TV licence visit - Doesn’t watch TV at all

silverwhistle

(The critical wording on that letter being "it may be on 28th December or another day" which makes a mockery of the headline question "Will you be in on 28th December?").

I've been round the cycle of different letters enough times to have had said letter half a dozen times, and they've never visited, either on the day or 'another day'..  

My last communication, only last week, was designed to look like one of those little red cards that the mail leave you to say they've something for you.

All I can say is that I hope they have a really cheap bulk posting rate..

Cornucopia

I think there was an FOI a while back that suggested a postage cost in the region of 13p per item.   IIRC.

FunkyCrunky81

Thanks everyone. I suspected as much though that it was an automated letter. Yes, wording was “Will your be in on X day or another?”, obviously designed to scare those not in the know - it clearly works. The only watching my daughter does is YouTube on the internet, lol. 

Thanks again for your advice. 

Takmon

I hope hope the BBC can find a way to only let viewers who have paid the bargain £155 access all live scheduled TV, and that includes the ridiculous "honesty box plea " on Now TV  such as the live Freeview available at the push of a button . 

I certainly wouldn't call it a bargain at £155 considering that i pay less than this for Netflix and there is far far more interesting content than provided by the BBC. But i think your right in saying TV is trashy and that's not the kind of things i'm interested in i much prefer to watch higher quality programs and films.
In the last year i have watched 22 hours of TV which i needed a licence for so i'm actually getting a pretty bad deal and it's not really worth me paying for it at all. 

wild666

Houbara said:

pphillips said:

Houbara said:

The licence fee is actually now the bargain of the century with people stuck indoors all day.
The hard bitten TV licence fiddlers will not go along with that though I m sure..

Not really a bargain if you can't afford it or a one person household. I personally don't watch live TV so I simply don't have one. I think the bargain of the century are all the online services that you don't need a TV licence to access. Some of these are free like YouTube, ITV player, All4, 5od and UKTV play. Others such as Netflix, Amazon instant video and Now TV have subscriptions less than the cost of a TV licence.

Since when has "online TV " been free..How much do they pay for broadband connection,  Netflix , Now TV , Amazon etc  mobile contract and internet .?
 Its a pity this forum is strictly moderated on this subject because I would be speaking a little bit more forceful if it was nt  . MSE members have full protection from me letting both barrels off lol, so in the meantime you can say what you want on the subject.
 I had many years entering occupants homes in my job as a meter reader and could see for myself what most people who claimed not to watch any live scheduled TV were in fact watching, without a TV licence..We also worked for Capita delivering TV reminder cards door to door ! I was in a unique position , better than Capita themselves to know what was happening , so forgive  me if I appear a sceptic 
. I hope hope the BBC can find a way to only let viewers who have paid the bargain £155 access all live scheduled TV, and that includes the ridiculous "honesty box plea " on Now TV  such as the live Freeview available at the push of a button . 

It's called a scrambled subscription model like Sky, Now TV and all other services that don't broadcast on FREEVIEW  

Cornucopia

Houbara said:

pphillips said:

Houbara said:

The licence fee is actually now the bargain of the century with people stuck indoors all day.
The hard bitten TV licence fiddlers will not go along with that though I m sure..

Not really a bargain if you can't afford it or a one person household. I personally don't watch live TV so I simply don't have one. I think the bargain of the century are all the online services that you don't need a TV licence to access. Some of these are free like YouTube, ITV player, All4, 5od and UKTV play. Others such as Netflix, Amazon instant video and Now TV have subscriptions less than the cost of a TV licence.

 Its a pity this forum is strictly moderated on this subject because I would be speaking a little bit more forceful if it was nt  . MSE members have full protection from me letting both barrels off lol, so in the meantime you can say what you want on the subject.

I think you misunderstand the nature of the forum and possibly of MSE itself. This is a Money Saving website, and if there is an opportunity to save money by legally avoiding the need to have a TV Licence, then that fits with the ethos of the site, and indeed is the basis of MSE's official article on the topic.

There is no "strict moderation" on this subject - simply that your oft-stated position is somewhat outside the scope of what goes on here.   We don't (generally) have people commenting from the side-lines about whether a given money-saving opportunity is inappropriate when it is objectively legitimate, and although personal experience of a topic is always interesting, it isn't definitive in the context of this topic.

The issue with your criticisms, also, is that they are directed at a group of offenders who are either not here, or not making themselves known (for obvious reasons).   The posters who are here, and are helping others on threads like this are not your "target", and you need (for compatibility with the Forum rules and ethos) to treat them with respect, and also give them permanent benefit of the doubt as far as their detailed compliance with the TV Licensing rules applies.  

