BBC license hassle

prowla

400ixl said:

Blocking it at the router doesn't help if the person is mobile on their phone / tablet.

It does if they're on WiFi.

If they're on mobile data, then their location could be questionable.

But anyway, the OP does say that it might be down to Roku devices which they have.

Cornucopia

Most of their letters are fundamentally dishonest in a variety of ways.

It might help if they told you how they came to detect the alleged iPlayer usage - that would contextualise both the validity of the "detection" (possibly not very valid) and the potential for it to be used as evidence of evasion (not at all).  

The issue is that the iPlayer ID they have detected could be used anywhere - it isn't tied to the street address in question.   They probably need to explain that before they start with the various demands.

If you were to buy a Licence, it would resolve the issue.   Similarly, if you leave it and delete the iPlayer ID that would do it too.  

If it helps, your status as being "on the list" of unlicensed addresses is exactly the same as anyone without a Licence who has not told TVL they don't need a Licence (because they don't have to).  That'd be me and tens of thousands of others.

johnweir123

I've deleted the user ID I had as a precaution. 

I guess detection is possible by matching your email address you used to confirm no license needed status with the one you have on your iPlayer ID whenever you created that (could be years ago as in my case).  Both could have the same IP address so it could be assumed content is being consumed from the same IP that declared no license needed? 

Anyone have any advice for how to get out of this predicament without it escalating and without having to buy a license... I've learned to live without one so it would be of no benefit now. 

Cornucopia

johnweir123 said:

I've deleted the user ID I had as a precaution. 

I guess detection is possible by matching your email address you used to confirm no license needed status with the one you have on your iPlayer ID whenever you created that (could be years ago as in my case).  Both could have the same IP address so it could be assumed content is being consumed from the same IP that declared no license needed? 

Anyone have any advice for how to get out of this predicament without it escalating and without having to buy a license... I've learned to live without one so it would be of no benefit now. 

A domestic IP address couldn't be relied upon to remain the same over a prolonged period.   It's simply the email address matching only - with all the limitations previously mentioned.

TVL only have one trick in their arsenal after the letters.   And that is to visit the premises and ask if you've evaded the Licence.    You can simply say nothing and shut the door.    There's not much more they can do at that stage.  

Whether they bother to visit at all depends much more on where you live than your prior history with them.   They only have 165 field staff, so they tend to focus on densely populated areas.

If I could give you two pieces of advice regarding TVL - don't believe anything they say without checking the true situation, and try to accept that they aren't any kind of official agency (they are the sales wing of the BBC).

LightFlare

johnweir123 said:

Hi Everybody. 

We decided around 4 or 5 years ago that we didn't want to pay the BBC to have their nonsense broadcast in our house so went down the Netflix, Amazon, YouTube route and it's all been fine for quite a long time. 

Today I got a letter saying they've detected that I have been watching iPlayer and that they're coming round to kick the door in. 

I've not accessed iPlayer myself but there's 4 people in this house so maybe someone else did. 

What I'd like to know is if anyone else has got the same letter and if it's simply a bluff and in fact nobody has used iPlayer?  They would need to have got information about my internet usage from my ISP and I'm not sure if that is allowed or not? 

I'll check with my family later to see if anyone knows anything about iPlayer use. 

johnweir123 said:

Here is a scan of the letter.  It seems to me a lot like they are being dishonest in a number of the ways they are phrasing things.  For instance the suggestion that buying a TV License will make all this go away.  

I have spoken to my wife and she has not watched iPlayer.  We use ROKU devices (two of them) and they are pre-installed with the iPlayer app which cannot be removed (last time I checked was a couple of years ago). 

So my ideal outcome would be to get them to leave us in peace, not have to fork out for a license and if they genuinely have some evidence that we've mistakenly or unknowingly watched iPlayer then for us to apologise and we'll continue as we are without having to pay any fine or whatever. 

If you and the wife are 2 of the 4

Might be worth asking/checking with the other 2

It may be that they don’t realise it’s something they shouldn’t be using

johnweir123

Cornucopia said:

johnweir123 said:

I've deleted the user ID I had as a precaution. 

I guess detection is possible by matching your email address you used to confirm no license needed status with the one you have on your iPlayer ID whenever you created that (could be years ago as in my case).  Both could have the same IP address so it could be assumed content is being consumed from the same IP that declared no license needed? 

Anyone have any advice for how to get out of this predicament without it escalating and without having to buy a license... I've learned to live without one so it would be of no benefit now. 

A domestic IP address couldn't be relied upon to remain the same over a prolonged period.   It's simply the email address matching only - with all the limitations previously mentioned.

TVL only have one trick in their arsenal after the letters.   And that is to visit the premises and ask if you've evaded the Licence.    You can simply say nothing and shut the door.    There's not much more they can do at that stage.  

Whether they bother to visit at all depends much more on where you live than your prior history with them.   They only have 165 field staff, so they tend to focus on densely populated areas.

If I could give you two pieces of advice regarding TVL - don't believe anything they say without checking the true situation, and try to accept that they aren't any kind of official agency (they are the sales wing of the BBC).

I suppose if anyone ever says you can buy something to get yourself out of trouble that does delegitimise the operation somewhat.  Officialdom does not normally operate that way.  

wild666

It seems like you did a no licence required declaration about 2 years ago and TVL are informing you to renew the declaration or buy a licence. You are under no obligation to renew the declaration and can just bin the letters when they arrive, you will know it's TVL as there will be a window on the front of the envelope or the return address will start DL98. 

Cornucopia

wild666 said:

It seems like you did a no licence required declaration about 2 years ago and TVL are informing you to renew the declaration or buy a licence. You are under no obligation to renew the declaration and can just bin the letters when they arrive, you will know it's TVL as there will be a window on the front of the envelope or the return address will start DL98. 

Yes - although the letter the OP received is the one where TVL have matched email addresses, implying someone has watched iPlayer (possibly quite legitimately) rather than the one they send when someone has reached an arbitrary 2 years since they last gave TV Licensing information they are not obliged to provide.  

Welcome to the weird world of BBC/TV Licensing.

Swipe

Stop filling out No licence Needed forms and just bin the monthly letters unopened.

ZZ_von_Schnerk

It's all lies that are meant to frighten you, they have no means of detecting anything.
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Chilli TV - All Your TV Licence Questions