Home Home, Law & Money
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.

TV Licensing people

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Called at my flat there. Buzzed at the main door and I asked 'hello?'. They said 'delivery for flat 12' when I answered. In hindsight that was a bit underhand as they weren't delivering anything. At the time I suspected nothing though and let them in, as it may have been a delivery for my flatmate who wasn't there.

They came up and rang bell. I answered and then they hit me with the whole 'We're the TV licensing people....blah blah blah'. Was kind of caught out as a TV was going in the sitting room near by so it would have been bluff to say I didn't have a TV. Are they allowed to check? Well I admitted I had a TV anyway, and we filled out forms. I told them I'll not be in the flat much longer (leaving in couple of months) so I didn't want to have to get a license for such a short period. They said something about applying for one and then cancelling when I leave or something but I didn't really understand. They left me a number that they said I should call within 2 weeks.

Anyone know how to deal with these people or what I should do? I don't want to start paying when I'll be leaving in a couple of months, and I thought it was rather underhand how they got into my flat.
«1

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How long had you said you had been there?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    4 months, but I'd never received one letter from them in that time.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Since you've already filled in the forms it's all a bit irrelevant now. Just get the license and when you move out claim back the remaining ten months or whatever.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You know you can be fined don't you?

    4 months is a long time to not bother getting one. I hope for your sake you don't get fined. They will however make you pay from the date you moved in.
    You best get it sorted then cancel when you move.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    But how do they know when the TV was there from?

    It was actually here when I moved in but for all they know, it might have been in a cupboard or something.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You admited to having lived there for 4 months so they will probably asume you have had it since then. You might be lucky, but i wanted to warn you. The tv man should have too.
    We were warned that when we moved into our first place and we had only been there a week. We were lucky.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Addict wrote:
    But how do they know when the TV was there from?

    It was actually here when I moved in but for all they know, it might have been in a cupboard or something.

    Jesus just get the fucking license. You're watching the tv. Any months you don't get you can claim back, or just set up a direct debit and cancel it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Addict wrote:
    Anyone know how to deal with these people or what I should do? I don't want to start paying when I'll be leaving in a couple of months, and I thought it was rather underhand how they got into my flat.

    Make a complaint against them.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Make a complaint against them.

    :no:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    no he's lucky he wasn't issued with a fine.

    get a license, you'll be able to claim some money back.

    if you're not going to get a license, don't watch telly.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    no he's lucky he wasn't issued with a fine.

    get a license, you'll be able to claim some money back.

    if you're not going to get a license, don't watch telly.


    Its not the man who comes to the door that fines you so he still might.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    But I got no warning letters and the tv just came with the flat. Surely it would be unfair to fine. I'll phone the number tomorrow and see what they say. I only need it for a couple more months so it's prob just worth buying.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    "The BBC is now quietly lobbying for the licence fee to be extended to computers connected to broadband networks"

    OMG WHY????? what has me typing to a few randoms on the net got to do with the BBC. Shit! I can protest against a TV license by not watching the dumb box, but the internet - where I actively seek what I want to experience, wouldn't give up my broadband. I also wouldn't pay their fee, another 'poor' single mother criminalised by the BBC. grrrr
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Addict wrote:
    But I got no warning letters and the tv just came with the flat. Surely it would be unfair to fine. I'll phone the number tomorrow and see what they say. I only need it for a couple more months so it's prob just worth buying.


    i see your point but you were caught watching it! and a couple of months is still a couple of months.

    unlucky. ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Tweety wrote:
    Its not the man who comes to the door that fines you so he still might.


    oh right didn't know that!

    might still get him then.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Addict wrote:
    But I got no warning letters and the tv just came with the flat. Surely it would be unfair to fine. I'll phone the number tomorrow and see what they say. I only need it for a couple more months so it's prob just worth buying.

    Unfortunately it makes no difference if it just came with the flat.Whether it is yours or not you still need a licence to watch it. By the time you move out, you would have been there about 6 months, with no licence. Unfortunately you were caught red handed, it was a devious way to get in, but they do perform spot checks on properties they think are evading a licence. You could still be summoned to court and fined. My housemate at uni was (although he had a licence...long storry, admin cock up etc), and he could of faced a £1000 fine! :yes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think the whole TV Liecence issue for students ia a joke.

    If you have 1 TV in a shared kitchen you only need one liecence if it's in your tiny student bedroom you all need one each, if I keep my TV at my prents home and my sister does as well one licence covers us all - if we watch the same TV elsewhere we need 3.

    It's a really dumb system
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Technically you can be babysitting, watching the TV and if the owners of the house don't have a licence then you have committed an offence. Sadly happened to a friend of mine.

