Heavy handed TV Licensing!

ollyshaw

I remeber a presvious thread with a link to a consumer site focused on the TV licence. They had examples of letters to send to TV licencing. It was really good, anyone got the link?

Olly

morlandbanks

I bought a DVD player a few weeks ago and stupidly filled out the form they ask you to. Since had a letter demanding I buy a licence. Well I already have one!! Why don't they check the address and save themselves (me) the postage??!!
If they think I'll be ringing the 0870 number to point out their error, they'll be wrong.
I'll keep you posted - the home visit to 'catch me out' will be interesting!! I have a nice shiney new licence that they posted to me on Saturday, becuase I pay by annual Direct Debit!

tawnyowls

whambamboo wrote:

The detector van is just propaganda. If they do exist, they are not actually used on the street.

And even if they were, there's no way you could work out which house was receiving a signal to any of whatever number of TVs the average house has.

The very fact that the people prosecuted for not having a TV licence are young single mothers in lower socioeconomic groups proves that they just go for the easy target. Load of BS. Roll on the EU ruling that will stop this unjust tax. I have no objection to paying a subscription to use a TV service, as for the phone, broadband, etc - I do object to it going into the pocket of a single TV broadcaster.

Mr_Meanie

I’m in a similar situation, I’ve had quite a few of these 'official warning' letters over the last 10 years or so, it’s quite simple, no TV receiving equipment being ‘used’ no TV licence needed.

Throw them in the bin unopened, ignore them, don't even bother phoning them or writing letters, there is no reason why should you spend your time money and effort on them.

If they do come to see her (which I very much doubt) tell her to refuse entry to them and close the door, don’t talk to them, don’t answer any questions, don’t sign any forms, and don’t invite them in as they have no right of entry to your property unless invited, or they have a search warrant granted by a magistrate (extremely unlightly).

I’m still waiting for my first visit with over 10 years of threatening letters behind me,

Your friend has nothing to worry about.

Skint1

Check out this site it should help let you know where you stand.
http://www.tvlicensing.biz/

whambamboo

taxi97w wrote:

Is it legal for stores like this to send your information on without your consent? Is there a data protection issue here?

Yes it is. It's required under law that they notify the TVLA when they sell the equipment.

They have prosecuted retailers for failing to pass on the data.

They'd be Data Protection Act registered anyway....

Petmidget

I used to love the bull about detector vans. Think about the science.

A TV receives a signal, it does not broadcast in any way shape or form (or at least pre digital it didnt)

So what are these "vans" detecting. It was all just propoganda.

rjm2k1

Never been really sure about detector vans, I always had my doubts, but I saw something internal to the industry which suggested they did work, but they didn't currenly use them because of some EU privacy or interception issue. You don't really need a lot of equipment to drive around late at night looking for tv's which are on in peoples lounges, even with the curtains closed you can generally work out if they have one from the light changes.

alanobrien

Petmidget wrote:

I used to love the bull about detector vans. Think about the science.

A TV receives a signal, it does not broadcast in any way shape or form (or at least pre digital it didnt)

So what are these "vans" detecting. It was all just propoganda.

Even if it did emit a signal you would have to triangulate it to locate the origin - funny really.

Digital of course could be more easily detectable if detection is based on the interactive functions. Somehow i suspect they will just stick to their list of non payers easier to chase than detect.

babyangel10

I'm a property developer and in my last job I too was hounded by TVLA who persistently wrote to me about not having a licence. I wrote once to explain that not only did I not have a TV, but there wasn't even a piggin aerial on the roof (or elsewhere!) so I couldn't watch the bl00dy thing if I did have one! But still they wrote. And still I threw their letters in the bin! Stuff em - if you aren't doing owt wrong then you've got nothing to worry about.