ARGOS spying for tv licensing!!??

MaverickWill

I hate to say this, but don't the companies selling any type of TV goods have a legal obligation to ask you for these details? I remember buying a TV for my Wii (new in student digs, didn't have a TV with a working scart plug, etc), so bought a cheapy £20 15-inch from Cash Converters. I asked if it ran in 60Hz, and the guy said "Ah, it's for games consoles?". I gave my details to the shop, they sent them to the Licensing body, and 2 weeks later, they got in touch. No licence needed as I can't receive TV where I am, but that was it. No bother for me. Why so worked up?

Plus, if all else fails, eBay don't ask you for licensing details.

lilsarahlou

I actually work for Argos and previously worked for Tesco and I asked for tv licensing details from both companies. It is actually a legal requirement and without those details a purchase for a television product cannot be carried out.

Yes I find it time consuming and customers can be awkward to provide this information sometime, but if you have it what is the problem? At the end of the day it is a law set by government, not a store so don't worry Argos aren't spying on you.

Marty_J

lilsarahlou wrote: »

I actually work for Argos and previously worked for Tesco and I asked for tv licensing details from both companies. It is actually a legal requirement and without those details a purchase for a television product cannot be carried out.

You don't need a TV licence to own a TV.

[Deleted User]

Marty_J wrote: »

You don't need a TV licence to own a TV.

The law stipulates that the retailer has a legal obligation to pass the details on to TV Licensing. Whether or not the consumer is going to use that set to receive is irrelevant to the retailer, that is something for the consumer and TV Licensing to deal with.

Greatgimp

I suppose the stores aren't getting a kick back from companies pestering you to buy an extended warranty, as they 'magically' know when your manufacturer's warranty is about to expire.

Lakeuk

It does get annoying when you get harrassed to purchased a licence when your house is already licenced, just because they've not got a database that can workout that just because the person purchasing a TV has a different name to the license holder that the household is licenced

fox2319

The government has been accused of many things, efficiency isn't one of them. It's a carp system and it really doesn't help consumers or the government but it's the law so they have to ask.

I always find it fun to give a false name at my address just to see who they sell it on to...

dacouch

Fox2319 do you mean like Mr Pew Bikhair or Mr Paddy O'Furniture and give the address as Argos' Head Office so they get letters from the delightful TV Licencing, that would be childish...

slow_saver

Who cares what store sends your details to TV licencing, without the licence there would be no

beeb, so c'mon guys just pay the licence fee, its worth every penny!!:rotfl:

Lindy-Lou_2

I know this is not the rant board (before anybody mentions it!) but is it really fair that students sharing a flat in a university building have to have individual licences? It is a nice little earner for TVL when there are 8 rooms per flat @ c£140 pr = £1120 pf x eg 8 flats in the block = £8960 if everybody has a tv - why can't uni's have one licence like hotels?

I did buy my dd a licence and had I not I am sure they would have been on to her very quickly. However, my b-i-l died recently and I wrote and told them, despite numerous letters informing them and followed it up with telephone calls, they began writing 'Dear Occupier' !!

Even if they collect all the info from the various stores I would hazard a guess that it takes a few weeks to get onto the system anyway!!