TV License Inspectors

Azmataz

We don't watch/access/record TV broadcasts. However, we do have a TV and DVD player, as we have a DVD film subscription service.

Having eschewed TV for years in this way, I've had plenty of experience of worrying letters from TV Licensing, threatening this, that and the other if I didn't cough up the fee. Given that, I would have thought that their inspectors would have the same suspicious and borderline aggressive approach to non-license holders.

Last week, a TV Licensing Inspector knocked at my door for the first time and I've got to say that I was impressed all round! I confirmed to him that we do not access broadcasts via any equipment here and invited him in to check wherever he wanted to. He courteously explained that he didn't need to investigate further, as his monitoring equipment had not picked up anything. He was very amenable and personable.

Putting aside all the accusatory correspondence I've received over the years, I couldn't have asked for a more professional or polite TV Licensing person to come visiting! A pleasantly surprising experience!

Mark_Hewitt

I didn't think they had any monitoring equipment?!

sarahg1969

Why on earth would you want to invite them into your home?

Azmataz

I've heard quite a few people saying that over the years. After the recent visit, I am rather inclined to think that detection equipment does exist and is used by the inspectors after all. I can't think why the inspector would not have wished to come inside to investigate here otherwise.

Azmataz

sarahg1969 wrote: »

Why on earth would you want to invite them into your home?

So they can gather the evidence required to see that I don't need their license, of course!

timbstoke

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

I didn't think they had any monitoring equipment?!

They don't. What he actually meant was "There's no point checking - if you were actually evading your license, you wouldn't have invited me in"

davidlizard

I would not (and do not) invite them in for the following reasons:

1. They have been known to mislead people into self-incriminating themselves - people co-operate and the next thing people know is they have a court summons. There are cases on this very forum of this happening.

2. The vetting of staff is questionable. One inspector has just been jailed for rape. Do you want this sort searching around house?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-14768033

3. Capita's role in this is selling TV licences for the BBC. You would not let door-to-door salesmen for other companies to wander freely around your house to see if they need to flog you their products, so Capita/TVL/BBC are no different. It's my house and I will let in who I choose. TVL/BBC have the same right of entry as Talk Talk salesmen, Sky TV salesmen and other similar types, so there is no way I will permit my privacy and right to enjoy my property undisturbed being compromised.

Final_Days

davidlizard wrote: »

2. The vetting of staff is questionable. One inspector has just been jailed for rape. Do you want this sort searching around house?

You could apply the same logic to virtually any profession you care to name. Builders, plumbers, electricians, building inspectors, carpet fitters, window-fitters, policemen and so on, because a person from all those professions will have committed a sexual offence against a householder at some point in history.

Would you deny all these people access to your home or CRB check them before allowing them indoors?

Ridiculous statement.

davidlizard

Final_Days wrote: »

You could apply the same logic to virtually any profession you care to name. Builders, plumbers, electricians, building inspectors, carpet fitters, window-fitters, policemen and so on, because a person from all those professions will have committed a sexual offence against a householder at some point in history.

Would you deny all these people access to your home or CRB check them before allowing them indoors?

Ridiculous statement.

Which is a perfectly valid reason for refusing entry to anyone who has no legitimate right to enter your property - you never know who you are letting in or what nasty habits they might have.

My wife would certainly not want to be alone in the house with an unknown builder, and the same would apply for TVL. The builder however does not overstate his authority (uniform, anti-stab vest, threatening caution under PACE etc) to con his way in.

As I said, I choose who enters my house - not the BBC.

downshifted

We had a similar experience when we were renovating a house - we got all the letters and kept sending them back - one day a guy turned up and we said no we didn't have a licence as we didn't have a tv - he was perfectly polite and courteous and went away happy. We did say he could come in if he wished - and again, as with you he declined

corbyboy

Azmataz wrote: »

Last week, a TV Licensing Inspector knocked at my door for the first time and I've got to say that I was impressed all round! I confirmed to him that we do not access broadcasts via any equipment here and invited him in to check wherever he wanted to. He courteously explained that he didn't need to investigate further, as his monitoring equipment had not picked up anything. He was very amenable and personable.

So he knocked on your door to tell you that he didn't need to come in?

This TV licence stuff is all psychology. He clearly had no detection equipment.

They knock on the doors of people with no licence. If they are happy to let them in then they know they have nothing to hide.
If they become obstructive or tell the inspector to go away that is when they become suspicious and might look into things further.