TV Licence

[Afran]

So I got this letter;

Final notification
An enforcement visit is being authorised

When visiting your home, our Enforcement Officers will show proof of identity before investigating your property. Bla bla bla.

I don't have a TV licence, because I don't watch TV. I have a TV, but it's not been turned on or plugged in for months, so they'll be able to see that nothing has been shown on it right? I always worry about such things ^^

Only kind of TV I watch is on bbc iplayer & going by their website you don't need a licence for it.

 

[JingleBells]

So I got this letter;

Final notification
An enforcement visit is being authorised

When visiting your home, our Enforcement Officers will show proof of identity before investigating your property. Bla bla bla.

I don't have a TV licence, because I don't watch TV. I have a TV, but it's not been turned on or plugged in for months, so they'll be able to see that nothing has been shown on it right? I always worry about such things ^^

Only kind of TV I watch is on bbc iplayer & going by their website you don't need a licence for it.

As long as you don't watch the live streams off iplayer you should be fine

 

[Edmond]

I think you need a licence if you are watching 'live' stuff on the iPlayer, but also you have a TV and an ariel, i assume, therefore you have the means to pick up a TV signal, therefore you are liable to pay for a licence

 

[Access Denied]

I think you need a licence if you are watching 'live' stuff on the iPlayer, but also you have a TV and an ariel, i assume, therefore you have the means to pick up a TV signal, therefore you are liable to pay for a licence

Nope. As long as you're not watching live programmes then you don't need a license. The misses and I had this out with the licensing people when we first moved down here. Got dozens of letters threatening us with a visit because we didn't have a license. The only TV we watch is on iplayer or the other catch up type sites and we watch little enough of those that paying £148 a year is a bit much. You can own a TV but you can't watch live stuff on it.

 

[Edmond]

I had a mate and all they watched were DVD's, they had no ariel on the roof, but if he has a ariel, then surely that means he does have the means to watch live TV, hence he will need a licence

You can unplug the ariel from the TV and cut the conector off 10mins b4 the guy comes round, but thats hardly proof

 

[Ch3tan]

You do know that they have no right to enter your property Afran?

You just ignore the letters and don't let them in.

That said, I hate people who say they don't need to pay because they don't watch it enough. If you use the service pay for it, there is little enough good TV on these days without cutting down on the beebs budgets. Don't be a hypocrite, if you don't want to pay the fee, then don't use any live feeds of BBC programs.

 

[Access Denied]

You do know that they have no right to enter your property Afran?

You just ignore the letters and don't let them in.

That said, I hate people who say they don't need to pay because they don't watch it enough. If you use the service pay for it, there is little enough good TV on these days without cutting down on the beebs budgets. Don't be a hypocrite, if you don't want to pay the fee, then don't use any live feeds of BBC programs.

Well that was vitriolic. Anyone in mind for that little rant?

 

[Ch3tan]

lol, vitriol? rant? On forums, people read see they want to.

 

[ileks]

It's all bollocks. I think they just spam those shitty letters to everyone that doesn't have a license. We got sent one about every week in our uni accommodation but they never actually did anything. None of us had a tv. They try and make them sound really serious as well lol. I guess they just send them out in the hope that 1/50 people will just buy a tv license because of it.

 

[Edmond]

I have a TV, but it's not been turned on or plugged in for months, so they'll be able to see that nothing has been shown on it right?

Does your TV have some kind of log that shows the last time it was switched on, or do the TV licence guys have a magic box that can some how scan it to tell this?

Sorry, but i'm with Ch3t, if you have a TV then pay for it, its like having a car and only doing 150 miles a year in it and saying 'I shouldn't have to pay road tax/insurance cos i dont use it enough'

 

[Access Denied]

I had a mate and all they watched were DVD's, they had no ariel on the roof, but if he has a ariel, then surely that means he does have the means to watch live TV, hence he will need a licence

You can unplug the ariel from the TV and cut the conector off 10mins b4 the guy comes round, but thats hardly proof

Again no. Just because someone has a TV and an Ariel doesn't mean they need a license. Simply having the means to watch live feeds isn't enough. And if they want to do you for watching live feeds then the onus is on them to prove you are, not on you to prove that you're not.

 

[Edmond]

If it went to court i think you would be hard pushed to prove you dont watch it when, a) you have a TV and b) its connected to an ariel

 

[ECA]

There are like 6 detection vans in the whole country as well, so unless you _really_ piss them off the chances of them doing much are extremely low.

 

[ECA]

If it went to court i think you would be hard pushed to prove you dont watch it when, a) you have a TV and b) its connected to an ariel

Since when has the onus been on the accused to prove their innocence? The burden is on the prosecution to provide evidence.

 

[georgie]

If you watch or record TV as it's being broadcast (be it conventionally or via iPlayer) get a license, if you don't, don't.

Up to you whether you inform them about it or not, there's no legal requirement to do so.

If they come round wanting to have a look, tell 'em to fuck off and come back with a court order if you feel like it.

 

[Afran]

Ok thanks for the advice.

