TV Licence, i am sure i don't need one?

col81

I have a rented apartment, i listen to talksport on my mobile app and i also have a firestick with all sports etc on which i watch but i dont watch bbc etc. I cannot remove the aerial as it is rented. I keep getting letters saying £1000 fine if don't purchase. Shall i just ignore them? the last one says it is notice of a visit. I am sure they will have a job getting in through 2 sets of locked doors. This is just another stealth tax 

MattMattMattUK

col81 said:

I have a rented apartment, i listen to talksport on my mobile app and i also have a firestick with all sports etc on which i watch but i dont watch bbc etc. I cannot remove the aerial as it is rented. 

You need a license if you watch live TV or nearly live, even if streamed (so Sky channels on Now, live sport on Prime etc.) or watch TV via iPlayer, not for owning a TV, having an aerial.

col81 said:

I keep getting letters saying £1000 fine if don't purchase. Shall i just ignore them? 

Yes.

col81 said:

the last one says it is notice of a visit. I am sure they will have a job getting in through 2 sets of locked doors.

They can knock on your door/ring the bell/intercom but they have no right of entry, just politely tell them to go away.

col81 said:

This is just another stealth tax 

No it is not.

col81

MattMattMattUK said:

col81 said:

I have a rented apartment, i listen to talksport on my mobile app and i also have a firestick with all sports etc on which i watch but i dont watch bbc etc. I cannot remove the aerial as it is rented. 

You need a license if you watch live TV or nearly live, even if streamed (so Sky channels on Now, live sport on Prime etc.) or watch TV via iPlayer, not for owning a TV, having an aerial.

col81 said:

I keep getting letters saying £1000 fine if don't purchase. Shall i just ignore them? 

Yes.

col81 said:

the last one says it is notice of a visit. I am sure they will have a job getting in through 2 sets of locked doors.

They can knock on your door/ring the bell/intercom but they have no right of entry, just politely tell them to go away.

col81 said:

This is just another stealth tax 

No it is not.

Ok so basically from what you are saying is i can ignore the fine letters. No proof i have ever had them anyway 

giraffe69

Seems reasonably simple. 
Do you watch iplayer?
Do you watch any live TV including sport then you need a licence.

If you aren't doing either of the above then they can send as many letters as they wish but you won't/can't be fined.

MattMattMattUK

col81 said:

MattMattMattUK said:

col81 said:

I have a rented apartment, i listen to talksport on my mobile app and i also have a firestick with all sports etc on which i watch but i dont watch bbc etc. I cannot remove the aerial as it is rented. 

You need a license if you watch live TV or nearly live, even if streamed (so Sky channels on Now, live sport on Prime etc.) or watch TV via iPlayer, not for owning a TV, having an aerial.

col81 said:

I keep getting letters saying £1000 fine if don't purchase. Shall i just ignore them? 

Yes.

col81 said:

the last one says it is notice of a visit. I am sure they will have a job getting in through 2 sets of locked doors.

They can knock on your door/ring the bell/intercom but they have no right of entry, just politely tell them to go away.

col81 said:

This is just another stealth tax 

No it is not.

Ok so basically from what you are saying is i can ignore the fine letters. No proof i have ever had them anyway 

They are not issuing fines, they are threatening fines if they find you in breach, although they are worded very deceptively. The letters are irrelevant, if you are doing something that requires a TV License then you need a TV License then you need one, if you are not then you do not. 

littleboo

col81 said:

MattMattMattUK said:

col81 said:

I have a rented apartment, i listen to talksport on my mobile app and i also have a firestick with all sports etc on which i watch but i dont watch bbc etc. I cannot remove the aerial as it is rented. 

You need a license if you watch live TV or nearly live, even if streamed (so Sky channels on Now, live sport on Prime etc.) or watch TV via iPlayer, not for owning a TV, having an aerial.

col81 said:

I keep getting letters saying £1000 fine if don't purchase. Shall i just ignore them? 

Yes.

col81 said:

the last one says it is notice of a visit. I am sure they will have a job getting in through 2 sets of locked doors.

They can knock on your door/ring the bell/intercom but they have no right of entry, just politely tell them to go away.

col81 said:

This is just another stealth tax 

No it is not.

Ok so basically from what you are saying is i can ignore the fine letters. No proof i have ever had them anyway 

As others have said, you either need a licence or you don't. From what you have said, assuming it's live sport, it suggests you do need a licence. The number of doors between you and the outside is not really the point.

Cornucopia

Live streamed sport is one of two long-term grey areas with the TV Licence that BBC-TV Licensing have failed to clarify in the 6 years since the legislation last changed.

The issue is that the rule isn't "live" or not live.   It's whether streaming content is concurrent with a linear broadcast TV channel.   So, for a start, any live sport that is exclusive to Amazon Prime won't require a TV Licence.    It also raises a ridiculous "proving a negative" issue, which is that TV Licensing claims that the matching broadcast TV channel could be anywhere in the World, making it very difficult to know for certain that the stream doesn't require a Licence.   

The second grey area is whether it's actually "anywhere in the World" or just the UK - that has a bearing on the test above.

As for the BBC-TV Licensing letters, there are only three basic facts to know: 

- unlicensed householders are not legally answerable to TV Licensing,

- any routine "visit" by them is voluntary on your/our part,

- any interview under caution requires your informed consent (and comes with other rights).    

All of the various statements in their letters which contradict those three facts are simply propaganda, or "lies" if a more straightforward term is desired.