TV License, worth it?

nig3d

I really did not know where to post this, so I decided to post it here. Feel free to move it if you want.

Question is simple. I do not need to watch TV, should I stop paying the license?

If you think so, what should I do to keep the TV since I use it to stream movie / play with the PS3?

Thanks as usual

esuhl

Well, it's up to you, really. Only you know whether you'd prefer to be able to watch live TV for a year or would rather keep the money.

You don't need to do anything to keep the TV. It's your TV to use as you please... but you just can't watch live TV. Streaming stuff from iPlayer, 4od, Demand 5, etc. is fine -- that's what I do.

nig3d

esuhl wrote: »

Well, it's up to you, really. Only you know whether you'd prefer to be able to watch live TV for a year or would rather keep the money.

You don't need to do anything to keep the TV. It's your TV to use as you please... but you just can't watch live TV. Streaming stuff from iPlayer, 4od, Demand 5, etc. is fine -- that's what I do.

Cool, but if an inspection comes, how do I prove that I am not watching the tv? The digital coder is integrated in the TV.

Happy_Hermit

nig3d wrote: »

Cool, but if an inspection comes, how do I prove that I am not watching the tv? The digital coder is integrated in the TV.

You don't answer the door to them.

If you do you can shut the door when they say who they are. You don't have to talk to them. You SIGN NOTHING (many reports of people being tricked into signing to say they have been watching tv without a licence)

You do not need to prove that you were not watching TV, they have to prove that you were.

Happy_Hermit

We got rid of the TV 5 years ago. Kids complained for the first couple of days and then got used to it. They get annoyed by the adverts when they see it on at other peoples houses now and none of them want the tv back - we are happy with our DVDs

The guys from TV licencing come visit us sometimes and we tell them we are not watching live TV and send them on their way. We have let them know by phone a couple of times and that stopped them turning up for a year or so - you don't have to phone and let them know but it can get them off of your back.

When we first got rid of the licence I was terrified of getting the knock on the door, it eventually happened and it was a bit of an anti-climax lol! I had read so many stories on the net I thought that we would end up with a load of stress but they just made a note and went on their way!

Andy_L

esuhl wrote: »

You don't need to do anything to keep the TV. It's your TV to use as you please... but you just can't watch live TV. Streaming stuff from iPlayer, 4od, Demand 5, etc. is fine -- that's what I do.

Just to clarify that, you can't use the "watch live" option on iPlayer (which I don't think the other channels have) but have to wait the hour or so after its broadcast for it to appear as a download/stream.

As Happy Hermit said they have to prove you were watching not the other way round. If you're feeling paranoid you could remover the aerial cable (especially if you've got kids/visitors who might start watching) but its not necessary

p00hsticks

In recent years the Tv licensing people seem to have accepted that there are now a number of reasons why people might have a TV but not watch live TV programs and the declaration you can make on their site stating that you do not need a licence now includes several options allowing you to say this.

https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/no-licence-needed/

Previously when I've completed this you were required to say that you didn't use a TV - but the last time I did this there were options for you to declare, for example, that you do have a TV but only use it for watching DVDs etc....

There is no obligation to complete such a declaration, but in my epxerience it will stop - for a few years at least - the persistent and heavy handed mailings threatening legal action that properties that do not have a licence are otherwise subjected to.

[Deleted User]

As has been pointed out you can keep the TV, that's fine.
If you are not watching TV and only using it for PS3 and/or catch-up services then you can contact TV Licensing and request an exemption certificate. My Dad works away from home (I don't live with him) and is only home at weekends where he usually stays at his partner's licensed house. At his own house, he has an exemption.

An old friend of mine's father works quite high up at TV licensing and told me all sorts of stories of people being conned/misled into signing stuff. Inspector's have quota's to meet so will often do anything to get signatures.

If worse case scenario an inspector calls at the house, ask them to identify themselves and then simply state it is not your house and you are merely house-sitting or whatever.
As soon as you agree to speak to them, they then create case file on you and your property, this is then how they obtain search warrants from the police.

Anyway, best thing to do is contact them and request an exemption. Only do this if you are 100% sure you will not watch live TV, if you do they can easily trace you.

