ARGOS SPYING FOR tv licensing...

victoriav

ARGOS spying for tv licensing!!??
Well!! I have to say I'm a tad outraged...I went to buy an extra freeview box yesterday from argos. Whilst purchasing I was asked name address postcode,etc, 'for the purposes of tv licensing people'..

Well I do have a tv license, this property has done for at least over 60 years..but if now argos need to know your details to pass to tv licensing, then what is the function of the tv detector van, and those horrible ads??

What's to stop anybody giving false details, especially in a queue of people who can hear everything, and if you refused then would argos say "ok then I am unable to sell you the freeview box if you don't submit your details"... Has anybody else found this, last time i bought one (last year) this did not happen..

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Sarahsaver

thats been standard practice for years;)

stugib

victoriav wrote: »

ARGOS spying for tv licensing!!??
Well!! I have to say I'm a tad outraged...I went to buy an extra freeview box yesterday from argos. Whilst purchasing I was asked name address postcode,etc, 'for the purposes of tv licensing people'..

Every retailer selling relevant equipment has to.

victoriav wrote: »

what is the function of the tv detector van, and those horrible ads??

Respectively: myth, and to scare people who don't pay, or in some cases those who don't need to but are being chased by TVL, into paying.

victoriav wrote: »

What's to stop anybody giving false details,

Nothing. Sure Argos don't really want the hassle but they have to.

victoriav wrote: »

and if you refused then would argos say "ok then I am unable to sell you the freeview box if you don't submit your details"...

Yes, probably.

victoriav wrote: »

Has anybody else found this, last time i bought one (last year) this did not happen..

They should have.

Helix

For every TV or Freeview Box you buy from any store you should be asked to complete a TV licencing form. Its not exclusive to Argos, if you wern't asked last time then the store was wrong as you should have been.

Tre-beam

Hi,
yes, unfortunately, this has happened to me every time I have bought something like that. In the past, among other things, I have bought a VCR from Asda, a freeview box from Comet and a dvd player from Argos. After each purchase I have then received a letter from TVL enquiring as to whether I have a licence! (they should check their records and see that I do!)

I have been tempted to give a false address just to avoid all the letters! :rolleyes:

TB

peediedj

last time i bought a tv from tesco,s i had to fill in the form,standard practice

robt_2

The OP made the same post on the Techie board and got the same replies.

Like I said there, think the OP got out of bed on the wrong side this morning!

Kavanne

When I got my TV from argos and my freeview box I had to give them my address details both times....

vikingaero

I give this name and address when I buy TVs:

Stevie Li-Sensing
St Pauls
Bristol
BS98 1TL

djb215

In particular for Argos if the customer refuses to give TV Licence details then we obviously refuse, however the till system won't let us put the item through unless we put the details in - it even does it on the quick pay kiosks! There's no way to override it.


In addition, when I am serving customers I tell them that the name of the person we take HAS to be the EXACT name of the license holder, so if Mrs Jane Smith bought a TV and put her name down, but the license is under Mr John Smith I've been told they (TV Licensing) will write to you!

mustrum_ridcully

djb215 - I've heard that people with different surnames at the same address can get a letter from TVL. One reason is some landlords divide properties up into "bedsits" where each tenant has a seperate contact (as opposed to a joint tenancy) so each person apparently needs their own license.

If surnames match then there shouldn't be a problem and to be honest I've never heard of anyone having a problem.