TV Licence Super Thread

[humbug]

I honestly don't get how people get so upset? If you don't watch broadcast TV then tell them so and move on with your life. It's not difficult yet some people get in such a tizzy about it all.

Its the principle of it, if i don't watch SkyTV i'm not forced to pay for it, if i do i have to pay the BBC too even if i don't watch any of their crap channels.

Its like me injecting my services into your Car Insurance and charging you for it under the threat of penalty if you don't, this is illegal.

 

[MissChief]

Its the principal of it, if i don't watch SkyTV i'm not farced to pay for it, if i do i have to pay the BBC too even if i don't watch any of their crap channels.

Its like me injecting my services into your Car Insurance and charging you for it under the threat of penalty if you don't, this is illegal.

There are many, many examples of taxes and charges for services that you don't use. Council taxes are used for many things as are national insurance, road fund licence and income tax, many of which you will never use. So why don't people get so worked up about the TV licence?

 

[humbug]

There are many, many examples of taxes and charges for services that you don't use. Council taxes are used for many things as are national insurance, road fund licence and income tax, many of which you will never use. So why don't people get so worked up about the TV licence?

Straw argument, everyone benefits in some form or another from 'for example' Council Tax, it pays for emergency services and area hygiene.

The BBC are not a national infrastructure, its an entertainment service, and yet somehow its managed to hold on to its archaic doctrine as a critical public service as if its 1923 and we all still need to be told how we are not to cross the road without looking first left, then right.

 

[wedrum]

I moved house 2 months ago.
The other day I got the letter will you be in on such a date as an inspector is coming.

 

[b00merang69]

How many times does it need be said in this thread that even if you tell them they pester you again and not always waiting till the period they are supposed to (think it is 2 years), you can get letters in a little as 6 months.

I paid it for 18 years and the last 2 of those I did not even watch TV so I have not paid the past 7 years and probably will never again, not had a letter in a long time now but have had tons and 2 visits both of which I told politely to go away.

I have no obligation to contact the BBC to say i am not longer using their services as or let them in my house to prove this.

 

[Malevolence]

I honestly don't get how people get so upset? If you don't watch broadcast TV then tell them so and move on with your life. It's not difficult yet some people get in such a tizzy about it all.

That's part of the problem though. People do tell them that they don't need a licence and yet they basically assume that they're lying and still chase them and send out their laughable 'threatening' letters.

 

[Pottsey]

I honestly don't get how people get so upset? If you don't watch broadcast TV then tell them so and move on with your life. It's not difficult yet some people get in such a tizzy about it all.

That's because you are completely wrong and I am fed-up of people saying that rubbish.

 

[vanandjuanunited]

Despite telling them 4 times I don't need a licence i still get letters every month. At the start I used to get annoyed now they go straight in the bin. If they want to waste their money so be it

 

[Pottsey]

It’s like dashcammers, they’d rather create drama from it unnecessarily.

More rubbish its not creating drama its real problems we expreince and its not our fault or drama created unnecessarily.

 

[MissChief]

That's part of the problem though. People do tell them that they don't need a licence and yet they basically assume that they're lying and still chase them and send out their laughable 'threatening' letters.

Because a great many people say they don't need one but watch broadcast TV all the time. As usual the few spoil it for the many.

 

[b00merang69]

Still no excuse, you can say the same about driving a car without the legal documents or road tax and insurance but the police/DVLA do not come round to peoples homes to check they no longer have a car hiding in the garage and take it out at night for a spin to the 24 hour ADSA as they owned one legally years ago.

If you want to pay the Jimmy Savile Tax be my guest.

 

[MissChief]

Still no excuse, you can say the same about driving a car without the legal documents or road tax and insurance but the police/DVLA do not come round to peoples homes to check they no longer have a car hiding in the garage and take it out at night for a spin to the 24 hour ADSA as they owned one legally years ago.

If you want to pay the Jimmy Savile Tax be my guest.

True the DVLA or the police don't come to your house but then your car is seen on the roads where there is enforcement to check. The fact your TV stays at home means they need to come to your home to check? Sure the BBC paid Jimmy Saville. Other TV stations have paid despicable people as well. Netflix paid Kevin Spacey handsomely for his role in House of Cards despite his antics for example.

 

[b00merang69]

It was a guide not the best I know but back on topic the BBC have no right to assume I watch or record live TV and have no right to come to my home and the police will not do so on their behalf as its a civil matter.

You can dress it up any want you want but at the end of the day I am in the right both morally and legally.

You should get a sandwich board with "Pay your TV license" on it and walk about town.

 

[MissChief]

It was a guide not the best I know but back on topic the BBC have no right to assume I watch or record live TV and have no right to come to my home and the police will not do so on their behalf as its a civil matter.

