TV Licensing DIRTY CHEATING SCUM!!!!

tobedifferent

Sorry this is so long..

A good friend of mine purchased a TV licence outright for a year on the 30th September 2005. She suffers from Bi-polar and also depression, she wants to get her self back on her feet. She uses a calendar to help her keep track of things because she tends to forget and push things to the side, she makes a month by month list and adds things (on top of the usual) to the month that they are due. On the list for this month is buy a new TV licence as hers expires on the 29th (that being a year).

Today she was at home with a friend when she got a knock on the door. It was TV licensing, they asked to come in and she said yes, afterall she had nothing to hide. They asked if she had a TV, she said yes, asked if she had a licence she said yes, asked to see it and she could not find it. The officer then said that a licence is valid for one year from the first day of the month in which it is purchased, therefore it expired on the 31st August (Valid for 11 months and barely a day despite paying for a year). I was unaware of this despite holding a licence for over 10.

But this was no problem we'll sort out a new one just sign here and i'll go. Done and then she read what she'd signed and rang me.

The statement said do you have a TV, Yes, do you have a TV licence, No, but she had stated yes as she was under the impression she had one. It then gave the PACE caution and a time this was administered followed by a does the customer understand - where yes had been written. No caution was administered at any point.

It also stated that It has been explained to me that under the communications act blah, blah Do you have anything else to say. No has been completed when this question was never given. She was under the impression that this was all informal but has been tricked into signing a 'confession'.

I'm conversant with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act to which this interview is supposed to have been conducted in accordance with and am fully aware that it is an absolute disgrace and attempt to intimidate and trick someone.

Before anyone states it both I and my friend are aware that she may have unknowingly commited an offence and she is willing to take the consequences (for all of 10 days when she had paid for a years licence). However, what causes the most consternation is the underhand way in which this interview was conducted.

I have already made a formal complaint to TV licensing and to her MP. How many times has this happened before?? I feel thats it an attempt to intimidate and bully people so they can get their bonuses (apparently each of these confessions add to their bonus). I am disgusted and sooooooo angry, how dare they!

If that idiot tha showed up this afternoon thinks tha this was an easy answer to his bonus he is very wrong. I will not let this lie. I wanted to warn people and also if anyone has any advice, maybe who else I can complain to about this it would be most appreciated.

And if they (TV Licensing) think a we're very sorry this is not to our usual level of service and further training i.e. TOTAL RUBBISH is acceptable then they are going to be sorry. I know there are campaigns by poeple that don't watch a TV but i'm going to start one for people that do but are abused.

I'm so angry!!

TBD

dmg24

I can understand your upset - that is disgusting. I'm pleased you are taking it further, because if it can happen once then it can happen again.

This situation makes me think of those nasty door to door salesman, who prey on the sick and elderly. This TV Licensing Inspector is no better than them.

Let us know how you get on with your complaint.

tobedifferent

Thank you for your words. I'm camly composing on paper (because I know i'll just email it to them without thinking otherwise). My response to their abuse of powers. They always get away with treating people like this. They messed with the wrong person. I'm currently going through section C of PACE under which this interview was supposedly conducted and ripping it apart one step at a time.

This can't go on its total C%&P

jobbingmusician

Well done, TBD - glad we have people like you to challenge flagrant abuses of power like this one seems to have been! Keep us informed..........

taxiphil

What a bunch of vindictive little jobsworths. The only solution is not to let these people in your house and to refuse to answer any of their questions. They have no powers of entry or arrest, they just rely on intimidation tactics.

the_tired_one

i dont understand what went on here. Did the lady have a valid TV licence at the time? If yes, what exactly happened? Thanks.

chatta

Hope they get laughed out of court if they have the guts to go that far :mad: Lucky she has friends like you to help her

tobedifferent

the_tired_one wrote:

i dont understand what went on here. Did the lady have a valid TV licence at the time? If yes, what exactly happened? Thanks.

I've gone back to the start to say the_tired_one this is not a rant at you, I can see you are asking a genuine question - its just that this matter gets me a little het up and is a general rant at the TV gestapo.

