I haven’t had a TV for several years, and informed the TLA when I got rid of it. They write from time to time to check whether you are watching a TV illegally yet or not. I’ve always replied and I think I’ve let someone in my flat to check whether I have one.

They started writing to me again a couple of months ago and I decided I was fed up of answering them and fed up of their tone, that makes the assumption that I must be watching TV illegally. So I haven’t answered them this time and after about 5 letters they said they were going to send their “enforcement officers” round. They visited today, but I was out on my bike – they left a letter entitled “We said we’d call…”

My plan is to not let them in as they have no right to access my flat without a warrant – but I’m wondering if anyone has experience of not playing their game and the outcome?

Thanks!

If you don’t have a tv then let them waste their time trying to prove you do. I did for years.,

yes not worth the hassle
when it asked why you dont have a televison licence – after three years i wrote
“take a wild effing guess”
they wrote back thanking me for my reply and asking for more details!!
I just said stop sending me letters and call round because i am sick of this. They did stop writing and called.
Suspect they have the right to check but just reply and ask them to stop harrasing you as you dont have a tv and infrom them you wont write again.

I went through something similar. They gave up in the end. I also received a few “we said we’d call” hand written notes… delivered by my post lady! Its just another scare tactic to get evaders to buy a licence. I also took exception to their lightly veiled threats, general tone and accusations of law breaking, despite doing nothing wrong. As there are millions of non payers, expect a genuine visit in a good few years, then simply say nothing and shut the door. There is loads on line about their powers (or should i say lack of them) if you search….

think i’ve had about 15 letters since moving into this flat 2 years ago..

12 years of not paying, just ignore them and their useless threats

There are horror stories of little old ladies who don’t have TVs buying licenses just to keep the TLA bullies away.

Mate at work doesn’t watch live TV but downloads all he needs instead. He’s had countless threats which all end up in the bin. They are all addressed to ‘the legal occupier’ because he’s kept his name off the electoral roll.

Unless they turn up with a warrant issued by a court, he has no intention of letting them in.

They don’t have any authority whatsoever (and “detection vans” are a myth). Stick the letters in the big round file and if they turn up on your doorstep without a warrant tell them you’ll be persueing them for trespass.

Never had a problem personally, but then, I’ve never not had a TV licence.

all you need to know here 😉

http://www.tpuc.org/stoppayingtvlicencefees

The great thing is that they can’t get a warrant without proof of you owning a TV, and they need the warrant to get the proof!!

They came snooping round my place some years ago when I had no TV. – then they ask to come in and look!
I told them to go away and they didn’t return.

(and “detection vans” are a myth)

Really?

So if you have a TV, and watch it all the time without a license, there is nothing they can do about it? Assuming you don’t let them into your house voluntarily.

a short informational video for you…..
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqG4ysu2ksU[/video]

I’m happy to pay mine, the BBC is worth every penny IMO.

I’m with loddrik

i’d happily never watch BBC ever again (but it appears we Dont have the choice) … i vote with me feet 😉

Really?

So if you have a TV, and watch it all the time without a license, there is nothing they can do about it? Assuming you don’t let them into your house voluntarily.

Correct. Unless they get a warrant, which is highly unlikely.

It’s all done by address, basically. I believe (though don’t know first-hand) that when you buy a TV you get ‘reported’ to the licensing authority so they can cross-reference your address.

… of course, if they look through your window and see a TV sitting there, you might be on shakier ground. (-:

And yeah. Personally I think it’s worth paying for, I think Auntie Beeb is an institution worth supporting. I listen to radio 1, 2 and 4 regularly, as well as enjoying a lot of their home-grown TV output.

With the growth of alternative technologies letting you watch TV without a TV I do wonder how much longer the “unique way the BBC is funded” will be able to sustain itself. If the arse drops out it though, I think that will be a pity.

So.. does BBC iPlayer log IP addresses? It should 🙂

do pay now as i do have one now. Agree it is a great institute and preferable to a Fox news /berlusconni type scenario
Does an amazing cross section of programmes from Top Gear to good stuff 😉

Seems unlikely, as you don’t need a licence for iPlayer.

And yeah. Personally I think it’s worth paying for, I think Auntie Beeb is an institution worth supporting. I listen to radio 1, 2 and 4 regularly, as well as enjoying a lot of their home-grown TV output.

+1. I watch the BBC channels, listen to BBC radio and use the BBC News website.

I quite like having an internationally respected broadcaster producing stuff for my consumption and I think the licence fee is pretty reasonable. Try comparing it to Sky!

all you need to know here

I have POLICY of NOT reading ANYTHING which has RANDOM words in capital LETTERS for no apparent REASON. It’s a good rule of thumb that’s served me well in the past for avoiding lunatics and the religious.

Have you had a look at the rest of the site? It’s fantastic, I’ve not seen so many barmpots in one place for quite some time.

