BBC licence fee

ianwilltoo

I have just moved into a new flat and wanted to buy a TV licence. I also wanted to spread the cost over the year and applied to pay monthly.

When I checked the payment plan I was told that I had to pay for the new licence over a 6 month period at about £24.30 per month and then I had to start paying for the second year's licence six months in advance at about £12.50 per month.

This means that in the first 12 months I will have paid for 18 months' worth of licence. I pointed this out to the TV Licence authority and was told that spreading the cost of payments help to keep the costs down.

I have asked for clarification on what seems like sharp practice to me but so far I have been ignored. I emailed Mark Thompson at the BBC this morning to see what he had to say on the matter... not heard back yet.

If insurance companies were to charge motorists 18 months's worth of fees in the first year to spread the cost of motoring insurance there would be uproar.

I might have taken a simplistic look at the situation but does anybody else have a similar view. Or is there anybody out there who can tell me I am wrong..?

davemurgatroyd

So look at it this way - if you paid annually (in advance as required) you would pay two years fee in one year and a day. After the first six monthly payments you will be in a variable amount of credit and debt on your account - 1 month in credit rising to six months in credit then six months in debt desreaing to zero. Seems a fair way of interest free credit for the months you are in debt. If you pay quarterly there is a charge added into the payments. Try a search on the forum this has been discussed here before.