That said, I hate people who say they don't need to pay because they don't watch it enough. If you use the service pay for it, there is little enough good TV on these days without cutting down on the beebs budgets. Don't be a hypocrite, if you don't want to pay the fee, then don't use any live feeds of BBC programs.

I hope that's not directed at me - I do not use the TV ~AT ALL~, it's not connected to an ariel either... So why would I pay for a service I don't use =P If somethings free it's free, I don't record stuff from the internet nor watch live feeds (I did read that part on iplayer)

 

[Zede]

The Licencing people are like Vampires, once you invite them in your fucked.

So, never invite them in your premesis and - make sure they cannot see the tv/monitor from outside the house - as they could take a photo to prove use.

Other than that, they can do absolutely nothing.

Quite a few older threads on this topic.

 

[Ch3tan]

Is everyone on here having a period? Bloody hell.

that WAS directed towards you Afran.

From your first post it seems you like to follow the rules, so just remember when these guys turn up at your door, that the rules say they have no right to inspect your property unless you let them.

 

[Lamp]

BBC - BBC Internet Blog: iPlayer Doesn't Require A TV Licence... Yet

 

[ford prefect]

As I understand it, you have a TV tuner in your home, so you need a licence.

Shops that used to record cctv with a vcr with a tuner had to pay.

The live streaming stuff is a new amendment brought in partly because of iplayer and partly because of things like apple tv where no tuner is necessarily present.

 

[Ch3tan]

As I understand it, you have a TV tuner in your home, so you need a licence.

Shops that used to record cctv with a vcr with a tuner had to pay.

The live streaming stuff is a new amendment brought in partly because of iplayer and partly because of things like apple tv where no tuner is necessarily present.

This is what I thought was the case, but every legal expert on the internet (heh), seems to think that you have to be watching the feeds. So it's a confusing issue with so many voices saying different things.

the one thing I do know is that the burden of proof is with the licensing authority, and they have a near impossible task proving anything. It's just scaremongering, they have no real power.

 

[Laddey]

I used to work for them.


If you have a TV or Computer with signal receiving equipment then you need a TVL.

If you don't want a TVL but use your computer or monitor for gaming then you have to get it modified from a TV engineer which is more expensive than the license itself.

They can't do shit.

Although, if they catch you wathcing tele without a license, they will send you to court and you get a fine of like £200 roughly.

I've been on the phones and people have just been released from jail for not paying their tv license fine. Lol.

You don't go to jail for not having a license, but you do for not paying the fine.

 

[georgie]

I used to work for them.

If you have a TV or Computer with signal receiving equipment then you need a TVL.

If you don't want a TVL but use your computer or monitor for gaming then you have to get it modified from a TV engineer which is more expensive than the license itself.

Where on earth did you get that from, Laddey? Maybe that's what they'd like you to do...

You need to be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record TV as it's being broadcast. This includes the use of devices such as a computer, laptop, mobile phone or DVD/video recorder.

Watching TV on the internet
You need to be covered by a licence if you watch TV online at the same time as it's being broadcast on conventional TV in the UK or the Channel Islands.
Video recorders and digital recorders like Sky+
You need a licence if you record TV as it's broadcast, whether that's on a conventional video recorder or digital box.
Mobile phones
A licence covers you to watch TV as it's broadcast on a mobile phone, whether you're at home or out and about.

Of course, if you want a definitive answer use their contact form, "General Enquiry" -> "Do I need a TV License?" and write something along the lines of:

I neither watch nor record live broadcasts via any medium, do I need a TV License. Please reply in 1 word or less.

 

[Access Denied]

Gawd why are we still discussing this? Like I said, we got dozens of letters off them telling us we didn't have a license and blah, blah, blah. We phoned them to explain that while we have a TV we don't watch live feeds on that nor do we watch live feeds on the computer. THEY told us that we only need a license if we're "Watching programmes as they are broadcast".

 

[Laddey]

Where on earth did you get that from, Laddey? Maybe that's what they'd like you to do...





Of course, if you want a definitive answer use their contact form, "General Enquiry" -> "Do I need a TV License?" and write something along the lines of:

I neither watch nor record live broadcasts via any medium, do I need a TV License. Please reply in 1 word or less.

It's what was drilled into our head for the gruelling 6 weeks training.

 

[georgie]

It seems they like to bluff their way with their own employees as well as the public at large too.

 

[Laddey]

It seems they like to bluff their way with their own employees as well as the public at large too.

I'm no longer working their


There are oh so many ways to get yourself off from having a TVL. Scheme players we used to call them, there isn't fuck all you can do about it either.

 

[ford prefect]

Just as a side note, my Father-In-Law has not had a TV in his house for the past twelve years. Every year he has to ring TV licensing because every year he gets a demand from them and every year they send someone to his door. He has never let them in, but the implied assumption that he is lying is always there. Happily he is a solicitor and knows how to handle himself exceptionally well in such situations

 

[georgie]

I believe you can actually get in touch with them and withdraw their implied right of access, that would stop the visits. You'd still get letters cos the postie delivers them.

 

[megadave]

http://www.bbctvlicence.com/Questions and answers.htm