TV Licensing harassment letters

serpent13

teddyco wrote: »

What I find incredibly amusing about the TV license rules is that a blind person only gets a 50% discount, while someone who is 75 gets one free. There are even discounts if you have a black and white telly.

Who is going to buy a black and white TV? Maybe a blind person!

I have also read that the TV Detection Van is a myth. They have vans circling neighborhoods to scare people, but the equipment tests won't hold up in a courtroom since there is no way to prove that the signal is actually coming from your home.

The only way they can prove it is to see your TV set through the window, get into your home to inspect the property and see the TV or get a warrant to enter your home. Do they really want to go to all that trouble just because they suspect? They certainly want the cheapest and easiest option.

I have heard of some TV License inspectors posing as survey conductors just so they can enter the home to check for TV equipment.

A TV License inspector tried to enter my home posing as a surveyor once; I ate his liver with some favre beens and a nice Chianti!

I hate to tell you but this post is as patronising as T V Licensing are.

I used to have a black and white tv until just over a year ago. I hardly ever watched tv and was happy to watch what bit I did on a B & w tv. It's the same picture you know. We don't get different programs or anything.

Anyway, I hardly ever watched it anyway so when my last licence finished I informed tv licensing I had got rid of it (which I did) and that was fine. I was impressed not to get any letters. Until two weeks ago, and now they're bombarding 'the occupier' with letters.

I wrote and withdrew their right of access to my land and property (I am detached) but they claim I can't do that unless I give them my name and signature and I'm not going to do that since I think it is nothing to do with them. I'm not on the published electoral register and ex-directory so unless I tell them, then they're stuffed.

I'm now returning their mail unopened to their freepost address in a nice BIG envelope stuffed with cardboard so they have to pay extra on it! Well it gives me a bit of satisfaction to do something.

They make me laugh - they don't seem to understand that they have to prove I have a tv. I don't have to prove I don't.

Sol00

Well done!

If TV Licensing were a little bit more friendly with their letters, people would be more than happy to help them.

I'm a student and live in halls of residence and haven't phoned them once in reply to their threats as:

a. I didn't like their tone from the first letter onwards, and
b. they expect me to phone an 0844 or 0871 number to tell them; the only phone I have is a mobile, so I'm not paying the costs to do that.

freakyogre

Nice to see this post as I have them pestering me at the moment!

When I initially set up my TV license in 2007 I did it online. All went well and they sent bills/took payment quite happily.

I moved in December last year but didn't have internet access, so had to do it another way. I phoned and was put in a queue, then got through, then got cut off. Each time I phoned (from a mobile) I got cut off so gave up on that idea. My sister then let me use her internet to do it online, but apparently my address didn't exist...helpful. So I went down the old paperwork route and posted the form to let them know I was moving house. I left it at that as assumed that's all I needed to do.

February I received their threatening letter (funny that as my address didn't once exist?!) that I have no license etc etc. So once again I phoned, got an automated system so left my details, once again assuming that would sort it all out.

Apparently not as I received another letter a couple of weeks ago once again saying I do not have a license.

I'm not going to make contact with them because as far as i'm concerned I have done everything correctly. If they want to phone me, fine! Had they done this sooner, this could have been resolved already.

What makes me laugh is they are taking payments as normal (infact only yesterday a payment went whizzing out of my account) so I am paying for something! Surely it can't be that difficult to figure it all out.

olias

serpent13 wrote: »

I hate to tell you but this post is as patronising as T V Licensing are.

I used to have a black and white tv until just over a year ago. I hardly ever watched tv and was happy to watch what bit I did on a B & w tv. It's the same picture you know. We don't get different programs or anything.

Anyway, I hardly ever watched it anyway so when my last licence finished I informed tv licensing I had got rid of it (which I did) and that was fine. I was impressed not to get any letters. Until two weeks ago, and now they're bombarding 'the occupier' with letters.

I wrote and withdrew their right of access to my land and property (I am detached) but they claim I can't do that unless I give them my name and signature and I'm not going to do that since I think it is nothing to do with them. I'm not on the published electoral register and ex-directory so unless I tell them, then they're stuffed.

I'm now returning their mail unopened to their freepost address in a nice BIG envelope stuffed with cardboard so they have to pay extra on it! Well it gives me a bit of satisfaction to do something.

They make me laugh - they don't seem to understand that they have to prove I have a tv. I don't have to prove I don't.

Thought I would patronise you as well by pointing out that this last post is over 2 years ago. Perhaps you need the 50% off for being blind:p:D

Olias

purplebutterfly

Mr_Meanie wrote: »

Here's an interesting little site for all you TV licence anarchists out there.

http://www.bbctvlicence.com/2006%20letters.htm

I've had much the same selection of letters over the last few years and a few weeks ago a man from Capita came to see me, unfortunately I was out at the time, shame, I would have loved to have a chat with him, but he did leave me a nice card saying he will call back soon.

That's an amazingly funny and informative site! Thanks so much for posting - I've just spent about half an hour going "yep, got that letter, and that one, and that one" :rotfl:

ShelfStacker_3

It's funny, I seem to be the only person whose entire dealings with TV Licensing involved calling them when I moved in, informing them that I didn't have a TV and to put such on their database and then not hearing another peep out of them. Bloody weird.

Just reading through this though:

Mr_Meanie wrote: »

Here's an interesting little site for all you TV licence anarchists out there.

http://www.bbctvlicence.com/2006%20letters.htm

Did the bloke writing that tell the TV Licensing people that he wouldn't be renewing? Or did he just leave it and assume they wouldn't care? It sounds an awful lot like the latter, and I can fully see why they might not be too keen on someone just not paying for a TV License, having done so before, with no contact being made to explain why.

Sol00

That site is funny.

What a waste of money sending out all those letters. They should've visited the address a long time ago to confirm there is no TV broadcast being received and left it at that.

ShelfStacker_3

Sol00 wrote: »

That site is funny.

What a waste of money sending out all those letters. They should've visited the address a long time ago to confirm there is no TV broadcast being received and left it at that.

Or maybe he should give them a ring and tell them that to save everyone the time and effort?

Sol00

Yes he could, but from my experience they still send out the letters anyway.

I live in halls of residence at uni and a few of my friends have phoned to say they don't have a TV, however, although they were told that's fine; they are still receiving letters.

myrnahaz

Don't you need a TV licence if you use a radio - even if you have no TV? I'm sure that's the case.