Tv Licencing Court Charge

silverwhistle

Madam... :-)


But you're still watching. My point was that some of us don't, at all, at home.

VisionMan

silverwhistle wrote: »

Madam... :-)

But you're still watching. My point was that some of us don't, at all, at home.

Ah! And I take your point about the iPlayer radio. It's a very good service.

Cornucopia

silverwhistle wrote: »

And whilst I'm on a minor rant, spare me, oh gawd spare me from the anti-BBC nutters who go on about bias, that they're pro royalist and the like. Have they ever considered the alternative sources they might have to rely on? Have they never noticed that even the selection of stories can lead opinion? Have they never noticed the difference between the front page of The Sun/The Daily Mail/The Guardian/The Independent? Have they never noticed the trivial crap the aggregators bring us?

They want to rely on new sources with purely commercial agendas?

To them I say, think a bit more deeply...

I think there is bias at the BBC (why wouldn't there be). However, it isn't (in the main) party political. It is issue based. In areas like US politics, the Environment, Multiculturalism and a number of others, the BBC is not as impartial as it probably should be.

I don't think that the BBC is markedly superior to ITN (providers of ITV and C4 News programming). I think that the preference (for the BBC News) expressed by the Public is probably largely historic.

I don't think you can compare broadcasting and newspapers in this respect, because they operate to different rules.

Kloes_Mummy

Hello,

Apologies for not replying to this forum. I was under the impression I would receive a notification email if anybody replied or commented. I am not an experienced user of forums, so once again apologies if I post anything incorrectly. I sent an email to the CEO of Capita which had the following details -

Dear Mr Parker,

I would like to raise a formal complaint due to the way 2 TV Licencing officers conducted themselves on the 25th May 2016 and also in regards to the information that was given to me by customer service agents by telephone call when I rang to raise a complaint the same day.

On the charge sheets there are two matters that I would like to address.

First - I do not have a tv subscription service to TALK TALK YOU VIEW. I advised the two officers that I had fibre broadband only and this was with PLUS NET. I have been with PLUS NET 18 Months.

Second - I did not state that I only watched recorded programmes. I stated that I only watched Catchup Services, namely BBC IPlayer due to my daughter being infatuated with Bing and In The Night Garden. This was playing on the television when I invited the officers In to my property.

I have been sent a single justice procedure notice by tv licensing. I was visited by them on 25th May 2016.
I let the gentleman in as I was under the impression I wasnt breaching any laws.

I do not watch tv. I only watch i players as my 14 month old daughter is obsessed with TV characters that can be watched on the BBC i player. I asked them to come in so they could see that the television was playing an episode on the BBC i player, catch up channel.
I explained it was a smart TV and they asked me the brand of television and if it was mine and when bought. I said I had the television two years. They saw I had a you view box and asked why I had it , I explained that my Smart TV only had limited apps and that I could get ITV player and Channel 4 on demand through the box.

I explained that since I had lived at the property I had only broadband service never a television subscription service and only used TV and You View Box for the catch up services. My friend who was visiting me had to leave, and just after this point the two men changed from being quite friendly to very serious.

One of the men started telling me he was cautioning me for having equipment capable of receiving channels. I started getting very anxious at this point as my baby was getting distressed as they were strangers and she didn't understand what was going on I was shaking at this point.

They asked if the television could receive tv channels 1-5 and I said I thought all televisions could. At this point the 1st man nudged the second and he wrote down "admitted channels 1 -5" . I questioned it saying why have you wrote down that and he explained that it was just a formality that they had to explain to every person to make them aware that televisions can receive channels. He then told me to get rid of the You View Box and then I wouldnt be breaching any laws even though I only use it to watch catch up tv. My daughter got really upset at this point so they then left saying to make sure I got rid of box as they would be coming out to check. As soon as they left and I had settled my daughter I rang the TV Licencing Company to complain about the two men as I couldnt understand what I had one to breach anything.

The lady I spoke to advised I had done nothing wrong and that I had not breached anything as I only used catch up TV and I said I wanted to report the two men as they were giving people the wrong information , she asked me to wait while she spoke to her superiors and returned and advised that I was correct I was withing my rights and tat I had done nothing wrong and that she would be updating the system to prevent further visits.

I advised her that I wanted to take it further as I wanted to make sure no other person was given this wrong information and to ensure that future baliffs were trained correctly. I was put through to a specialist team that deal with these matters and was told that in fact the first customer service agent I had spoke to had in act gave me the wrong information.

That the baliffs were correct and that it should have been explained that because I had an ariel then I was in fact breaching the tv licensing law. He advised that to ensure that I wasnt I needed to reset my television to make sure no channels were signalling and that would be perfectly fine. I asked about the you view box and he said if it was connected by ethernet and not aerial then that too was fine. I advised that they needed to sort out their customer service agents and also the baliffs and make sure they armed them with the correct information and train them so they handed out information correctly to every person, he advised that they would look into this and I thought that was the end of the matter.

