I can't think of anything better than cancelling the DD and head in the sand to get on the spam list and yet that's being promoted. I speculate that this sets one on the path to a chip on the shoulder forever about the matter.

I didn't get on the spam list by cancelling the DD. I got on the spam list by filling out the form which you are promoting. As I filled out the form they had all my personal details and started doing hand written threats and personalise letter threats on top of generic letters with up to weekly inspections when it was at its worst which you don't get by cancelling the DD. I speculate you have your head in the sand and because it doesn't effect you act like the form works for everyone and its our fault. There is a long history of people in this thread and other places reporting problems with them. Yet you come in here with all your attitude acting like its our fault when its not remotely our fault.

 

[throwaway4372]

I have no drama either. I'm just pointing out, why should an individual have to make contact with a company to tell them they don't use the service.

In normal situations you contact a company because you wnat to use their service and agree price and payment terms. Not have to contact them to tell them you don't want it.

Yeah imagine...

HaI ThIs Is TeScO,
wE sUsPeCt YoU hAvE bEeN uSiNg OuR sErViCeS
oUr InSpEcToR wiLL vIsIt yOuR pRoPeRty To ChEcK yOuR cUpBoArDs
FiNaL wArN!

 

[Hotwired]

I didn't get on the spam list by cancelling the DD. I got on the spam list by filling out the form which you are promoting. As I filled out the form they had all my personal details and started doing hand written threats and personalise letter threats on top of generic letters with up to weekly inspections when it was at its worst which you don't get by cancelling the DD. I speculate you have your head in the sand and because it doesn't effect you act like the form works for everyone and its our fault. There is a long history of people in this thread and other places reporting problems with them. Yet you come in here with all your attitude acting like its our fault when its not remotely our fault.

This is a whinge thread, the literal thread starter sorted it now everyone whos got it cocked up posts here until they sort it or refuse to sort it so they'll be here... forever.

So when someone says ah, just **** it up on purpose, that's how to do it. And then complain about muh rights. Well... that sounds like a recruiting tactic for more thread participants.

 

[Pottsey]

This is a whinge thread, the literal thread starter sorted it now everyone whos got it cocked up posts here until they sort it or refuse to sort it so they'll be here... forever.

So when someone says ah, just **** it up on purpose, that's how to do it. And then complain about muh rights. Well... that sounds like a recruiting tactic for more thread participants.

That's where you are wrong. Its not a whinge thread. Its a thread for people who have have been harassed by them and have been treated like criminals despite doing nothing wrong. Then people like you get on a high horse and pretend its our fault and pretend its simple to fix when its not simple.

As for the people saying "just **** it up on purpose" by cancelling the DD often that's the safest method to use. Filling out the form is a gamble that just as often as it works it makes the situation worse. All the people like me that have gone though hell because we filled out the form are saying we will never fill out the form again and don't recommend others do for good reason. Not to pretends and whinge like you think.