Hi everyone, a quick question, do I need a TV license to watch old programmes through a freesat box ? My wife watches a couple of American cookery programmes made years ago, these obviously cant be "live" and they are broadcast by foreign channels via satellite. Surely the BBC dont have the right to make me pay for pre-recorded programmes not made or broadcast by them ?

Hi. Ive had a letter through my door today from Marstons regarding an unpaid tv licence. The only reason im aware it was going to go to court was by ringing the tv licencing people however they have turned up this morning and nobody answered the door. And left a final notice letter. They have then phoned me today then sent me a text saying if we dont pay by 7pm we will be moved to stage 2 removal. The only info i have is that its was from the cleavland courts. Any advice would be helpful as to what i can do. Just to add they wont let me arrange a payment plan with them

I paid for a TV license for many years by direct debit without actually ever watching TV. There was a short period when my ex lived here where she occasionally watched TV, but that was that. Haven't required a TV license for over 12 months, I cancelled my direct debit and wrote to the Licensing dept telling them I no longer required a license and would they refund me. N They refused to refund me without me giving them one of their reasons for cancelling (no longer needing one was not on the list). in the end I gave up - I think it was only a matter of £20 or so anyway i had to claim. Now I get a letter from them threatening a visit from an enforcement officer who can apply to court for a search warrant!! On what grounds can a search warrant be issued? The mere fact that I no longer pay for a TV License? If an "inspector" turns up, can I simply tell him to [removed] as I already told BBC Licensing I no longer need a license? Is the onus on me to PROVE i don't need a license? Or is this simply bully tactics?

Any legal guys here need help In January I needed to be fitted with a pacemaker. My surgeon told me that I must inform the DVLA but to also tell them that I had fully recovered due to the procedure and me bionic heart. Soon after I told them by phone and they said I would get a questionnaire to fill in. The facts ----- Due to the questionnaire not being returned in time my driving license has been revoked. Following a telephone call today I was informed that My license will not be reinstated even though they have the said questionnaire in their possession. I have informed them that it will cause severe hardship and distress to me as a registered disabled person who needs a vehicle at all times. Even asking them what I should do they said to go to the post office and apply for a driving license. I told them that I couldn't because I am on my own and can't get there because of my disability. Not their problem basically! They did not get the questionnaire in time but can't tell me what law/guidelines they have in place and what grounds there are to have the license reinstated even temporarily until the whole thing is investigated. It is actually a paper exercise for their records because when I rang them the medical condition did not exist. You can legally drive with a pacemaker all you have to do is inform the DVLA. I also asked them how they can impose a punishment as harsh as revoking a license of a disabled person who is deemed fit to drive and why they can't come to a compromise now that they have the questionnaire. They told me that the time limit is 14 days from the date they send me the letter and I told them that I got the letter today dated 16/03/2018 informing me that it had been revoked?? I asked them how they could impose a time limit on something that they cannot prove I got never mind got late like the letter i got today? Does anyone know how I can fight this? Can they impose what is deemed a punishment on a time limit that is instigated on a letter that they cannot prove was received by me on time? Common sense would dictate that it be reinstated on a temporary basis now that the information has been received and is, in fact, a paper exercise. I cannot find anything in writing on the net stating when the time limit is imposed? Should it not be sent recorded if there is a punishment attached? Like they have the form but won't do anything because it was late and the letter i got today informing that my license was revoked was dated 16th March hence why I rang them??? PLZ Help

Should I be worried..

Hi, I applied for a provisional driving license in October 2016. To this day (Aug 2017) I am still waiting for it. Today DVLA told me it's still in a queue for a doctor to review but would not tell me how many months or years it would take for that review to happen. DVLA refused to tell me the average or approximate time it takes for a medical review to happen. No info whatsoever...just keep waiting... Is this normal? How long does this normally take? Is there a way I could get a provisional license and my lessons as well as the actual driving license abroad and then use that here? - Sorry, this might be a silly question, but I need options. I desperately need a driving license for work/shopping/doc appointments due to bad back, and it seems it's not possible to do it in the UK due to some internal DVLA backlogs. Thank you for any suggestions x

