TV Licensing - Switch to DD and Pay a WHOLE YEAR in Six Months!

I_luv_cats

I pay monthly by payment card (paypoint or internet) and there are no extra charges.

If you opt for Quarterly payments they charge you 4 x £1.25 extra (£5 year more)

I begrudge giving them a year upfront so 6 months is a compromise!

davemurgatroyd

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

Certainly wouldn't use the word con but they will hold 6 months money for the entire term, for no technical reason. But like I said others may feel OK with it and each to there own, that's why they get away with it.

I'm sure if you go trough the FOI request answers on the DVL site it will state the amount of people paying by DD (I could but not really that bothered), multiply that by 6 months fees and the amount held on balance must be huuuge, and that is being held for no reason.

Its just not a good deal for me, makes no sense for me or the OP.

No way your maths and logic is seriously askew. They do not hold 6 months payment in advance for the whole term - it is 1 month at month7, 2 months at month 8, 3 months at month 9 etc then you are 6 months in arrears after month 12, 5 months after month 13 etc. So for 6 months of the year you are an average of 3 months ahead and for 6 months you are an average of 3 months in arrears. It is only if you look at just the first 12 months that you build up to 6 months ahead after that it averages out, remember that if not on DD you would have had to pay another full annual fee in advance after month 12 (something you seem to have totally overlooked).

TwistedPsycho

Think of it another way. If you pay in 12 monthly installments from day 1 you will always be in arrears (unless you pay month 1 by debit card or not use your TV until they have sorted the DD out)

Therefore technically you will never have a valid TV licence.

Doing it this way, you have paid 6 months of your licence before it becomes valid. If you DO hit on hard times or a DD bounces one month, then techncially you have still paid enough to be able to watch your TV

Tigsteroonie

TonyMMM wrote: »

The con is that they get you into paying for your licence 6 months in advance ...

As opposed to having to pay the whole year (£142) in advance?

MikeR71

Just a quick question as I can't find their contact number.

I started paying for my TVL 8 years ago and I remember paying the annual fee in 6 months. Ever since then I have paid around £12 a month for the next license. As such, I am 6 months in credit with them, right? So I can cancel my direct debit today and be covered until May 2012?

Kurtis_Blue

0300 790 6131

HappyMJ

MikeR71 wrote: »

Just a quick question as I can't find their contact number.

I started paying for my TVL 8 years ago and I remember paying the annual fee in 6 months. Ever since then I have paid around £12 a month for the next license. As such, I am 6 months in credit with them, right? So I can cancel my direct debit today and be covered until May 2012?

Not really...If you cancel the DD you will only be covered until the date printed on your licence if it's less than 6 months away. If it's more than 6 months away they will bill you for the rest. If you don't pay it they will cancel the licence and refund you on request. It's quite complex. If you want to cancel then just ring them and cancel from now and apply for a refund.

MikeR71

So if I am leaving the country for a few years, say emigrating to Timbaktu at the weekend, then I have 6 months of TVL money to be refunded for, right?

pbirmo

Say you shopped at Tesco, spending £200 every 1st of the month. Imagine if they asked you to pay £300 for that first shop, £200 for the actual price of the goods you bought plus a mandatory additional £100 which Tesco says goes toward your next shopping bill, BUT, your next purchase still costs you £200 and Tesco still have the additional £100 making interest in their account.

We'd shop in Asda telling Tesco where to stick it. Why do we allow tvlicensing such freedom?

I've just sent a message to tvlicensing asking them +WHY+ they insist on having 6 months of my money, £72, up-front until I die letting them know it was unethical. I hope I get an answer.

If it's not satisfactory, I'll go to my MP.

HappyMJ

pbirmo wrote: »

Say you shopped at Tesco, spending £200 every 1st of the month. Imagine if they asked you to pay £300 for that first shop, £200 for the actual price of the goods you bought plus a mandatory additional £100 which Tesco says goes toward your next shopping bill, BUT, your next purchase still costs you £200 and Tesco still have the additional £100 making interest in their account.

We'd shop in Asda telling Tesco where to stick it. Why do we allow tvlicensing such freedom?

I've just sent a message to tvlicensing asking them +WHY+ they insist on having 6 months of my money, £72, up-front until I die letting them know it was unethical. I hope I get an answer.

If it's not satisfactory, I'll go to my MP.

Have you read the thread? You can cancel the DD after 6 months payments (at about £20 each) have been taken then start it up again next year. Then they will never have any money in advance and will be getting some payment later than when it would have been otherwise due.

You also have the option of paying quarterly in advance in return for a fee.