Tv License question....just curious

[bp]

I really do hate having to pay for it, 2 years ago, i was taken to court. I had moved addresses and had just had a new baby and both the baby and i were really sick and what with moving and all, getting a tvl was not the most important thing. Anyway, they had tried my door a few times but i was out. One day in the evening, one of those officers just managed to catch me he started asking if i had a tvl and silly me i was honest, i said no, he advised me to get one asap asked me to sign on a bit of paper to confirm that i had admitted to using a tv without a license, he said as long as i got one, it would be ok. I now know NEVER to sign anything but on that day, i was really stressed out, i'd been in hospital all day having tests for this and that and when he caught me the two kids were both screaming one was hungry and the 3 year had just been woken up it really was not the best time. Anyway, as it turned out, the paper i had signed was a caution accepting that even if i bought a license, they still had the right to prosecute me!
Two days after i spoke to the officer, a bought my license in full, i though that was the end of it until 7 months later when it was due for a renewal, got a court date and a demand to buy my new license in full (i couldn't! i was on maternity pay), as it turned out when we got to court, their solicitor didn't even know i had actually bought a license, I'll never forget the look on his face when i told him that if he was going to prosecute people, the least he could do was 1st ascertain if those people had valid licenses in the 1st place! even the judge was amused, he had to ask for a short stay to confirm it all!

	What are your rights at work Follow this link to read the review of the Guide to your Rights at work, published by Lawpack

[buzby]

Couldn't agree more. Never sign anything witrhout seeking advice. It so often is used to disadvantage the consumer at a later stage.

[MikeSplicer]

Just for your information. I have it good authority that TV detector vans do not work. They are a ploy to make you buy a licence, they park them near somebodys house who do not have a licence to scare them into getting one. And even if they did work it would be against European Privacy Law to use them.......

I myself think that the 8 quid a month for all the BBC channels and Radio to be Advert free is good value poeple moan about it but will gladly pay over 40 quid a month to watch sky channels that repeat themselves constantly and show adverts all day for car insurance and loans.

	Car Insurance

[GlasweJen]

when i was in halls i had a tv and no licence. They came to the door a lot and sent loads of letters so one day i sent a letter back saying yes i have a tv but i use it only to watch course material in the format of DVDs, i got a nice letter saying fair enough then, no visits or nothing.

[ICY]

You are lucky, i have been having problems with them since bought our house last year, the problem is the house used to be 2 back to back cottages, however it has been completely gutted a few years ago and made into one house, obviously the house still has two addresses as it is on 2 streets, we sorted TL before we even moved in, and we have been getting either a letter or visit almost every month to either one address or the other, i think we finally got this sorted two month ago at the last visit from an enforcment officer, i let rip at him that i was totally sick of the constant harrasment, and i blew my top about the repeated threatening letters which threatened to take me to court, surely these letters should not be made in any threatening way without PROOF that you actually dont have TV ect. Each time we got a letter or visit i would complain and they then said they would link both addresses to show as being one house, the following month we would get a letter to the other address stating we dont have a license, so we go through it all again, then they swap the license over to the other address, at the last visit i said if i get one more threatening letter or visit demanding i let them in i will be taking further action, this had been going on since i bought the house in may 06
Strangely enough i have heard nothing more, although if they did, not quite sure what i would do.
TVL really £%$£ me off

[rontocknell]

For years we didn't have TV when the kids were very small as we felt that it would be a negative influence on them. Nevertheless, we were badgered frequently by the TVLA because we had no TV licence. On one occasion, we were visited by an inspector who asked if she could come in and check if I had a TV. I told her no but she was welcome to park a detector van outside my home indefinitely as far as I was concerned.

A week or so later, we got a letter from the TVLA expressing concern that an inspector had been denied access to check whether or not I had a TV. At the time, I was doing illustration work and my income depended on copyright licence fees from companies (mostly greeting card companies) using my designs under the terms of the copyright licence. So I wrote to the TVLA expressing concern that I had no record of ever having received a licence fee for the use of any of my designs and asked if they could arrange a time and date at their convenience when I could call into their offices and check through their stationary and literature to ensure that they weren't using any of my designs without a copyright licence.

I did receive a reply. It stated that it would not be possible to allow members of the public access to their offices for the purposes requested but went on to assure me that the TVLA was not in the habit of using copyright protected work without appropriate consent.

In response to their initial letter, I sent a copy of this letter along with a brief note from me that it would not be possible to allow officers of the TVLA access to my home for the purposes requested but I assured them I was not in the habit of owning TVs, vehicles or any equipment requiring a licence without the appropriate licence. I added that any further demands for payment, threats of legal action or demands to enter my home would be regarded as harrassment and appropriate action taken.

I very much doubt that I actually had the law on my side but they never bothered me again.

[GSMGuy]

TVL are just arses - Sorry, but they rely on Bully tactics, I remember reading somewhere that about 90% of people prosecuted were single Mums with kids, who were "coereced" into giving a doorstep "admission"

I always chase the cheeky fookers, and yes - we do have a licence, but only because my OH wouldn't let me go without....

Mike

[robert_harper_2000]

So to confirm. If they want to enter your premises they need to apply for a warrant through a Judge at which point you would have been notified? If they turned up you could simple say "no thank you".

[IdaInFife]

correct Robert.



