TV Licensing grrrrrrrrrrrr

[tigersaw]

Originally Posted by ethariel

Detector vans, oh dear, if only the technology (short of RFID chipping every set) existed to detect one ever existed. They were advertised to 'scare' people into getting a licence. Having worked for the BBC in the past, they do assume that every address has a TV in it abd anyone stating otherwise is either a liar or mad.

It used to exist, when every TV had a 16 Khz line oscillator and an intermediate frequency within the tuner, but now TV's just have clocks, same as PC's.
Most of the vans were dummies, just to 'scare' people as you say.

[Stu]

The new 'van' out there is from the DVLA, for car tax.
I saw a transit van cruising the streets outside my house with an ANPR camera at each corner to check all the cars parked on the street. They were being very thorough!

I've seen them parked at the side of the road before checking traffic plenty of times, but actively checking parked cars was a new one on me.

[madcockney]

Originally Posted by lynw

When I moved back to the UK from Australia 5 years ago I stayed with a friend who had Sky. During the 2 months it took for me to buy a place and move out from there I found I only ever watched about 2 channels so didn't bother with a tv.

And haven't bothered with one since. Every time I stay in a hotel and watch UK tv the more Im convinced Im a lot happier without one. I have my books, my study, my internet and my bike. So, I started getting the letters from TV licensing and duly phoned them up each time I received one to tell them I didn't have a tv. After 2 years, they finally showed up. I let them in just to be rid of them and they went away.

Until today. Apparently I can't exist for so long since they checked without a tv and the fact that I haven't told them I have a tv and bought a licence obviously means to them that I'm lying rather than simply do not want, do not need and will not get a licence. I don't stream anything on my laptop so I definitely don't need a licence that way.

So I guess here we go again. Another 2 years of phone calls and "but everyone has a tv" comments. *Sigh*

Isn't it nice to know your £142.50 is being spent on people like me with multiple threatening letters, all the staff that will take the call, record it, then a system that ignores it and sends out its "enforcement" officers?

Tell me tv watchers, is it really worth the cost of a tv set, the £142.50 licence and the cost of satellite if you have it? I'm not convinced!

I only have Freeview and am satisfied with that, and there are good programmes on there as well as dross, but then one man's dross is another's good programming.

Many years ago I went a few years without a TV as I was travelling, etc. and was hardly ever at home, and when I was and had spare time I played my guitar. Anyway they kept on turning up when I was away leaving this notes saying that I had to buy a license, and from a neighbours account they sat outside my house for three hours once trying to catch me. Unfortunately for them I was elsewhere in the UK, but it did amuse me.

Anyway when I eventually got a TV and contacted them for a license they took all the details but tried to take the money via a direct debit for the 12 months prior as well. I contacted them and they would not beliive that I had not had a TV so I said I was cancelling the DD and would pay for a license at the post office, and if they tried anything further I would take action against them. Their climb down was instant.

There was some case law years ago, but this may have changed so you need to check the facts for the current situation reference the following. Some of the legal bods on this site may be able to throw light on the current situation as well.

1) They do not have right of access to your property
2) They cannot assume that everyone, however unlikely, has a TV
3) just cutting the antennae or disabling the antennae input at the TV does not mean that you do not need a license as this can be quickly re-enabled for the user to receive TV signals.

The way over 3 above is to use a computers TFT monitor, but note that if you have a TV card in your PC then you need a license. I recall reading an article in a computer mag a few years ago where the licensing authorities were going to go after every PC as you could install a TV card in PC's. That would have made a drastic change to law in the UK as you would now be guilty of what you might do instead of what you have done.

I personally would argue your point using some of the information above. One thing though if a user denies having a TV, but is then proved to have one, then a heavy fine as well as the license fee is incurred. Best of luck.

Originally Posted by dizzyblonde

Unfortunately, even if you only listen to a radio you still need a black and white license(don't quote me, but I found this out a few years back, when I was a poor student ). You have a laptop don't you? You can watch iplayer? Therefore I suspect you need a colour tv license to watch that too.

You can swear blind and invite them in to have a look but they'll get you somehow.

No you don't need a licence for radio. They was abolished in 1971, so you must be a lot older than you look.

Nor do you need a licence for iPlayer or similar on-demand services.

A guy that I worked with bought a TV for his office (for work use) and got a nasty letter from TV licensing to say that he didn't have a licence. If it had been me, I'd have invited them to send an inspector round, as we're one of Europe's largest broadcasters and have thousands of TVs in our offices.