The UK TV Licensing model now looks seriously outdated against the many pay monthly streaming rivals such as Netflix, Now TV and Amazon. The UK TV license costs £145 per annum or £12 monthly whereas a standard Netflix account is £7.50 monthly and Now TV Entertainment pass is £6.99. This makes the TV license 40% more expensive than its rivals. For second home owners the price of the TV License doubles even when it will get much less use whereas with the streaming services you pay only slightly more to watch on more than one screen at the same time regardless of location, ideal for providing high quality entertainment in holiday homes. The BBC provides a very broad range of services but with many people now choosing to only watch selected high quality programming on demand the traditional UK TV license and content delivery model now looks very outdated and expensive compared to streaming rivals producing very high quality original drama. It feels like many UK TV license payers are now subsidising the few people who still watch live TV. Time for change, the BBC should adopt a democratic approach to revenue generation where consumers choose what content they pay for.

Hi all, hope you can shed some light on this issue I am facing currently, 2 months ago I bought a second hand car from a local car dealer, I did a HPI check prior and it showed outstanding finance on the car I rang up both the car dealer and HPI to query it and I was told by both that it is a 'unit stocking' finance and it is commonly used by most car dealers to stock up cars on their forecourt and the finance would be paid off automatically within 2-3 days of purchase I went ahead and bought the car for above the average price due to it being in pristine condition with low miles etc.. I only realized recently that I still hadn't received the new V5 logbook in my name tried to ring the car dealer to see if they had forgotten to send of the old V5 to DVLA. After trying numerous times to get hold them I had no luck, they wouldn't answer their phones or no replies for emails etc, tried to go on their website and it was down too! I got very suspicious and did another HPI check on the car to my shock the vehicle Registration was showing 'at risk' on the security watch register! however it was not showing outstanding finance. I rang HPI and was told the security register was made by the financial company for whatever reason and gave me their contact number. I still haven't contacted them because I am seriously worried they could repossess the car. My question to you guys are should I mention about the HPI check I did prior to purchase or am I better off not mentioning it? my worry is they could say to me why did I buy the car if I knew there was outstanding finance on it? will the 'innocent consumer' rights be thrown out? if the 'unit stocking' finance on the car is still outstanding will the finance company chase after the purchaser or the car dealer? and what happens of the car dealer had gone bust? The car dealer at the time had many cars advertised on autotrader and even more on their website there was no reason for me to believe about their credibility or reputation. I have the receipt of purchase and the payment was made with a Visa debit card. If you guys could please advise me the best option I should proceed with I would be very grateful! Kind regards Ri.

what a shambles dvla are bit of history rta early 1988 fits both day and night for 6 months after last day time fit 1988 have had numerous 3 year licenses since the mandatory spell off driving I think it was 3 years then today received letter from dvla stating my license had been revoked forthwith due to multiple seizures. rang them they admitted they had made a mistake and that my license would be restored by 2 this afternoon too much to hope for it seems, I rang back no joy asked for manager they put the phone down on me, now a manager is supposed to be ringing me am tom still cant drive what a crew

Hi all Need some confirmation as the supplied documentation that comes with the form seems to contradict itself. I moved home, and need to get my paper license address changed. I was told that I'd need to upgrade to a photo ID type license. The form I have is D1 and makes no such assertion that I MUST upgrade to a phot license. It has a section just for changing the address on your paper license. In other parts of the form it says that I need to provide a photo (signed by recommended professional) as proof of identity... It also says that a change of address carries no charge, but supplying a phot carries a £20 charge... then goes on to say that changing from a paper license to a photo one carries no charge. To say that I'm confused is a little bit of an understatement and the woman in the Post Office didn't have a clue what I was on about. All I want to do is change the address on my license... but the form doesn't make it clear which if any fee applies or if I have to apply for a photo one... and if I do then is it no fee or a £20 fee... and it gives 2 different dept postcodes to send it too... one for a change of address and the other for updating to photo one.

