TV licensing threats

Kayak10

I just wondered how many who read this pay for their TV licence via payment card
The reason for asking is I have a licence that is valid until the end of July 2014 I've been getting threatening letters as I have not started paying for my new licence As this has been going on most of this year I asked my local MP to find out if they can do this as I don't know any supplier or company that can demand you start paying for you next years service half way through your existing year
The upshot of my enquiries Apparently the law is such on tv prepayment that they can demand with aggression ( in my view this includes threats of court action ) to start paying half up front and half during the new year
They are also demanding I start paying for my next year ( July 2015 ) by January 2015
I am now in touch with people at the BBC and been advised TV licensing are going to tone down their letters from June 2014 as I got my latest one at the begging of July this has not happened
If anyone wants to write to the relevant people at the BBC I have their details I don't think I'm allowed to put them on here so just ask Tge main lady's name is (text removed by MSE Forum Team) at the BBC so u should be able to work out the email address
Hopefully if enough people complain we might just get this changed

Buzby

Not really relevant for the credit card section!

Why should it be changed? Are those who cannot pay it up front to be subsidised by those that do? The scheme isn't there to do anything other then allow staged payments so that you can legally view TV programming, and then ensure the licence is in place and the payments continue.

g6jns_2

The monthly payment scheme is unusual in the first year but it does eventually work out correctly. You don't have any option if you choose to pay by instalment. You are wasting you time fighting it.

chattychappy

It's all the rage to have a go at companies that send out chasing letters that look like something they're not.

Only a matter of time before TV licensing get caught up in this with their quasi-legal letters.

One of my tenants currently has two TV licenses because she misunderstood one of those letters and got so scared.

molerat

The TV licence is due in full at the start of the licensing year (as is car tax / licence). You can pay in instalments by their rules, the first year by 6 double payments in arrears and the following year by 6 advance and 6 arrears payments. The choice is yours, 1 payment up front or instalments.

FireWyrm

Or go to catchup only and tell them to naff off....

Kayak10

Buzby wrote: »

Not really relevant for the credit card section!

Why should it be changed? Are those who cannot pay it up front to be subsidised by those that do? The scheme isn't there to do anything other then allow staged payments so that you can legally view TV programming, and then ensure the licence is in place and the payments continue.

When I posted this I thought I was starting a whole new thread as I'm fairly new to this

The reason it SHOULD be changed is there are many venerable people out there as per one of the above Unlike me a letter threatening court action scares many folk If you are lucky enough to have the income to pay up front Great but like me there's many thousands that don't
I have worked for 43 years I am now on pension credits due to my personal circumstances and before you have a pop I don't drink or smoke but I still struggle on limited income
And as I pointed out the right people obviously agree with me as they have told me the TV licensing have got to tone down their threats I think this is a private company collecting the fees
I will update when I get further replies

gik

The venerable people you talk about who are they? HRH The Queen, MP's, who exactly?...or do you mean vulnerable people?

Cornucopia

Kayak10 wrote: »

I think this is a private company collecting the fees

Your (text removed by MSE Forum Team) is a BBC employee. The BBC is ultimately responsible for all the misdeeds of "TVL". It says as much on the TVL website. That Capita also have their fingers in the pie is not really relevant to the issues that arise from the Licence Fee.

I'd like to see some common sense with these letters, and I'll be interested to see what the BBC comes up with. No other company would be allowed to get away with what the BBC are doing.

nobbysn*ts

I've got an empty house. I found the tv licensing letter could be a little disconcerting; it started 'When you go to court'. Apparently I haven't contacted them, so they immediately try the heavy handed tactics. I won't be contacting them to tell them I don't need a licence. Every letter costs them a few more pennies in my view!

Kayak10

gik wrote: »

The venerable people you talk about who are they? HRH The Queen, MP's, who exactly?...or do you mean vulnerable people?

Sorry if my spelling offends I blame it on spell check :rotfl:
The people I'm talking about are the millions on or below the bread line just trying to survive
:mad: