Being chased for debt that does not exist - TV License

GF83

I did not know where to put this, as I am not actually IN any debt. If its the wrong place please move it mods

I lost my job last year, I usually pay my TV license in a lump sum but obviously being on jobseekers allowance right now I cannot afford to do that. I set up a payment plan with them where I pay £5.60 a week. I feel behind by 3 weeks recently due to unforeseen costs, and during that 3 weeks I had a total of 8 phonecalls, one that threatened me with court action. I paid this up to date on Tuesday just gone. Well, I paid £20 instead of the £16.80 that I owed as it was much easier.

Since Tuesday I have had another 2 calls, one at 9am this morning. The one this morning really annoyed me, I had been up most of the night ill and then I get a random phonecall off some guy moaning on about a payment that isnt even due yet, when I already had an identical phonecall yesterday. I am actually £4.20 UP, rather than owing anything right now. I actually hung the phone up on the guy who called me this morning, because he was pretty much scolding me, I felt like a child, and he was just repeating himself over and over for literally about 30 minutes about when my next payment was due.

I am wondering if there is anything I can do to get them off my case as its really annoying me. I told them I would be a bit late making the first payment that I mentioned as soon as I realised I wouldnt be able spare any cash until this month, and after that I got a nasty phonecall every 3 days or so until I paid it...and now the calls continue even though I dont actually owe anything? I find that really unfair. I really don't see why they are getting themselves so worked up in the first place over debt that is less than £20. I'm sure others are much more in debt than that...it just seems such a paltry amount to make so much fuss over. I am aware that it was my own fault for being late with the payment, but as I say, I did tell them as soon as I knew, and as soon as I had the cash I did what I said and brought the account fully up to date(even into credit)

Is there is a way to stop them actually contacting me by phone? As I am sure they should not be hassling me this much and I am unsure as to why they seem to have singled me out as I have had no problems at all in the past. Its really starting to stress me now, to the point where Im considering getting a provident loan or something to just pay the full amount off, even though I am on a payment plan. I'm sure I would get much less hasle off provident(although I have heard horror stories about them) than I am currently getting when I'm not even in debt

Any advice would be really appreciated as I'm really coming to the end of my tether here.

fracturedsun

It can take awhile for their systems to be updated. When you get phone calls just tell them that you have made a payment in the last x days and are now up to date with your payments, thank you, goodbye and then put the phone down.

You can request that they only contact you by post and not phone too if you find you are suffering continued harrasment. You may get better results if you put a complaint in writing. I'm sure someone on this forum can provide you with a template letter you can modify.

GF83

fracturedsun wrote: »

It can take awhile for their systems to be updated. When you get phone calls just tell them that you have made a payment in the last x days and are now up to date with your payments, thank you, goodbye and then put the phone down.

You can request that they only contact you by post and not phone too if you find you are suffering continued harrasment. You may get better results if you put a complaint in writing. I'm sure someone on this forum can provide you with a template letter you can modify.

They know I made the other payment, I told them yesterday and today and both times they said they already knew I had paid the outstanding debt and that the calls were to remind me that the next payment was due on 11/10/11. Which is why I dont know what on earth they are moaning for. But even so, when I was still in debt by £15, I think its a bit overboard to make a call every 3 days, especially when I told them on the first call that I would be unable to pay until this month

I would really like to get a letter template, as I would wish to complain and get this madness stopped

GF83

OK now Im seriously peeved off.

After the two phonecalls I received both yesterday and today informing me that I was due to make a payment on the 11/10/11...I have now received a text from them saying I am now £2.40 in debt and to pay ASAP. This is really starting to take the pee now.

kdenty

When I moved house I wrote to them to advise them I was moving as you can take yor licence with you. Despite writing 3 times I got about 10 letters advising me I did not have a licence and was going to face court action even though I did also get a 'thankyou for updating your details letter'. In the end I was hoping they would take it further just so i coudl show someone my proof!!

They are a nightmare and I have great sympathy for you.

boogiemaster

No TV Licence is needed if you don't use any of these devices to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV - for example, if you use your TV only to watch DVDs or play video games, or you only watch programmes on your computer after they have been shown on TV. If this is the case, please let us know, as this helps us to keep our database up to date and means you won't receive the standard letters we send to unlicensed addresses.

You can always inform them of usage change?

They have no right to come into your home and you can always remove their right of access by sending them an email

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check/viewtopiccontent.aspx?id=TOP12&iqdocumentid=TOP12&WT.mc_id=r001

boogiemaster

Also read this http://tpuc.org/stoppayingtvlicencefees

GF83

I do use TV though. I have no problem with paying the license(although I cant pay for it straight off, which is why I have my payment plan)

I do however have a problem with being absolutely hounded for less than £20, after the first rep I spoke to said a late payment would be fine as long as I paid on the date I said I was going to (which I did). After this I get another 7 calls, until the day I paid.

Then yesterday I get another call telling me that the payment has gone through and my next payment is due on 11/10/11. Then another today saying the exact same thing but rabbiting on about absolutely nothing for about half an hour until I got so fed up of trying to cut the useless conversation short that I hung up on him. And THEN about 3 hours after I was told that my account was fully up to date until 11/10/11, I receive a text from them saying I am £2.40 in debt. Seriously what on earth is going on here. Even if I was £2.40 in debt, which I am not(as I have been told both yesterday AND today) is it really worth hounding me for the sake of 2 quid?

I just want a way for them to delete my phone number from their system. As its starting to really get me annoyed now, to the point where I may end up totally snapping at the next person to ring my mobile. I want them to contact me by MAIL only(although i suspect that if I can do this I will be getting a letter everyday for some reason or another)

They are an absolute nightmare.

RAS

Write to them and tell them to remove your phone number from their records.

And if they ring, then complain to the Io that they are breaching the DPA.