Hello, I am really concerned about my application for my PCO licence, just wondering if anyone can answer my question. I have been caught in possession of cannabis twice last year, once in July and then once in December. The first time I was caught with a small bag of cannabis valued at around £10/20 and the second time I was stopped with two joints, I was very cooperative on both occasions not kicking off or being rude/aggresive. Since that time I haven't been in possession. The first time was a written warning no fine. The second time a fine was issued, i paid by postal order but my postal order was sent back as well as a letter from the met office saying something along the lines of "your fine is cancelled", i can't remember precisely. Now my main concern is this, I have read the staff manual where it outlines considerations of taxi and private hire applications: An application from an applicant who has an isolated conviction for an offence related to the possession of drugs within the last 3-5 years may be considered, but consideration must be given to the nature and quantity of the drugs, as well as the sentence imposed by the court. A more severe court penalty should indicate that a sterner stance should be taken. An application will normally be refused where the applicant has more than one conviction for offences related to the possession of drugs and has not been free of conviction for 5-7 years, again taking into consideration the nature and quantity of the drugs. If there is evidence of persistent drugs use, misuse or dependency (e.g. two or more convictions for possession) a specialist medical examination may be required to ensure that the applicant meets the DVLA Group 2 medical standards in relation to drug misuse and dependency. Now my question is does a fine count as a conviction? would my application be refused? I don't want to spend hundreds of pounds finding out, I have many debts to pay off and I'd rather pay my debts off if the application will be refused for sure.

Hello Can anyone please tell me if I am legally obliged to inform tv licensing that I do not need a license. I had informed them via their own website by completing the declaration form. I did this about two years ago when my tv broke and I never got it replaced. I recently had a visit from one of them and told them again that I do not have a tv and didnt let them in. I have now recieved a letter stating "We want to ensure you have the information you may need before a hearing is set at your local court". I just wondered if I am legally obliged to inform them on a regular basis that I do not need a license.

Hi, I've ordered a provisional license about 2 weeks ago and within the next 3-4 days after ordering it, I've received a letter in order to send back my passport, photo, signature etc. So I've sent it back on Friday and they've received it on Saturday morning (from what the royal mail tracking thingy says) and just wondering if anyone knows how long it would take them to send back my passport since I need it ASAP to get other things done as well. Also, if anyone has also sent their passport for them to verify, did you include an empty envelope for the special 1 day delivery with your address on it, for them to send back your passport? Did they even send back your documents in the envelope you've attached or did they send them back in a completely different one? Thanks

The DVLA appear to have taken my HGV license away from me. I am a type 2 diabetic and have to take insulin. There is supposed to be three stages, regarding getting your license back. The DVLA have only done two stages and taken my license away, without going to the third stage, where you see an independant consultant who specialises in diabetes. I have emailed the DVLA on several occasions, but just get told it is with a team of people and that it takes a long time to answer. I have been waiting for about 7 months overall and I have also been told that I can go to a Magistrates court. The only problem is that I am not sure what I am supposed to do in a Magistrates court. Has anyone been in this situation and possibly help me? Thanking you

Hi, I have been with my other half for about 3 years and she has always told me she has a license (she lost it so doesn't have it -- I know a few people who have lost theirs so didn't think anything of it)... She is on my insurance as a "named driver" Earlier she was doing less than 35 in a 30mph road but when saw the speed van slowed down to 30 but she has just admitted she has no license!! Devastation that she lied to me aside what happens now? What happens to me? What happens to her? Thanks

I am a resident of UK. I came to UK from India 2 years ago in April 2012 on work Visa. I work for a car manufacturing company in UK. On 14th Dec 2014 I was driving my company car and caught speeding by a speed camera for exceeding 40MPH speed limit(Recorded Speed:51MPH). The police contacted my company to get the driver details as the car was registered on my company and they got my address from my company and sent me the “Notice of Intended Prosecution” I have my Indian Driving License; I got the International Driving Permit during my last visit to India in March 2014 which is Valid for a year from March 2014 to March 2015. I have a UK provisional license issued on 11th Nov 2014. Hence during the offence I have the UK provisional license and the international driving permit. I read from DVLA website that the Indian Driving license or the International Driving Permit is valid only for 1 year from the initial entry into UK. I have crossed 2 years as a resident in UK so I don’t know whether my International Driving Permit which I have validity till March 2015 is valid to drive in UK after I crossed my 1 year of stay. I drove the car without learners “L” plate (I believe the speed camera would have caught the picture of my car which is an evidence of not having “L” during driving) which I feel as another offense, also I came to know that the UK provisional license will overrule my International Driving Permit or Indian Driving License. In the NIP I was asked to provide my UK driving license details such as driver number and current number of points. I have given to choose from below options Part 1. If eligible I wish to be considered for a driver awareness course at a cost of £110 Part 1a. I wish to be considered for the fixed penalty procedure OR Part 1b. I would like the matter to be dealt with by way of a court hearing. Now I wanted to know the below queries please in filling and sending back the NIP, 1. Whether I can provide my International Driving Permit only and opt for a course if eligible or fixed penalty. I don’t want to give my UK provisional because they will raise another question whether I drove the car with an L plate on it which will be another offense. 2. If I am not giving the UK provisional then, a. I need to know whether they will enquire and find out my date of first entry in UK. b. I need to know whether there are chances that they may find out I have a UK provisional 3. If I give the UK provisional license along with the International Driving Permit (though it is overruled by UK provisional) and claim guilty then are there chances to punish me for speeding offense as well as driving without “L” plate offense. 4. On top of all the above, If I give the UK provisional then I need to know whether the police will contact my company and inform them that I was driving the company car with a provisional license which is an offense and got a speed fine as well. This may affect my job as my company may take action against me since I did something against law. I am bit nervous and worried as I am confused to take a right decision. I kindly request your opinions and suggestions on my above queries please which will be really helpful for me to take a decision and respond to the NIP. Thanks in advance.

