Court Summons for TV Licence - after they said wouldn't prosecute if I bought one

[mfpa]

My wife received a court summons for TV licence today.

 

She signed a statement on the doorstep in September, admitting to watching TV programmes without a licence.

 

TVLicensing then sent a letter (see image) saying she would avoid prosecution if she immediately bought a licence, by which time we had already got a licence on the cash payment card scheme for £5.60 per week. We are still paying this, although tight finances mean the payments are on occasion 2 or 3 weeks in arrears then caught up by making a multiple payment. The licence has not been cancelled because of the erratic payments; the payment card account page shows the licence as valid, with an expiry date in the future and payments up to date.

 

As I see it, we have complied with what they said was required to avoid prosecution; they have renegued and brought the case anyway. My thought is to write and respectfully point this out and request they drop the matter from the court process.

 

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[mfpa]

OK, have not written yet, but eventually managed to get through on the phone.

 

(0300 790 6034 is answered almost immediately by a recorded "Thank you for calling TV Licensing, your call may be recorded for training and quality purposes." Then it is immediately transferred, usually to an engaged tone but after a couple of dozen attempts I was connected to a ringing tone which was shortly answered.)

 

The operator said he had visibility of both the summons and the valid licence. He disappeared to "ask advice from the court administrator" several times during the call. After trying to get me to pay all the remaining payments on the licence today, then trying to get me to set up a direct debit, he said we need take no more action, do not need to answer the summons or attend the court, and will be sent a letter confirming this sometime around the date of the court hearing. He was not able to give me any reference that I could quote to the court.

 

I also asked if it was a mistake that the summons was to a magistrates court tens of miles away in a different local authority area rather than to the local one; apparently that was deliberate as they aggregate cases from several areas together into one court.

[locutus]

Nice result... keep the letter safe when it arrives!

[axil23]

This happened to me too. Got a TV licence bloke at the door who cunningly came inside. He advised me that if I set up a DD for payments they would not prosecute which I did and have been paying it since August. Today I get a letter in my name for court action.

 

The letter is in my name but I don't own that house, my parents do. Also we have since moved and I advised that TV licence person that too. We had not got the licence renewed as we were moving (not an excuses)

 

What do you sugegst I do ?

[markwild]

I would contact them and make a complaint, surely the matter wouldn't stand up in court if you have bought one like they said?

[axil23]

I would contact them and make a complaint, surely the matter wouldn't stand up in court if you have bought one like they said?

 

Spoke with them and they have now cancelled the summons. Thanks