'License required' threats, but no TV in the house

Bazz_2

Can anybody advise , please ?
I have a friend ( no, it ain't me !) who has recently moved house ( to a new part of the country), and their TV license expired at the same time. They decided that they would sell their TV - and no longer have one.
They have been visited by an inspector who eventually said they could have 12 months' "grace". However, they have now received a letter threatening legal action for non-possession of a license. The Department concerned did not give a contact number so that they could explain their case. Their on-line searching has produced a number which merely sends you ( via a maze of 'Press # x for ...') along a route for payments. There doesn't seem to be a way to opt out of the system for non-TV-owning members of the public.
Can anybody supply a contact number, please?

Amba_Gambla

If they don't have a TV, don't worry about it. They've not done anything wrong and if anything comes of it, it's the licensing people who'll look stupid, and not your friends.

gliden

I am a court bailiff who deals with these as warrants- shortly they will get a letter asking them to attend court if the tv licensing are taking it further- they must attend and explain this to the magistrate. This will be their only chance to go through the whole case with someone. In the meantime get them to write to tv licensing adv them what has happened and that there is no tv etc.

Hestia

Hi, I didn't have TV out of choice for a year - I just wrote to the license people and received a letter in return requesting me to inform them if my circumstances changed - no court, no search, no hassle.

Bazz_2

Hestia wrote: »

Hi, I didn't have TV out of choice for a year - I just wrote to the license people and received a letter in return requesting me to inform them if my circumstances changed - no court, no search, no hassle.

I guess you were lucky ! They seem to be being driven in circles, one person tells them one thing then another department starts it all again.

geordie_joe

gliden wrote: »

I am a court bailiff who deals with these as warrants- shortly they will get a letter asking them to attend court if the tv licensing are taking it further- they must attend and explain this to the magistrate.

Why MUST they attend court? I thought people were presumed innocent until proven guilty. All the TV license people will be able to say in court is "They didn't have a TV license a year ago, as they didn't have a TV. But now we think they may have a TV".

mymatebob

geordie_joe wrote: »

Why MUST they attend court? I thought people were presumed innocent until proven guilty. All the TV license people will be able to say in court is "They didn't have a TV license a year ago, as they didn't have a TV. But now we think they may have a TV".

Exactly

The letters from the licensing people can go straight in the bin.
They are in no way relevant to anyone who does not have a TV.
Do not under any circumstances let the people from TV licensing into the house - they have no powers of entry.

Although I am a supporter of the licence fee in principal the incompetence and intimidation in the manner in which it is administered by Crapita p!sses me off.

Some useful information may be found on this site
http://www.tvlicensing.biz/

And this one makes amusing reading
http://www.bbctvlicence.com/

JCD_Capulet

I gave my TV away, cancelled my cabel channels and rang TV liscence folk to cancel that too, all over a year ago now. AND when I cancelled the lady couldn't have been nicer, she sent me a small form to fill in and claim back the remainder of feed I'd paid up front in advance

Dreamnine

I still get grief from them about not having a license, despite not owning a television. I told them that I don't have a license for a shotgun, either. Or for dangerous chemicals.

They are idiots. They assume that everyone watches TV.

Bazz_2

Good news, well as far as my friends are concerned, she finally got through to a human being who simply took details and announced 'that's it ! I've crossed you off our list '.
I ( and they ) hope that is the last of it !
Thank you all for your comments

Suzy_M

Bazz wrote: »

Good news, well as far as my friends are concerned, she finally got through to a human being who simply took details and announced 'that's it ! I've crossed you off our list '.
I ( and they ) hope that is the last of it !
Thank you all for your comments

Good news for your friends but warn them they will keep getting 'reminders' from the TV licensing. Partly because the details are in the mail-shot systems months in advance but also to double-check a TV license is still not required (and possibly to catch-out anyone trying it on). They'll probably get quite a few to start with and then it's just an annual confirmation.