Hi, The flat which I am currently sharing (with a friend who is a serving officer in the army and I am sort of house sitting for him) recently started receiving letters from the TV license folk. They first sent one letter in August to say that they have been writing to the 'Legal Occupier' and have had no reply so the property was being investigated. I ignored this letter as it was nonsense, it was the first time they'd written to us and besides I do not watch or record live tv despite owning a tv set which is used just for netflix and games from my ps3. They wrote to us again this October, this time saying as we've not yet replied they are moving to the final stages of their investigation and the matter has been handed to the local enforcement division. Apparently, they can apply for a search warrant from the court to gain access to the property (which would be very difficult as I live in a huge block of apartments and am currently the only person staying in the flat but also work 8-6 and am away most weekends so would be unable to let anyone in anyway). I'm now both concerned and annoyed, as I don't want some random bloke knocking on my door asking to look inside my living room nor do I want to be taken to court. Can someone please advise on what to do? Thanks

Hi, My girlfriend is Polish and she has held a full driving license for 11 years. However she has only transferred her license to the UK very recently and now has a full uk license. On the government website it says you can accompany a learner driver if they "have had (and still have) a full licence in the same category as the vehicle you’re driving, for 3 years" But another site says, Q: My supervising driver has lost or misplaced their licence, can I still drive on a provisional licence with them sitting next to me if insured on the car? A: As long as your are sure that the supervising driver next to you has held a full UK licence for over 3 years in the category of vehicle you are driving. Then you are legally OK. This implies that she would have to have had her UK license for 3 years so she can not supervise me. I'm more inclined to go with the .gov site on this matter which tells me that she can supervise me, but I wondered if anyone else has any insight on the matter. I'm pretty sure she can supervise me but I need to be 100% sure. Thanks in advance. Cueshark

So my problem is as thus. I own a flat and do not watch TV but my tenant does. Since we had just moved in, I did not have a TV and certainly not a TV license. My tenant however bought a TV and said she would deal with the TV licensing issue and pay for it and I took her word for it. A few days ago, I received a letter from TV licensing stating that it has not been paid and I would need to take action by the 17th of June, if not they would submit my address for investigation. So I asked my flatmate to send me the email confirming that the TV license has indeed been paid. She said she had definitely dealt with it but has not sent the email, with some cockamamie reasons. I contacted TV license and inquired if my address is covered and they said 'We cannot divulge information whether you are covered by TV licensing because of the data protection act'. I was wondering what my next course of action should be?

TV license fine rises to £4,000 read here http://recombu.com/digital/news/tv-license-fine-rises-to-4000_M13268.html The penalty for not buying a TV license is set to sharply rise, after ministers announced a quadrupling of the maximum possible fine from £1,000 to £4,000. Previously, those who failed to pay for a TV license faced a £1,000 fine and a criminal record. In 2012, almost 180,000 TV license-related criminal cases were brought before the courts, with 70 given a custodial sentence. The reforms of the financial penalties surrounding TV licensing are intended to persuade the courts to issue more fines, and to move away from custodial and community punishments. This announcement comes in the wake of ministers announcing their intent to decriminalize non-payment of a TV License from 2015 onwards. Other financial penalties being increased in the same proposals include those for motoring offenses. Speeding on a motorway will soon attract a maximum fine of £10,000, whilst breaking the speed limit on dual carriageways will attract a fine of £4,000 A TV license is mandatory for anyone who watches live television in the UK, regardless of the device used. It costs up to £145.50 per year, with discounts available for those with black and white televisions. Revenue earned from the license fee is used to pay for the BBC. A TV Licensing spokesperson said: “Increasing maximum fines is a Government decision and not something we have requested. The average fine for TV License evasion is £169. Fines are guided by the Magistrates’ Courts Sentencing Guidelines which, we understand from the Sentencing Council, are not set to change.”

