TV Licence Direct Debit Rip Off HELP

AmyChristina

Hi guys,

Please help.
Previously paid my Tv licence In full.
Last year I set up as direct debit they said my only option was to pay for the full amount split across 5 months.
Typically if it's your first time they split it across 6 months around £24.25 per month but mine was paid in full over 5 months.
So I paid £29.10 for 5 months starting march enddd July. Then in August my online account said that a payment was due for £12.18 then £12.12 for the following 11 months.
But hang on ... I just paid for a whole year?
So I phoned them in July 2016 the gentleman completely agreed when I said ... well let's say I never leave my house/ cancel my Tv licence etc when would I ever get my 6 months I've paid for in advance back?
He said quote 'you wouldn't' (unless of course I died and someone attempted to claim a refund on my behalf)
His advice was to cancel the direct debit and they would be in touch next year (now this year) to renew it and then I could pay the £12.12.

So I've gone onto the Tv licence to see when it's up (28th of Feb) and I went to set up a direct debit and once again it's the option of paying it over 6 months.
At least it's 6 months and not 5 this time!
But the payment breakdown shows that I pay £24.25 for 6 months then as of September it is £12.18 then 11 payments of 12.12.
So once again ... why are we paying or am I paying 6 months in advance??
This time they actually now state "pay 6 months before sits due and 6 months after"
Okay ... but my QUESTION IS THIS:
When the hell would we EVER get our 6 months back? Unless we cancelled and requested a refund.
Someone else took over the bill ... and again we requested a refund.
Or once again ... you die ... and someone has to request a refund on your behalf!

Help! What can I do? I can't stand to be ripped off and I can't stand to constantly pay 6 months and then cancel my direct debit to wait 6 months set it up and do this all again ... surely this is a rip off? ADVICE ANYONE??

[Deleted User]

Unless you have died and no-one has told you yet I'm failing to see the problem?

It's how the license is paid for (6 months in advance, 6 in arrears) and the same as everybody else. You could just stop cancelling the DD and creating the same problem for yourself.

martinthebandit

You'll get the '6 months back' when your 75.

Marcio45

It might have changed a lot but our tv license we pay quarterly just under 40 quid every time. Its been like that for many years. Very straightforward.

Cornucopia

Marcio45 wrote: »

It might have changed a lot but our tv license we pay quarterly just under 40 quid every time. Its been like that for many years. Very straightforward.

You pay an extra fee (£5, I think) to pay quarterly.

The monthly DD scheme is free, but you have to pay 6 months in advance, then 6 months in arrears. There is always a credit on your account (between £40 & £70) and this can be refunded if the Licence comes to an end for any of a number of reasons.

AmyChristina

Colin_Maybe wrote: »

Unless you have died and no-one has told you yet I'm failing to see the problem?

It's how the license is paid for (6 months in advance, 6 in arrears) and the same as everybody else. You could just stop cancelling the DD and creating the same problem for yourself.

Like I said I've always paid in full so I didn't understand why you have to pay 6 months in advance and when I spoke to they gentleman at Tv licence he even said quote "it doesnt make sense" and told me that this year it would reduce to £12.12 (and it hasn't ... obviously given that this is as it should be) just feel stupid for cancelling it and having to start all over again if he'd of told me correctly last year but hey, we all make mistakes.

It just doesn't make sense that you have to pay 6 months in advance for paying it monthly but you don't if you pay it quartily (albeit a £5 charge) or in full.

For example car tax isn't charged 6 months in advance. I personally just think it's a little bonkers but at least now I know :-) I think I'll stick to paying it annually.

Thanks for all your help guys!

Cornucopia

You pay 6 months in advance/6 months in arrears so that someone paying monthly does not have any advantage over someone paying annually - it works out the same.

The TVL person really should have known that.

The scheme is set up so that you pay double for the first 6 months, and then after that it reverts to £12 or thereabouts each month. It's easy to imagine it being a rip-off of some kind, however, when you look into it properly it isn't.