I would like this investigating and I would like a copy of the phone calls when I rang to raise a complaint about the officers.


Today I received this email in response - would greatly appreciate any further advice on the matter as I have not yet sent the court form off as was waiting for the response.

customer-relations@tvlicensing.co.uk
9:48 AM (9 hours ago)

to me
TV LICENSING
DARLINGTON
DL98 1TL

Tel : 0300 790 6030
Email: customer-relations@tvlicensing.co.uk
Our Ref: COM1-1282380226

Dear Miss Szczambura

Thank you for your patience whilst I investigated your complaint. If you wish to contact us in the future please use complaint reference COM1-1278429525.

When we called at your address it was unlicensed. As part of our normal enquiry process, the visiting officer was asked to confirm the situation and keep our records up to date.

I noted your description of the visit and would like to assure you that we expect our staff to carry out their duties in a polite, professional and accurate manner. All officers are regularly monitored to ensure that working instructions are followed.

Normally, any complaint regarding an officer will be raised with their manager for investigation, but the officer who called is no longer an employee of TV Licensing and so we’re unable to follow up your complaint with him.

Although, details of your complaint have been formally recorded, we also report the details of any complaint to the BBC (the Licensing Authority) and our Directors on a monthly basis.

In regards to your email regarding the proof of your subscription to Plusnet, I regret to inform you that we wouldn’t be able to use this as confirmation that a TV Licence isn’t required.

If you wish to obtain any information regarding any further action, please contact our Prosecution Department on 0300 790 6034.

I hope I’ve been able to explain the situation and I’d like to thank you for taking the time to contact us.

Yours sincerely


Lewis Bolan
Customer Relations

NOTE: I am not trying to offend anybody by this thread, but just wanting advice on being forced to pay for something I do not use. Surely I should have a choice whether or not I use a service??? Other providers of tv channels have managed to offer their services by requiring passwords etc, it is not forced upon any customer to pay for it if they dont use it? Why cant the BBC work the same way?

Cornucopia

I would definitely try to contact TV Licensing Prosecutions on the number provided. I should warn you now that their lines are often very busy, so you may have to try over a period of several days. First thing in the morning, lunchtime and late evening are the best times to get through.

They are your best chance of getting the Summons withdrawn. If you are struggling to get through to them, though, and the date for requesting a Court hearing in place of the Single Justice procedure is approaching, then do go for a Court hearing and plead not guilty.

The offence is about whether TV is actually being watched. Having said that, TVL staff and the Courts also consider the type of equipment and how it is configured as evidence of whether it is being used to watch TV broadcasts.

Sadly, the British justice system is somewhat tatty around the edges, and the TVL regime has many issues with it. By all means raise the situation with your MP.

Kloes_Mummy

I did not have any reason not to let them in. They were quite pleasant at the door. It was only after my male friend had left that they become quite stern and started questioning me like they were police and telling me I was receiving a caution.

Cornucopia

Kloes_Mummy wrote: »

I did not have any reason not to let them in. They were quite pleasant at the door. It was only after my male friend had left that they become quite stern and started questioning me like they were police and telling me I was receiving a caution.

70% of TVL defendants are female. Their operatives are mostly male. I cannot say for sure that gender-related bullying is common, but it seems quite likely.

VisionMan

Cornucopia wrote: »

70% of TVL defendants are female. Their operatives are mostly male. I cannot say for sure that gender-related bullying is common, but it seems quite likely.

You should see some of the females I work with. Very helpful, but I wouldn't cross 'em. No sir'eee.

VisionMan

I've just seen this posted elsewhere -

"The licence fee money disappears into the government pockets."

What's meant by this comment?

Cornucopia

VisionMan wrote: »

I've just seen this posted elsewhere -

"The licence fee money disappears into the government pockets."

What's meant by this comment?

I don't know, and having read it in its original Digital Spy context, I'm none the wiser.

The Licence Fee is technically a tax, and it also passes through Government channels before being given back to the BBC, effectively as a grant. It's a gentlemen's agreement that the BBC receives the entire amount (less any small contributions to broadcasting related "special projects" of the Government's choice).

So, it could be a reference to that.

Alternatively, the Digital Spy anti- anti-Licence Fee crowd have some unique views in some areas. One of their persistent suggestions is that should the BBC disappear, the Government could not only decline to replace it with an alternative public service broadcaster, but also keep the Licence Fee and absorb the money raised (into central funds). To me, that scenario consists of several hugely unlikely elements piled one on top of another, but the Men in Bedrooms do like to be able to say: "Be careful what you wish for", to stifle anyone who dares to think for themselves.

On the other hand, that could give us £67m per week to spend on the NHS.

Who'd have thought that the cost of the BBC was in a similar order of magnitude to our net contribution to the EU?