TV Licensing harassment letters

oldernonethewiser

Latest letter from the delightful TVL.


I have been "scheduled for a visit" or at least my address has as the letters are only addressed to the occupier.



I can hardly wait........

Cornucopia

oldernonethewiser wrote: »

Latest letter from the delightful TVL.

I have been "scheduled for a visit" or at least my address has as the letters are only addressed to the occupier.

I can hardly wait........

You have to admire(?) the arrogance of these people. That someone, somewhere in a part of the BBC and/or Capita and/or another outsourcer has looked at what they want to say, and selected those specific words... even though we know (and we know they know) that whatever they mean it isn't...

Scheduled adj something planned for a specific date and time.


... although this seems more plausible -

Visit verb inflict something unpleasant or harmful upon someone.

boo_star

Cornucopia wrote: »

You have to admire(?) the arrogance of these people. That someone, somewhere in a part of the BBC and/or Capita and/or another outsourcer has looked at what they want to say, and selected those specific words... even though we know (and we know they know) that whatever they mean it isn't...

Scheduled adj something planned for a specific date and time.


... although this seems more plausible -

Visit verb inflict something unpleasant or harmful upon someone.

I'm not a fan of the BBC Licensing sham but you're being ridiculous.

What else do expect them to say? "We'll be be round at 4PM."? And then you'd complain that it's far too casual English.

oldernonethewiser

boo_star wrote: »

I'm not a fan of the BBC Licensing sham but you're being ridiculous.

What else do expect them to say? "We'll be be round at 4PM."? And then you'd complain that it's far too casual English.

A version of that was in an earlier letter.



They have a list of dates and one has a red circle round it with the comment "Will you be in on xx date?" as a visit may happen.


I was and it didn't.

Cornucopia

boo_star wrote: »

I'm not a fan of the BBC Licensing sham but you're being ridiculous.

What else do expect them to say? "We'll be be round at 4PM."? And then you'd complain that it's far too casual English.

I just want them to be completely truthful and not to use language that could be considered misleading or threatening.

The equivalent phrase from their own policy documents talks about an address being "made available for visiting". Which lacks elegance but is more accurate in terms of what is actually happening.

In terms of plain English, it probably needs to be something like this: "the next step in our process is to visit your home. You do not have to allow us entry or answer any of our questions".

Arthog

We had years of the threatening letters from TVL. (I have never lived in a house with a TV set!) At first they accepted our word for it, then came a letter so threatening that I took it straight to the Police Station and asked the officer if TVL were allowed to carry out the threats. He said they are, and rang them for me. They agreed to leave us alone for 3 years, which they did.
An officer did visit and we didn't let him in, but politely said he was welcome to walk around and look into all windows in search is a TV set, and we gave him a ladder in case he needed one.
We bought a Licence immediately when we needed one for downloading BBC programmes.
End of TVL attacks.
Now we have the BBC Free Licence issue, and as our favourite programmes disappear as soon as there is a sports event taking place, we are certainly being overcharged even when the Licence is free!

googler

SRussell wrote: »

Hello.. could someone help me draft a letter up to send to the TV Licence people please..
They continue to harass me with threats and visits and i am a very poorly person with having severe migraines constantly from a cyst on the brain plus other disability and always too ill to talk or find the right words to them, i do not watch any BBC at all full stop, or watch tv and do not know the correct words to send to them.. please help.. many thanks :cry

If you've received one of their standard letters with the multiple-choice questions about reasons not to require a licence (recently moved, someone else has the licence etc.) then, if there is an option to tick "I do not own a TV", tick it and return.

Years ago, when I went for a number of years without a TV, I got TVL forms regularly, and they did not, at the time, include such an option.

If this is still the case, then take a permanent marker, sharpie, or other big, prominent pen, and write over the options, in big block caps;

"I DO NOT OWN A TELEVISION, NOR ANY OTHER TV RECEPTION DEVICE"

and send it back in their freepost envelope.

oldernonethewiser

googler wrote: »

If you've received one of their standard letters with the multiple-choice questions about reasons not to require a licence (recently moved, someone else has the licence etc.) then, if there is an option to tick "I do not own a TV", tick it and return.

Years ago, when I went for a number of years without a TV, I got TVL forms regularly, and they did not, at the time, include such an option.

If this is still the case, then take a permanent marker, sharpie, or other big, prominent pen, and write over the options, in big block caps;

"I DO NOT OWN A TELEVISION, NOR ANY OTHER TV RECEPTION DEVICE"

and send it back in their freepost envelope.

I've never had one of them.


Not that I would use it, I am firmly in the ignore camp.

googler

oldernonethewiser wrote: »

I've never had one of them.

Good for you, but my post was directed at the person I'm quoting ...

oldernonethewiser

googler wrote: »

Good for you, but my post was directed at the person I'm quoting ...

Good for you.


I was commenting on your post.