Hi, My driving license was cancelled because I didn't send driving license to DVLA. I've never received any communication from them regarding this problem. I was sentenced in my absence (L530) and paying fines like a good, law abiding citizen. I assumed that they simply applied points to the driving license and that's the end of the story. But now I've received communication saying that I have to APPLY for a driving license. Is there any way around it? What if the postman dropped letter into the wrong hole and I'm being punished for it? I need my driving license for work. Thanks in advance, JJ

Hi wonder if someone could help me. I called the DVLA with regards to my driving license. Spoke with a woman,who was helpful and gave me information on how I could resolve my issue. On February 2005, I passed my practical driving test. Upon passing my test, I sent away for my full entitlement license and never gave it a second thought. Not long after this my family and I moved away from the UK. We rented out our home for the first few years and got any mail forwarded to us. I never received any correspondence from the DVLA stating that they hadn’t received my paperwork. Having returned not long ago, I was pulled over by the police – routine check I presume. Insurance etc. checked out fine but when it came to my license, they said I was flagging up as a provisional holder. Obviously thinking it must be a misunderstanding, I explained my situation to police. They were very helpful and asked me to show with my photocopy of my pass certificate, which they were happy with, and told me to contact The DVLA. I called them and they said they have no record of me passing my test. I was told to fill in a D1 form and send another passport photo, but i didn't need it signed. Also sent them photocopies that I had taken of my theory pass certificate, practical pass certificate and also a copy of my driving test report. I sent all the above information in a cover letter also. I am on my nerves. Couldn't cope with a re-sit. What do you reckon my chances are?

Hi everyone, I will try to keep it short. Came in the country last year and brought my car with me. The car is still under foreign license plate. I am renting a flat which has a parking spot allocated to it, the parking spot is private land and it is off the road too. Capital Carpark Control keep issuing me tickets for not displaying a UK Road tax disc. Can they do that? What I dont understand, the car has been parked there for a few months displaying a valid permit parking, so what exactly triggered the parking attendant to suddenly start giving me tickets for road tax? Can a private company issue tickets for something thats a matter of a public authority and on private land?

Hi all this is my first time writing in a forum, so i am a bit nervous. Early last year a TVL officer gave me a visit. I have a TV but I haven't watched TV for about 7 years. My understanding was that you had to pay TVL if you owned a TV. Was taken to court but never attended as it was on my birthday and that is depressing. I was fined £310. I called the court to pay, but they said it had gone to the enforcement. I called them up and made an arrangement to pay £80 a month. before or on 28th I made 28th October payment. Then paid 29th October for november payment. Then 29th November which was December payment because I knew it would be a sticky month. So for me I am up to date. But I made no payments in december. So now i got a notice of attendance. More money has been added. Not dated which is quite scary! While researching on the TVL website I noticed that I didn't have to pay license because I do not watch live TV nor do i watch catch up. My T.V is strictly for game console. I have called TVL and they are reimbursing me money I have paid for this years License. My two questions. Even though I am up to date but didn't pay in December can they add on money. Can i go back to the courts and say I was wrongfully taken to court with misguided information. Thank you for your help in advance.

Hello, Had a visit from the TV License goons a few months ago (when I accidentally opened the door thinking it was a parcel deliveryI had been waiting for) and was caught on the spot. Didn't let the guy inside and just stood at the door giving details while he filled in a form, the details I gave to the TVL guy were a mix of correct and false, first name was correct but gave a completely different fake/false surname, I should also mention that I never asked me to sign anything so they have nothing with my signature on it. This morning got a letter from the court saying has been summoned for none payment of TV License but the letter is addressed in the fake name, what do I do and is it my problem as its not addressed to me? I did "open" the letter but only because the side of the envelope had already been (very neatly) sliced open, must have got stuck in the machine at the sorting office or something. I don't know what to do now, its a court summons but not in my name.