She accepts that her licence had actually expired (despite buying a licence for a year on the 29th September2005).

The point here is that she was tricked into signing a form saying that she had had an interview under caution stating that she had confessed that she didn't have a licence (when what she said was that she did, which she genuinely believed) Its a very serious matter as these can be presented to a court as a statement you have made whilst being aware of your legal rights (that being that you don't have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do mention when questioned something that you later rely on in court, anything you do say may be given in evidence). That means her mitigation (not excuse) of her illness, the fact she thought a licence brought for a year, would last a year does not have to be lisented to because of this statement it can be decided that she has had time to think about it and made it up. The caution is a vital part of our justice system and major cases have been lost when the caution has been said but the police have been unable to prove that the person had a good understanding of what it actually means - thats why the police normally ask the suspect to repeat what they understand the caution to be in their own words.

The form also says you have been made aware that you may be prosecuted is there anything else you would like to say - and no has been completed, she wasn't asked this question and would have had plenty to say.

A third party was present who is willing to vouch for everything that happened in the so called interview and has written everything down to keep it fresh.

I've checked the communications act and they have to prove knowledge and intent, my friends knowledge was that her years licence was valid for a year and she had no intention of watching TV without a licence. Therefore the fact of the matter is she is not guilty! There are crimes and there are misunderstandings and that is a fact, in my job a major part of the interview under caution is to prove the person was aware that they should have acted in a particular way. But again this statement is negating all this.

What makes me angry also is the speed of the visit, my friend is in social housing in a fairly deprived area, considering the interview tactics it would not surprise me if they purposely don't send out reminders to give them a greater chance of catching out vulnerable people. When I moved house I duly informed TV licensing to switch my direct debit, 3 months later I received a letter saying my property was unlicensed, I called them out and it turned out they had assigned my licence to another flat. It took them 3 months to even bother sending a letter to my house but she got 10 days, no reminder, no letter and a visit from a money grabbing *&^%$^&&*.

They get paid for each of these forms they return and each prosecution apparently. How many people in the same situation has this happen to?

Anyone who has a problem with my objection needs to sit down and have a think about why should murders and child abusers get the protection of our juctice system but Capita (on behalf of TV licenising) get away with flouting it so they can make money of the backs of vulnerable people!

ts_aly2000

We've had EXACTLY this.

I bought a licence a few months back before they stopped them at the post offices. It was the 30th July I think. Paid my money. Looked at the licence.

Hang On!! You've made a mistake. This expires on the 31st June 2007!!!!!

So effectively I've paid for a 12-month licence which is really only 11months!!!!!!!!!!!

11 Month licence. And still the bloody letters keep on turning up.

skippy64

I got wondering about all this as previously I had always paid for my TV licence by direct debit but this year I decided to pay for it outright. I did it online on the 27th June 2006 & my licence clearly shows it expiring on the 30th June next year. This suggest that there is a discrepancy/anonamoly between getting your licence (then) at the post office or alternatively purchasing/renewing online. I only mention this in case it is of any use to the OP's friend who quite clearly has been innocent in the knowledge that they had an expired licence.

loopy_lass

i had a licence, but kept getting letters from TV licence people started off pleasant & general, so i phoned, said i did have a licence, was told dont worry we have it on record our mistake, still the letters kept coming.. still i kept phoning & writing. still the letters kept coming & became threatening, so i got a huge piece of brown parcel paper feet long & a marker pen & wrote in BIG BLACK LETTERS .... I HAVE A LICENCE.... IS THIS BIG ENOUGH NOT TO BE IGNORED OR LOST!!!! IF YOU KEEP WRITING TO ME & THREATENING ME YOU ARE WELCOME TO TAKE ME TO COURT I HAVE A VALID LICENCE!!!!!

didnt hear anything else from them!!! ..... loose something that size i thought...

oh how i chuckled when i folded it up as small as possible & thought about them unravelling it in the office.... sent recorded delivery of course....


loops