You can dress it up any want you want but at the end of the day I am in the right both morally and legally.

You should get a sandwich board with "Pay your TV license" on it and walk about town.

Morally? That's debatable. Legally? No. if you watch broadcast TV of any sort then you need a TV Licence and while the Police won't come to your house and arrest you you CAN be taken to court.

They have a right, as that's part of their licence fee to enforce and investigate TV licence evasion. Like I said, tell them you don't watch Live broadcast TV and they'll stop bothering you for a while. Then you tell them again a few years later. If they come to your door you don't need to let them in of course, but not doing so could lead to suspicion. It's far easier to let them in and prove to them you don't watch Live Broadcast TV. Unless, of course you do, and don't want to pay the TV licence?

I'm very happy to pay my TV licence for all the content I get on the BBC, advert free. And the advert free radio stations like Radio 5. There are a few issues I do have though. The sheer number of Local English radio stations (40!) there are when we have 1. Radio Scotland. Radio Scotland covers an area massively bigger than every local BBC station in England and I'd like to see the number of 'local' stations brought down. And celebrity pay is too high in some situations as well as men getting paid more than women for the same role.

 

[b00merang69]

Morally 100% in that no way are the BBC coming to my home as I DO NOT watch or record live TV , how many times do people in this thread need to tell you that?

I already told them before and told you above and it still does not matter they still pester people and at the end of the day I have no moral or legal obligation to do so.

You are making out anyone who does not contact them or let them in their home is a liar and basically a thief also maybe you have a guilty conscience yourself and everything you say is lie and you watching TV without a license so touche.

You really are clueless and getting my goat with this bone you will not let go off so I am not going to respond to you in this thread again.

 

[Basher]

Because a great many people say they don't need one but watch broadcast TV all the time. As usual the few spoil it for the many.

Hit the nail on the head, here.

 

[robj20]

Got another letter yesterday saying an officer will be visiting me.
The wording is strange quick read seems like he's going to arrest me, but lots of words such as "may" "can".
The scare tactics are pathetic government should really deal with it. I've done nothing wrong other than not repeatedly tell them I don't need a licence, told them once but they're not happy with that.

 

[Pottsey]

They have a right, as that's part of their licence fee to enforce and investigate TV licence evasion. Like I said, tell them you don't watch Live broadcast TV and they'll stop bothering you for a while. Then you tell them again a few years later. If they come to your door you don't need to let them in of course, but not doing so could lead to suspicion. It's far easier to let them in and prove to them you don't watch Live Broadcast TV. Unless, of course you do, and don't want to pay the TV licence?

Stop being naïve like its been said multiple times in this thread it doesn’t always work like that. So you let them in and are friendly with the 1st inspector, then the 2nd then the 3rd and they still don’t believe you. So they step up the pressure coming around your home weekly or more, leaving hand written threats though the door, some will then start video filming though your home window, others will force there foot in the door so you cannot shut it, forcing there way into the home when children are in and no adults and worse than above has happened. They have been caught doing all this and more and I have experienced some of it.

The harassment I had from them was so bad I had to go down the route of removing all rights of access to my home and land so they could no longer cause harassment. Its not just a simple case of tell them and let the inspector in.

Its not rare event either as there are many reports of people telling them they don't need a licence only for them to forgot or not believe you. Just look how many people in this thread have said the same. Plus given the amount of data breaches big companies have had why should we allow an entertainment company we have no products with have our personal information like home address, phone number, email, name and more as that's an added security risk.


“They have a right, as that's part of their licence fee to enforce and investigate TV licence evasion.”
How would you feel if Google, Microsoft and 100+ other companies all came around your home to check you don’t have a product of there’s without a licence? That would be 2 inspector a week from different companies all year around every year. Why should the TV people be a special case?

Hit the nail on the head, here.

No that is wrong just like your post about creating unnecessarily drama. More people correctly don't have a licence then incorrectly don't have a licence. That doesn't give them the right to treat the vast amount of correctly unlicensed people as being liar and thief's when they are doing nothing wrong.

 

[Nasher]

Their performance is measured on how many people they "catch", so ofc you are going to get pushy (and illegal) behaviour. A bit like like salesmen.

These days dont give companies anything unless you really have to. The more people you give data to the more chance it has of being stolen or missused.

 

[LuckyBenski]

Their performance is measured on how many people they "catch", so ofc you are going to get pushy (and illegal) behaviour. A bit like like salesmen.

These days dont give companies anything unless you really have to. The more people you give data to the more chance it has of being stolen or missused.

Indeed. And we should note that the inspections are done by Capita, not the BBC, hence incentives on how many people are punished and underhand tactics.