TV license sjp notice advice

sexysam777

hi all i recieved a tv license sjp notice today. A tv license agent attended my property and said iv not being paid for tv license, i said to him i do not watch bbc channels but watch netflix/sky and kids watch youtube. he said as your watching sky you have pay for license, i said to him i did not know then he set up a payment plan. Iv filled the sjp online and pleaded not guilty because i did not know. 

has anybody been in this situation

Brie

If you are not watching any live TV and you are not watching anything on BBC or using BBCiPlayer then you do not need a TV license.  

If you are paying to watch sky (have a monthly pay package with them) then he got it wrong and you have done nothing wrong.  

If you are watching Sky Arts or similar via freeview/freesat or similar and watching it live or recording it from live then you do need a TV license.

What exactly do you normally pay for other than for netflix and your general broadband that would allow you to watch youtube?

[Deleted User]

Hi,

here's what the licence covers.

Brie

This is where the confusion comes in (mine as well as others....). 

The link that @frugalmacdugal posted states....

A TV Licence covers you to:

• watch or record TV on any channel via any TV service (e.g. Sky, Virgin, Freeview, Freesat)
• watch live on streaming services (e.g. ITVX, Channel 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now, Sky Go)
• use BBC iPlayer*.

So if you use BBC iPlayer you need a license.
If you are watching TV with its various channels you need a license.
If you are watching LIVE TV via a paid for service you need a license.

But if you are using a service to watch on demand programmes (like Netflix, Amazon Prime on demand, Sky on demand etc) you do NOT need a license.  The only demand programmes that require you have a license are those on BBC iPlayer.
 

sexysam777

Brie said:

If you are not watching any live TV and you are not watching anything on BBC or using BBCiPlayer then you do not need a TV license.  

If you are paying to watch sky (have a monthly pay package with them) then he got it wrong and you have done nothing wrong.  

If you are watching Sky Arts or similar via freeview/freesat or similar and watching it live or recording it from live then you do need a TV license.

What exactly do you normally pay for other than for netflix and your general broadband that would allow you to watch youtube?

i pay for sky sportsthe agent said if your watching any live to i need a license, thanks for your replie

la531983

Why didn't you just tell him to go away and close the door in his face?

And how does he know you have Sky? Having a dish on your house proves nothing. Did you tell him? That was foolish.

They have as much power to enter your house as the milkman does. Do not engage with them.

Cornucopia

If you are watching live sport on Sky (however it's received) - as it's being broadcast, you need a Licence for that.

The critical thing in terms of the case is what you've actually admitted on the interview form - the salesperson should have left you with a copy of that, and there should be a copy in the court papers.  

That is pretty much the sole piece of evidence that the court will give any credence to.   If it incriminates you, and you have signed it, then fighting it in court will be very difficult.

BBC/TV  Licensing say that they don't normally prosecute first offenders who buy a Licence - you could try asking them about that by calling the TVL Prosecutions team.  

Cornucopia

la531983 said:

Why didn't you just tell him to go away and close the door in his face?

And how does he know you have Sky? Having a dish on your house proves nothing. Did you tell him? That was foolish.

They have as much power to enter your house as the milkman does. Do not engage with them.

To be fair to the OP, TVL are trained to appear like the voice of authority, and it looks like the law is weak on their kind of presumption/impersonation of authority in the situation where the law is being enforced.

If someone doesn't know, then when a TVL Salesperson turns up and says they are there to investigate your lack of a TV Licence, the notion that they actually don't have any powers to do that is pretty counter-intuitive.

That then gets reflected in court, where the confession statement is key, and there is rarely any further discussion of what actually constituted the offence or whether there is any physical evidence of it (there won't be).

It's a system designed to catch people out, and it's quite effective at doing that unless people are equipped to stand firm against it.

Swipe

If a TV Licence caller visits - Say "no thank you" and close the door. It really is that simple. 

Cornucopia

Swipe said:

If a TV Licence caller visits - Say "no thank you" and close the door. It really is that simple. 

Our rights are so comprehensive that there are a variety of legally valid ways of seeing them on their way...

- "No thank you", as you've suggested - a good balance of politeness and effectiveness.
- Just shutting the door.
- Ignoring them at the door.
- Speaking to them from a window or on an entryphone.  
- "I have no comment to make".
- "I have no comment to make other than in the presence of my Solicitor".
- "I decline to be interviewed (in accordance with PACE and Scottish legal principles)".

Any of these should see TVL undertake the "walk of shame", although the more technical ones might take some persuading.

FreeBear

Cornucopia said: Any of these should see TVL undertake the "walk of shame", although the more technical ones might take some persuading.

"The law allows me to use reasonable force to eject you from my property if you do not leave peaceably."