tv licence agents.

xxorlsxx · 16th July 2008, 15:05

Hi i had a visit from a tv licensing agent and i refused to co-operate as there is'nt a tv in the flat, i got fed up with their threatening letters and their attitude, to these people we are put into two catagories, "licence payers or licence dodgers", has anyone had similar dealings with these people, if so what happened?
Cheers..

questioning · 16th July 2008, 15:11

Hi,
This is probably know help to you but I experienced the TV licensing agent, many years ago now.
I said I have NO TV, (which I didn't) I lived in a flat then. In those days people used to say they couldn't prove you had a TV on in your particular flat because the block used a communal aerial. I think because of those assumptions they used to pick on flats to investigate quite alot.
Anyway I then got a letter from them saying i needed to get a license.
I promptly replied saying why do they assume every one has a TV, etc......
The letter was not particularly polite, I was a bit of a wild child then.
I never heard another thing.
As you don't have a TV, i would just ignore them, they can't do any thing if you don't own a TV.
Like you, I feel extremely irritated where they assume every dwelling in the country has a TV in it!
I do own a TV now & the appropriate license but its for the family, I still hardly ever watch it.

xxorlsxx · 16th July 2008, 15:33

Cheers, i'll post what their next move is (if any)..

Conniff · 17th July 2008, 01:56

You do not have to offer any cooperation whatsoever especially as you have no tv.
You could always just ignore them in the hope they get a warrant of entry from the court to enter your home. When they do this you can watch them like a hawk and when they move something, make sure they put it back in the exact same position.

You do know that you can legally have a television in your house, the license is for using it.

Weird Al Yankovic · 17th July 2008, 16:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Conniff

You do know that you can legally have a television in your house, the license is for using it.

I thought under these circumstances you must have a licence?

The important factor is in ownership of equipment capable of receiving signals-thus a licence would be required.

Conniff · 17th July 2008, 16:47

Hi Al. No, the licence is for using (any) equipment to receive a 'live' broadcast.
You can watch streeming on your PC of programmes that have already been broadcast, but you can't use your PC (with a tv card) to watch programmes as they are broadcast, without a license.

Weird Al Yankovic · 17th July 2008, 17:21

Cheers Conniff

robin9342 · 17th July 2008, 23:42

You can also have a TV in your house for the purpose of watching DVDs or playing game consoles etc. The advice is make sure an aerial is not connected and to de-tune any stations.

daKlone · 18th July 2008, 08:05

So does that mean that if I were to Sky+ everything and watch it 5 minutes 'behind schedule' so to speak, that I wouldn't need a license?

robin9342 · 18th July 2008, 10:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by daKlone

So does that mean that if I were to Sky+ everything and watch it 5 minutes 'behind schedule' so to speak, that I wouldn't need a license?

Unfortunately not! It is an offence to watch or record live or near live broadcasts without a license. However, it is NOT an offence if you use BBC iPlayer, or C4 and ITVs versions to download and watch programmes. So if you are happy to wait for your programmes and miss some (not all are shown online), then you can do without a license.

I believe SKY are now offering a similar service too, so its becoming more and more possible to do without a license. Of course, the government is no doubt plotting ways to close this loophole.

Seaweed · 18th July 2008, 11:18

I was having similar problems, with me newly moving in to my own house. Not being one to really watch tv, if its on i will watch it but as i am often out in an evening with my hobbies, i watched it 4 on demand to catch up on the few programmes i did watch. I paid the tv licence as i thought that because i had the tv i needed to get one, but as the bills started rolling in i had to work out what i needed and what i didnt. A tv licence i could do with out. So i called them up, and asked them to cancel my tv licence. The lady on the other end tried so many ways for me to keep it, but i said that i didnt want to use my tv anymore. She asked a few questions, testing if i would be using it for anything she could charge me for. I said i play dvds, i play on the games console and i download programmes to view in my own time. She said that i had to make sure the ariel was out of the tv and that if someone came round they would want to check it. So much so i took the metal bit off the end of the wire so theres no chance they can say i just took it out.

Since then i know i can watch my tv online as and when i want and its free. I've also had several people i know saying i still need a licence, but as i explained to them they have said its a usefull bit of info especially with the ever growing credit crunch.

robin9342 · 18th July 2008, 11:24

I would also de-tune your channels as an extra precaution as they might try and say you use an indoor aerial. Of course, you do not have to allow an enquiry officer into your house unless he has a warrant.

Henrietta1 · 4th August 2008, 00:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by robin9342

I would also de-tune your channels as an extra precaution as they might try and say you use an indoor aerial. Of course, you do not have to allow an enquiry officer into your house unless he has a warrant.

But you do have to show him the television if you have one and he asks to see it, which could be difficult to do without allowing access given the size of modern sets.

robin9342 · 4th August 2008, 13:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henrietta1

But you do have to show him the television if you have one and he asks to see it, which could be difficult to do without allowing access given the size of modern sets.

But you do not have to let a TVL agent into your house unless he has a warrant. He can't get a warrant without first presenting evidence to the magistrate that you are watching TV without a licence. If you do show him your TV and it is not connected to an aerial and is de-tuned, then no offence can be proved.

Conniff · 4th August 2008, 21:58

TVL has to have more than 'you have a telly so might have been watching it' case to put to any judge before a warrant is issued, they also need a bit more than reasonable suspicion.

In reply to daKlones question:

Quote:

So does that mean that if I were to Sky+ everything and watch it 5 minutes 'behind schedule' so to speak, that I wouldn't need a license?

and robins:

Quote:

Unfortunately not!

Any type of receiver that can receive live television transmissions as robin says, needs a license.

However, that doesn't mean that your mate down the road can't record them for you to watch.

robin9342 · 4th August 2008, 22:04

Quote:

However, that doesn't mean that your mate down the road can't record them for you to watch.

Although that opens up a whole new can of copyright worms (but I have never heard of anyone being "done" for this)

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