    Addict, you have no defence at all. Except the one klintock would like you to try, about "existence" of the court/queen/country etc
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    klintock wrote:
    :no:

    Are you sure you shouldn't be lambasting the TV License organisation for employing "violence" as a means of extortion?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Are you sure you shouldn't be lambasting the TV License organisation for employing "violence" as a means of extortion?

    Sure, just not to their faces. People who routinely use violence under the guise of a greater good tend to focus on that greater good, rather understandably.
    Addict, you have no defence at all. Except the one klintock would like you to try, about "existence" of the court/queen/country etc

    :no:

    That would be a very, very stupid thing to do indeed. That's not how you have to behave if you want to avoid or minimise contact with these parasites.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Reason to hate the BBC, and all it stands for, #839,177,999 eh?

    You don't have a defence, it's a strict liability offence. Because the BBC is run by, staffed by, and protected by extortionist cunts of the highest magnitude.

    What they did is actually illegal, entering property under false pretences, but good luck getting any of the thieving cunts to admit to that. When it comes to the BBC and their hit squad, PACE means nothing to them.

    You might not get fined. Only a court can fine you. If they take you to court I'd certainly scream like a piggy all the way about PACE, and how it was totally ignored. For all the good it will do.

    The BBC are parasites of the highest magnitude, who in any self-respecting country would be swinging from a piece of short rope over a trap-door.

    Oh, and I have to correct Mist. You can only claim back wholly unused QUARTERS, not months. Use a license for six months and one day, and the thieves liberate you of 1/4 of the fee.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Update.

    I called them yesterday and got the fucking thing. I explained that I wouldn't be in the flat anymore than 3 months and they explained I could pay quarterly (via Direct Debit) then just cancel it when I move out/when the payment come out. The guy on the phone said that I won't be fined because I took action even though I was caught lovely.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    we had tv licence man come round last week. he came in, saw we had a telly. we told him it wasnt connected and was only used for DVDs. Showed him that the ariel wasnt even connected and asked him if he wanted to switch it on to prove it, and he said no, thats fine and wrote that we didnt use a TV and then left.

    nothing scary. But then we dont use the TV so werent trying to hide anything.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    we had tv licence man come round last week. he came in, saw we had a telly. we told him it wasnt connected and was only used for DVDs. Showed him that the ariel wasnt even connected and asked him if he wanted to switch it on to prove it, and he said no, thats fine and wrote that we didnt use a TV and then left.

    nothing scary. But then we dont use the TV so werent trying to hide anything.
    You were lucky. You were operating equipment capable of receiving broadcast television, and as such you are required to have a license.

    you could probably get away with filling the ariel socket with araldite
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Big Gay wrote:
    You were lucky. You were operating equipment capable of receiving broadcast television, and as such you are required to have a license.

    Except that is completely and totally wrong.

    It is not illegal to own a television set without a licence. It is illegal to receive a signal without a licence. The TV licensing thieves like to muddy the water, but its quite clear.

    If you don't watch TV pictures, then you don't need a licence. And they need to prove you received a signal. If all you do is watch DVDs and videos you don't need a licence.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote:
    Except that is completely and totally wrong.
    Yes it is, I was outdated.
    What if I only use a TV to watch videos/DVDs/as a monitor for my games console? Do I still need a licence?
    You need to notify us in writing that this is the case and one our Enforcement Officers may need to visit you to confirm that you do not need a licence.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You also don't have any obligation to tell them in writing about anything. You don't have to let an Officer in your home to "confirm" anything. You don't have to do anything.

    Up to them to prove you were receiving a TV signal. I'd let the cunts take me to court.

    Still, it's not like the BBC to lie now, is it? Oh, wait...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I love how they're repeatedly sending me threatening letters telling me i'm liable for a £1000 fine and that an officer has been scheduled to visit my accomodation at uni to check whether or not I have a TV licence. They've sent me three such letters telling me I should expect a visit soon.

    I don't think i'm particularly bothered...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote:
    Except that is completely and totally wrong.

    It is not illegal to own a television set without a licence. It is illegal to receive a signal without a licence. The TV licensing thieves like to muddy the water, but its quite clear.

    If you don't watch TV pictures, then you don't need a licence. And they need to prove you received a signal. If all you do is watch DVDs and videos you don't need a licence.

    I got told I had to get one in my student flat even though the signal was so bad you couldn't actually get a picture.
    It was a TV/Video combi and that was all it was used for apart from the Playstation.
    The TV licence people came round and told me I had to get one anyway.
Sign In or Register to comment.