It’s all done by address, basically. I believe (though don’t know first-hand) that when you buy a TV you get ‘reported’ to the licensing authority so they can cross-reference your address.

Aye – I had Amazon deliver a DVD/HD recorder to work. I now get letters (at work) saying I don’t have a TV license… 🙄

They kept promising me visits, and the letters got more and more threatening (and red) but after ignoring them they seemed to go back to the first letter.

I did get a TV license man to the front door, he asked if I had a TV I said no. He asked if he could come in and check and was very put out when I told him no.

Shortly after I got another ‘initial’ letter, no reference to the fact I’d had a visit. As soon as the option to fill in online to state you didn’t have a TV I did that. I received a letter stating I wouldn’t receive any more correspondence for, I think 2 years, and then the next day I got another threatening letter 🙂

It’s all run by Crapita, I don’t think they have a clue what they’re doing, but I hate the wording of the letters and the presumption of guilt.

I don’t watch TV it promotes delusionment and a lack of touch with reality.

As for licensing, I just laugh about the letters and if they come to my door, I laugh even harder.

They assume everyone watches it, because most people have been brain washed since they where kids into believing that false hood is truth and vice versa, don’t pretend you have a choice to watch it or not, you are addicted to it!

I love telly. So do my kids. 🙂

I don’t watch TV it promotes delusionment and a lack of touch with reality.

So true not like being on a forum typing any old rubbish under a persona.

They assume everyone watches it, because most people have been brain washed

really? brain washed? But not you though, right?

I went for about 5 years without a TV, until my mum gave me a virtually new one last year, it had sparkly bits on it and dozens of channels, so I caved in and bought a licence.
Anyway, In my case, I got the reminders, then they got more and more threatening and red. At one point I did phone them, but the letters continued, so I never replied to them again.
I did get a visit, the guy was sat outside my house, in a car. He came in, looked around, went away and the letters stopped for about 2 years.
Then it all started again, with regular letters to ‘the occupier’, threatening all sorts of things, I was/am on the electoral roll BTW. I ignored them all.

They are very annoying, though I did read somewhere (urban myth???) that if you respond to them formally & keep a record (recorded post) you could have them prosecuted under anti-‘harassment’ laws.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1997/40/contents

The amount of times I’ve said get rid and mrshora has basically rioted

It’s all run by Crapita, I don’t think they have a clue what they’re doing

I didn’t know that, but it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest. I’ve had a few dealings with Capita and I’d struggle to find something favourable to say about them.

You need a license for any device *capable* of receiving a *live* TV broadcast.

Although it funds the BBC, the license isn’t required to watch BBC channels (ie you can’t de-tune BBC channels and say you dont need a liscence)

Interestingly the authorities have stated that they wont (can’t) be chasing people watching live broadcasts through I player.

The BBC is a good service. People from other countries always say they wish they had something as good.

Do you still have to pay a license if you buy a telly to only watch dvd/bluray/games on? If they “catch” you with the tv how can you prove you don’t actually use it to watch tv channels on?

Interesting to read everyone’s experiences, thank you. It’s frustrating that you can’t just tell them once and for all and then be left alone – and this spate of letters addressed to “the occupier” does feel a bit like harassment. I’m also on the electoral roll – so if they could be bothered they could actually find out that I’m still living at the same address, and I’d hope they would have a record of previous correspondence.

The TV good/bad debate is a different subject…. I’m not passing judgement, TVs just not for me at the moment. That includes iplayer which I also never use. I do meet people though who say they would love to get rid of their TV, but can’t imagine life without it, which I thinks a bit of a shame. Planning to get one to watch the Olympics though next year – if I can get a licence for 2 weeks!

Do you still have to pay a license if you buy a telly to only watch dvd/bluray/games on? If they “catch” you with the tv how can you prove you don’t actually use it to watch tv channels on?

As thekingisdead said, you need a licence if you’ve got equipment capable of receiving broadcast telly. Taking a glue gun to the RF input on your TV / video etc would probably be sufficient.

As thekingisdead said, you need a licence if you’ve got equipment capable of receiving broadcast telly. Taking a glue gun to the RF input on your TV / video etc would probably be sufficient.

Wrong, you only need a TV license if you’re using equipment to receive TV signals.
The very fact that it /can/ is irrelevant.

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ15/

If you really want to confuse them change the name of your house.

It took 18 months and three visits for them to register the fact that as I had a TV licence in the new name of the house they were on very dodgy ground trying to prosecute me for not having a licence in the old name of the house.

We live on an old farm so once found a chap on my property scouting round to find which building was the “old” address. As I escorted him from the premises I explained that the building he had been looking at was indeed occupied intermittently but neither the swallows who nest there each summer nor the dog who used the run there when the rest of us were out were that into TV and more to the point I didn’t fancy his chances of getting them to pay.