tv licensing

pavlovs_dog

i'll try to keep this short and sweet cos if i start grumbling you wont shut me up.

i signed up for my tv license at the freshers fayre when i started uni, and set up a direct debit to make 4 quarterly payments. i was assured that it would be easy to cancel the final quarter because being a student, it would not be needed.

my final installment was due to be paid on june 1st. about a week and a half before this, i wrote to the tv licensing people explaining that, as discussed when i signed up, i wouldnt need the last quarter because the room is no longer in use (its still mine til the end of june, but i moved all my stuff out before i came home for exams in may).

on june 1st, despite my direct instructions NOt to remove the money, they took the last quarters payment.

i phoned them this morning to find out why they have removed money from my account against my express wishes, and their customer services advisor told me that my letter wouldnt have been processed yet :mad: and that all he could do was send me a form (which will take at least 10 days to reach me) to claim the money back, but unless i have proof on letterheaded paper etc (basically you'll not get your money back unless you can invent a time machine and take us back in time to prove you werent there type of thing)....so even though they took MY money WITHOUT permission, they are making it sound like i stand a snowballs chance in hell of getting it back.

now i know direct debit (which i have just cancelled - they'll be getting no more money from me for a long time) is like a contract, i've kept my side, but they havent kept theirs.

is there any way i can claim/charge the money back via the direct debit aspect of it?

Jay-Jay_4

Yep!

Phone your bank and tell them that you cancelled the DD with the originator, ask them to raise an indemnity and refund you. You should be credited today or tomorrow.

Under the DD guarantee if you cancel with the company you are entitled to a full and immediate refund. If the company lost your letter then there may still be a dispute after you have got your refund.


Edited to say: If you still legally owe them the money (which it doesn't sound like you do) then the argument is between you and the company, the bank is not involved once they have refunded you the money. (The bank refund you and claim back from the company - the company may then pursue you for payment)

pavlovs_dog

cheers jay jay, i had a feeling i could get it back.

they just sound like they are going to make it as hard as possible to get the money back from tv licensing directly. they want proof of this, that and the other...which i wouldnt be able to give them ANYWAY because my uni dont give out such proof.

the only thing i can think of is that we have to sign ourselves in and out of residences, whihc i believe a record is kept of because of fire regulations, health and safetyetc. the next time im down there i shall have to look into that, see if i cant get the pastoral care people to jot me a letter on fancy paper...

Wig

The bank will refund you, then TV licensing will be on your case about your payment has been refunded via DD/bank and they might ask you to pay again, but you will tell them of the letter you sent and they should have recieved and processed by now.

I doubt they will take it further.

For future reference you should have cancelled the DD when you sent your letter, and you should have phoned them about 2-3 days after sending the letter to confirm your intentions person to person taking ref no. and name of person you spoke to.

And if you had a laptop capable of running off batteries with a TV card installed you wouldn't have needed a TV licence in the first place. I think you can still run it from mains, the important thing is that it is capable of running from batteries (but who is going to check anyway!).

Wig

You shouldn't need to fight to prove anything with them. As far as you are concerned, on such and such date you removed your furnishings inc TV and took them home, it doesn't matter if you still lived there or not, there was no TV there and that is that. You informed them of your intentions to remove TV so I can't see what they are fussing about.

daveboy

Phoning them would have saved all this fuss.

That's how I set my TV licence up and that's how I'll amend it should I move.

pavlovs_dog

cheers wig -yes, and im considering it as an important life lesson learnt

daveboy - phone them? having to phone them once on an 0870 number was painful enough!!!!


shall make me a trip to the bank this afternoon me thinks

Jem8472

Wig wrote:

And if you had a laptop capable of running off batteries with a TV card installed you wouldn't have needed a TV licence in the first place. I think you can still run it from mains, the important thing is that it is capable of running from batteries (but who is going to check anyway!).

I thought it was if anything was able to receive a tv signal you have to have a licence.

derrick

pavlovs_dog wrote:

cheers wig -yes, and im considering it as an important life lesson learnt

daveboy - phone them? having to phone them once on an 0870 number was painful enough!!!!


shall make me a trip to the bank this afternoon me thinks

Don't use the 0870 number, use the freephone number 0800 551550

Wig

Jem8472 wrote:

I thought it was if anything was able to receive a tv signal you have to have a licence.

Hi Jem,

Not in this case as he is a student away from his main residence (parents home) so a battery operated TV is ok without a licence. This includes Laptops. Of course his parents need a licence at home.

derrick

More info for students HERE

and general info HERE

Don't forget the freephone number (0800 551550) if you need to phone them