Dollardog

Before Christmas, I started getting calls from the TV Licensing people, usually when I was out, anyway, I happened to be in one day and answered the call. They said that my license had run out and I had not renewed it. I said that was strange as I paid by DD, they said the DD had been cancelled earlier in the year. I remembered then that one month I had been really short of money and had had to cancel a lot of my DDs for that month and had forgotten to restart it. The licence had only been run out for about a month.
I said I would renew it but I didn't feel I really needed to as I had not watched 'live' tv for about 18 months, since having my laptop, I only watched iplayer on the various channels, I watched this on my laptop and didn't think the tv would even be working since the digital changeover as it hadn't been picking up many channels even with the freeview box as the aerial hadn't been adjusted or whatever you had to do with it to pick up digital signals, I hadn't tried it for a long time. The lady on the phone said that as I didn't watch any live tv, she wasn't happy taking the money for the licence and if I was sure I wasn't going to be watching it in the future, she would record that and I needn't have one. I said, even when I watch tv later from the websites, I usually get a bad reception on the laptop, it giving me messages that there is insufficient bandwidth and telling me to download the programme first, so that is what I do, I didn't even attempt to watch it live, especially as I am not even usually in when the programmes I want to watch are on, preferring to put them on 'series record' and watch when I want to. I asked though how I would be able to prove that I didn't watch live tv, as my tv was still connected to the aerial and I was unable to get to the back of it to disconnect it. Also, as I work uusual hours sometimes, I might not be in when the TV people called, she said they worked till 9pm, but if I wasn't in then they would just go away. She even said she would put down that I had not watched it since the digital switchover and asked when that was as I might even get a refund, I said I hadn't a clue as I had not been watching the tv.
All well and good for a few weeks, then I got a threatening looking letter from them, saying I was under investigation as I had not renewed my licence, I rang and said it was their call taker who had told me not to buy one. The operator looked at my file and saw that I had called and told them I didn't watch it, but the previous call taker had put those details on, but not cancelled the licence. they duly did this and said I should have no more trouble. I asked again about what would happen if I got a visit, as I could not prove I did not watch it, they said as long as I was not watching when they called, that was ok, but if I got 'caught', I could be fined up to £1000. I was not worried about being 'caught' as I do not watch it anyway.
I did actually just try the tv at midnight on New Year's eve, just to actually see if it did still work and to see if the fireworks were on it, but it didn't work anyway, as I had suspected, just got a snowy screen.
I'e just read the previous post though about them making a case on you if you answer the door and agree to speak to them, what's all this about them being able to get a warrent from the police to do a search? That does worry me as I have a laptop, that presumably would be capable of picking up some live tv, even if it was patchy and cutting off due to the bandwidth problem, also, upstairs, stored in my bedroom, I have a small tv which someone gave me for when I go camping, it runs off mains or leisure battery, that is a digital tv, have not got an aerial for it yet and it is still in the box they gave it me in. I had thought originally that when the digital switchover happened, I might get an indoor aerial and use that as my tv, but wasn't sure if you could get an indoor aerial that would pick up digital tv, so have never done anything about it, particularly as I am quite happy watching i-player downloaded programmes.

I am worried that they might do a search and say as I have got the equipment to enable me to watch tv live, then I must have a licence afterall, I don't want to get in trouble.

Sorry for the long post TIA

FrugalFranny

This one is a toughy, I don't watch (live) TV anymore, haven't for a good while, no real point with iplayer, 4od and so on. But I'll admit I am worried about stopping payments simply because the idea of random strangers having a 'right' to poke around my home looking for a working aerial, not to mention all the scare tactics I've heard are used and the above "Warrant" threat I've just read is alarming.

I recon the "Don't open the door or speak to them on the door step" method sounds best, if they want to talk to me they can try to ring or snail mail me (I don't give any bank information over the phone unless I've made the call myself directly and know the number is 100% legit...better safe than sorry!)

No one should feel pressured into paying a fee for a service they don't use, it's about time we said "stuff 'um!" I think. Fingers crossed, no knocking on the door a 6am grrrrrr!

nig3d

two questions:

will not paying affect the concept of credit score (who knows how it works really )?

when I first came in the UK, I paid a good initial amount of money to have the tv license. It was like I had to pay money beforehand. Now I do not remember correctly, but I had the feeling the TV license company made me pay one year anticipated.

I see my tv license will expire in September 2012. Does it mean that I am currently paying for the 2013 license or I am paying for the current license?