[Deleted User]

MSE give all the advice ever needed if someone "needs " to buy a TV licence or not..It is all explained in great detail . No more advice is ever needed on the subject  .It is all covered, lock stock and barrel and needs no more explanation. 
You however, take it upon yourself to proffer advice about responding to TVL letters regarding licensing or how to respond to officers from Capita TV licence enforcement and many other details regarding TV licence enforcement in general  . It is not in  your remit , as a board guide , to be offering what is legal advice IMO.. It is always highly biased and has been for years against the BBC in general .
With this in mind, can you delete any more threads which are started on here by forum members who bring up the subject of whether or not they need to spend £155 a year on the legal requirement to need a licence to view normal live scheduled TV .with just the advice to search the excellent advice given in the main MSE introductions , as it is all covered on there , or better still, delete the post immediately  and let the TV section stay on the subjects it is meant for and not let it drift into constant BBC knocking that they usually degenerate into . 
We are in World War 3 at the moment and no one needs biased advice against the UK s national broadcaster who are keeping everyone informed on vital life saving instructions .  

Cornucopia

Houbara said:

MSE give all the advice ever needed if someone "needs " to buy a TV licence or not..It is all explained in great detail . No more advice is ever needed on the subject  .It is all covered, lock stock and barrel and needs no more explanation. 

Yes and no.   Yes, it is good, solid advice about the need for a Licence.   No, like all major media outlets, there is no information there for those who are curious (or worse) about their rights and obligations in the face of TV Licensing's enforcement activities.   I totally understand why the mainstream media backs away from this subject - it is a complete can of worms for them, with serious potential impact for their reputation if they get it wrong.   They are also impeded in this by the BBC's radio silence on the matter.

Houbara said:

You however, take it upon yourself to proffer advice about responding to TVL letters regarding licensing or how to respond to officers from Capita TV licence enforcement and many other details regarding TV licence enforcement in general  . It is not in  your remit , as a board guide , to be offering what is legal advice IMO.. It is always highly biased and has been for years against the BBC in general .

Some BGs have subject matter knowledge about their board areas, and I happen to be one of them.   At the same time, MSE is "home" to other knowledgeable people who are not BGs.    There is nothing within the rules or the ethos of the site to say that technical advice cannot be shared on the forums, and in some topic areas it would be pretty pointless not to.   

This is not legal advice as such because it has been gleaned from official sources including the BBC themselves.   It is their confused, self-contradictory and secretive position on this that is at fault, not the genuinely supportive responses that are shared on the Forum.   I think if you understood the true "can of worms" detail behind the BBC's enforcement process, you might be more sympathetic to both those seeking help and those willing to provide it.

I'm not sure what you mean by "bias", and it's an over-used word these days.  It is a matter of objective fact that it is not necessary to complete the No Licence Needed form, nor to respond to TVL's enforcement letters in any way.  There is no requirement to open the front door to TVL doorsteppers (unless they have a very rare Warrant), and there is never any obligation to answer their questions under caution even if they have a Warrant.   These are simple legal facts, generally acknowledged by the BBC/TVL if you ask them.     The possible fallout caused by the contradiction between their more hyperbolic demands and the known rights of the Public is beyond my legal knowledge, and the BBC has chosen not to enlighten me/the Public when asked, other than through the self-contradictory musing I have already mentioned.   This is a far cry from the openness implied by Human Rights law and PACE.

Members of the Public are nevertheless at liberty to make use of their rights as they see fit.  (That is how the law works in this country).  

Houbara said:

With this in mind, can you delete any more threads which are started on here by forum members who bring up the subject of whether or not they need to spend £155 a year on the legal requirement to need a licence to view normal live scheduled TV .with just the advice to search the excellent advice given in the main MSE introductions , as it is all covered on there , or better still, delete the post immediately  and let the TV section stay on the subjects it is meant for and not let it drift into constant BBC knocking that they have degenerated into the past.

I have no authority to delete threads or posts.  I would certainly consider moving overtly political threads to Discussion Time, but have not seen the need to do this, as yet.   

I'm not aware of "constant BBC knocking" on the TV Moneysaving section, however the basic enforcement approach of the BBC is seen by many/most people as wholly inappropriate (with good justification).    The misleading nature of the BBC's TVL communication with the public is unacceptable, and the process of doorstepping and the demands to prove innocence are way outside a basic set of expectations of justice and civility in the UK.    I would read any negative comments against that background, and it is (and always has been) down to the BBC to rectify some or all of the information deficit that contributes to the overall issue.

Hopefully, the BBC will find itself unable (after the end of the Coronavirus crisis) to restart TVL hostilities (certainly not the more objectionable aspects), and if they don't then I expect the Government to do it for them.

scouseaphrenia

I dont have a TV so don't need a licence and I have notified the BBC. I use computers as a hobby so if one of their "officers" turns up, do I have to prove that none of my devices have iPlayer (or anything else that will infringe the rules) installed? If so, does it mean that I have to let them look at my PC, laptop, iPad or Phone to check? What about privacy/data protection?

Swipe

scouseaphrenia said:

I dont have a TV so don't need a licence and I have notified the BBC. I use computers as a hobby so if one of their "officers" turns up, do I have to prove that none of my devices have iPlayer (or anything else that will infringe the rules) installed? If so, does it mean that I have to let them look at my PC, laptop, iPad or Phone to check? What about privacy/data protection?

You are under no legal obligation to even speak to them at the door, let alone let them in to check your computers. Just tell them no thanks, no licence required and close the door. Don't waste your time getting into a conversation with them. They will try to twist things in the hope that you inadvertently incriminate yourself even though you have no requirement for a licence.