Idax

[Conniff]

Originally Posted by robert_harper_2000

So to confirm. If they want to enter your premises they need to apply for a warrant through a Judge at which point you would have been notified? If they turned up you could simple say "no thank you".

Absolutely Robert. They have less power than your paperboy, cannot 'demand' anything and are called 'officers' as an intimidatory measure. They can only enter if you invite them in or with a warrant issued by the courts, but of course they don't tell you that, they use the air of authority to make you think they have some kind of power, but they have none.

You do not have to respond to any letters they send you either as these have no legal standing, and it is up to them to prove that you are using a television receiver to receive 'live' broadcast, and not mearly that you own one.

A post earlier mentioned that detector vans do not work. Sorry to burst your bubble, but they do. A cathode ray tube television emits a very strong rf field and that can be picked up in quite a wide circle around where it is being used and in the normal house that is in the street, and they can tell you which channel you are watching as well, so I am afraid that the privacy laws do not cover it either.

Modern LCD and Plasma televisions or computers with the same monitors do not radiate this rf field so it is they that cannot be detected.

When we have all changed to these type of screen at some time in the future, their job is going to be made a lot harder

And never ever sign anything. They are as devious as debt collectors and will say it is to acknowledge they have called when it is in fact an admission that you are using a television without a licence even if you don't own a television, and a court summons will probably appear soon after.

Just one other thing. TVL is the BBC, they use an outside contractor to collect the fee and it is not a statutory body set up by the government or anyone else

	Debt collection library Follow this link to our debt collection library. This library contains templates and advice for dealing with debt collectors who act oppressively or unfairly. This library is work in progress and will be built up over the next few weeks. 17.03.09

[sillygirl1]

I had the same problem, had a mobile home which was used for the odd weekend and one weekend they came round, no tv visible and they asked the neighbours if I lived there permanently and had a tv... neighbours didn't know as they were 'weekenders' too and the bloke was well miffed. He went to the site manager and he confirmed that I didn't live there permanently.

When I moved I got my license for my old address stopped and as I am in rented property and the landlord pays the tv licence here they couldn't make me take a new licence as I am not a separate household... I now watch tv from a tv tuner card on my digital PC screen.

[Conniff]

I now watch tv from a tv tuner card on my digital PC screen.

That is supposed to have a licence if you watch live tv on it.

[sillygirl1]

I know, as already stated the landlord pays for the tv licence here so I am covered. I wasn't going to pay twice when I didn't need too. I am not a separate household from my flatmates.

[robin9342]

A post earlier mentioned that detector vans do not work. Sorry to burst your bubble, but they do. A cathode ray tube television emits a very strong rf field and that can be picked up in quite a wide circle around where it is being used and in the normal house that is in the street, and they can tell you which channel you are watching as well, so I am afraid that the privacy laws do not cover it either.

True, but my understanding is that of all the "detector vans" you see in the street, only one or two are actually functional, the rest being dummy vans to re-inforce their scare tactics. I have also read that there has never actually been a prosecution based on detector van evidence. Only on "confessions" obtained on the doorstep/in the premises by TVL

[Blossomandebony]

Everyone HATES paying for tv licences but EVERYONE doesn't avoid paying them through deception.

Yes, the tactics of TVL are atrocious but this doesn't give anyone the right to avoid payment when they use a TV, thus increasing the cost of licences for poor buggers like me who pay it!!!

Those who avoid paying when they have a TV are not screwing the BBC, they're screwing the licence payers, i. e. me and 99.9% of people on this site who I am certain will be disgusted by some of the ignorant remarks on this thread.

What next - let's stop paying council tax and say we don't use the roads, bins and pavements . . .

[davefirewalker]

Originally Posted by Conniff

Modern LCD and Plasma televisions or computers with the same monitors do not radiate this rf field so it is they that cannot be detected.

When we have all changed to these type of screen at some time in the future, their job is going to be made a lot harder

yes but we are all going digital soon..........

wont be that long before they can "turn you off" for not paying .......

The agency they use to collect the tvl is I believe CAPITA.......responsible for among other things collecting and enforcing the london congestion charge.

rgds

Dave

[HSBCrusher]

Everyone HATES paying for tv licences but EVERYONE doesn't avoid paying them through deception.

CAG certainly encourages everybody who watches television to pay the licence fee, and distances itself from comments to the contrary.
If you watch TV, pay the fee.
If you do not, then don't be bullied.

[Conniff]

I agree with the cag view, but I don't think there is any real advocation to avoid paying the licence in this thread and I can't see the 'ignorant remarks' refered to above.

[HSBCrusher]

Originally Posted by Conniff

I agree with the cag view, but I don't think there is any real advocation to avoid paying the licence in this thread and I can't see the 'ignorant remarks' refered to above.

just that we are clear about it

[Annoying Twit]

I didn't have a television for some years, though I have one (and a licence) now. During the time I didn't have a licence I started off sweet and innocent, writing them letters saying I didn't have a television. After a while I worked out that keeping up your side of the bargain was a complete waste of time, so I just started ignoring the letters. Only phoning occasionally to complain about misleading wording.

I've read (TV Licensing – and the non-viewer – an FAQ) that there is a simple way of getting rid of TV Licencing Inspectors. If they are going to interview you under caution, then under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, they have to provide you with a lawyer should you demand one. So if you demand one, they'll go away. The link I doesn't look too conclusive concerning this, so confirmation/other evidence might be useful.