Letter and emails from TV licensing

davehjay

Hi folks, looking for some advice...

Does anyone know if someone has "No Licence Needed Status" which they invalidate due to a short period of iPlayer activity (say, 4 days for example)... are thy legally obliged to purchase a full years worth of TV licence? Particularly if this 4 days of indiscretion took place nearly 3 months ago.

Why would someone be liable to pay a full year, for 4 days of use? The event is in the past, and the user has no use for an active licence and has no intention of needing one in the future.

Thoughts be much appreciated
D.

Cornucopia

Yes and no.  

No - you only need to be covered by a TV Licence for the period of time when you are undertaking licensable activities.   The minimum period for which a Licence can be in place is 1 month.

Yes - in the sense you will need to get a Licence for a whole year initially, and then seek a cancellation and refund when you no longer need it.  

If all of this is in the past, then it's probably too complicated to get a retrospective licence put in place and then retrospectively cancelled.   I suppose you could get one now for a month to compensate?

davehjay

I'd guess that cancelling after one month will prompt further emails from them (even if zero usage takes place)? But yes, it could be a solution worth trying. 

brewerdave

Just a quick Q - HOW do TV L know that I Player was watched for 4 days ? 

Cornucopia

I'm guessing it was stated in an "iPlayer" warning letter or email.   

They are based on matching an email addresses between a No Licence Needed registration and an active BBC ID using iPlayer to view BBC TV content.

Cornucopia

davehjay said:

I'd guess that cancelling after one month will prompt further emails from them (even if zero usage takes place)? 

These iPlayer letters and emails are only a simple add-on to the main Licence enforcement effort, so I don't think they would refer to the previous warning after a Licence had been issued and canceled.   Most likely, the whole thing would reset.

Also, the iplayer warnings are not based on robust evidence of evasion - you can use a BBC ID anywhere, and they don't know where you are (so don't know whether that location has a Licence or not).

davehjay

If you make a Subject Access Request (SAR) from BBC it shows all activity linked to your BBC account and the location (city / town).

This is how the 4 days have been identified. The letters and emails from TVL merely stated multiple use of iPlayer "in recent weeks". However, it's not recent. Yes it was multiple (4 consecutive days used) but not recent. 

PRAISETHESUN

If they haven't sent you an actual fine then I wouldn't rock the boat. My understanding is that there isn't really a grey area here - you either had a license or you didn't, and watching content that needs a license without one can result in a fine. If you contact them to "sort" this, odds are you'll end up admitting you needed a license and didn't have one. Also no point paying for a license now if you don't actually need one.

davehjay

In terms of doing the "one month then cancel option"...

It appears they take 6 months in advance, then monthly thereafter. EDIT: its the full cost spread over 6 months, and then moves to the amount divided by 12 thereafter. So, doing one month isn't possible, the minimum would be two. This is still preferable to paying the full amount for something not required

Also, they ask for the date the licence was needed from (i.e. restrospective) Putting the day before the actual use of iPlayer in, the cost is recalculate from that date. This would be absurd in this scenario as no live TV or iPlayer has been accessed since the indiscretion in December

Cornucopia

davehjay said:

In terms of doing the "one month then cancel option"...

It appears they take 6 months in advance, then monthly thereafter. EDIT: its the full cost spread over 6 months, and then moves to the amount divided by 12 thereafter. So, doing one month isn't possible, the minimum would be two. This is still preferable to paying the full amount for something not required

Also, they ask for the date the licence was needed from (i.e. restrospective) Putting the day before the actual use of iPlayer in, the cost is recalculate from that date. This would be absurd in this scenario as no live TV or iPlayer has been accessed since the indiscretion in December

The minimum Licence duration is 1 month, but you would have to have to pay more and claim a refund.   That applies whether you pay for the whole thing in advance or pay monthly.   As you say, paying monthly involves initially paying double, so you would be claiming a 1 month refund from the 2 months you have paid for.    You need to contact them anyway to cancel, and cannot simply cancel your DD - that doesn't work.

The idea of buying 1 month now is to appease the conscience you appeared to be having.  Getting a retrospective Licence and retrospectively cancelling it is likely to be too complex for them to handle, and you would also be admitting evasion.   Whilst they can't initiate a prosecution based on that kind of admission to the call centre, it might prioritise you for a visit.   I appreciate you are trying to do the right thing, but that's not a priority for TVL.