tv licence do i need one ?

moonrakerz

"Under the Communications Act 2003, you need a television licence to receive or record television programmes. This applies if they are received by a satellite, cable or land based transmitter. If you are watching any satellite service, controlled from within or outside the UK, you must have a television licence."

If you have a television in your house but are not using it for the above you do NOT need a licence and you do NOT have to tell the TVLA about it.
Their web site says you have to, this is c**p ! You DON'T.

Their "officers" have no powers to enter your home, arrest you or anything else.
They can send you threatening letters all they like - as long as you are not watching or recording live television (which can be detected from outside of your premises) you are quite legal.

alice's_mum

My friend never used to have a television, and she found that she constantly had to tell the TV licensing people that she did not actually have a tv in the house. They never believed her and she had lots of correspondence with various staff. When she had kids, she bought a TV, but only for the kids to watch videos on. She positioned this TV in a room that did not have an ariel cable so that she could not be accused on watching tv. Coz she'd bought her tv from a shop she got sent letters regarding a licence, she sent copies of all previous correspondence and told them TV not near ariel can't get tv programmes, they still turned up at her house on a regular basis to check she wasn't watching TV, the stupid thing was she didn't even have a ariel on the roof! Eventually though she did seem to get through to them that she DID not have a functioning TV they now leave her alone, but it took a long time.

If you write keep copies of everything you send and all replies, and notes from phone calls.

sloppychops

http://www.jifvik.org/tv/

http://www.taith.org.uk/tv/faq.htm

kronas

Alfie_E wrote: »

I believe any letter (or telephone call) won’t make much of a difference. Capita who are TV Licensing will go by the location of the address as to whether it’s likely an offence is taking place, not whether you bother to send a letter or what it contains. I certainly wouldn’t be so defensive as the letter you’ve written. Something like the following would do.

Thank you for your letter of … . I wish to inform you that no broadcast television is being watched or recorded at the above address.

If some does turn up, tell them it’s not convenient and to go away.

letter states towards the end of this month it goes to their 'enforcement division' to be taken further, i might just let them come and be defensive then, or let them in, depending on the mood im in, i know im not breaking the law so its of no problem to me, i just dont like being threatened, especially if the letter does NOT have mine or anyone elses name on it!

scheming_gypsy

computerwoman wrote: »

I still dont understand why if you are doing nothing wrong then just let them come and sort it out that way, as the advert says there is no escape from being detected, just pay the licence and be done with it everyone else has to why should you be any different,
sorry for being so blunt.
cw

shouldn't that say 'sorry for not reading the thread and just making things up as you go along'.

1 - the OP doesn't watch the TV just uses it to use a games console for music so not receiving any signal to the TV.
2 - do you honestly expect the advert to tell people that there is escape from being detected?

alzeebub

kronas, read moonrakerz post.

They have NO power of entry into your home.

Tell them you dont use it to receive broadcasts, then ignore/bin any persistent communications (there will be plenty of it!)

kr15snw

Yep you dont need one. You only need a liscence if you recieve a signal and watch this. As you dont, you dont need one!

But you need to tell them this again and again and again and again. Oh and if you buy a new TV or a dvd recorder or a video recorder then by law the company you buy it from has to tke your name and address as the government will check if you have a liscence or not. If you are not planning to use these items to record a broadcasted signal then thats fine, but you will also need to tell them this!

Oh and as somone has said the TV liscence people do not have any power to enter your home, theyre not like the repo people

greyteam1959

Did you also know that you need a TV licence to watch TV on your mobile phone at your address.
So how are they going to enforce that one then ?????

Keldin

No you don't need a license

No you don't need to contact them, explain what you are doing, what you are not doing or have any contact with them whatsoever.

They will send you threatening letters every month to harrass and intimidate you you into thinking you need a license - you don't.

If you tell them you don't require a license they will send you a letter saying thank you for informing them but they think you're a liar so they're going to send someone to check anyway. Don't waste your time even opening their letters let alone responding to them. Put then in the bin unopened.

If anyone from TV licensing ever comes to your house just close the door on them. They will lie and cheat to claim you need a license including lying in court. Close the door without even talking to them.

And just in case I'm not being clear - no you don't need a license :-)

K

kronas

http://www.taith.org.uk/tv/police.htm

so basically they tv licensing can say im guilty and thats that?!