Is BBC iplayer tracking my location in UK legally and asking to pay tv licensing?

huantingpen123

Hi everyone, I'm in a bit of a pickle. 

I live in Devon, UK and I've already declared that I don't need a TV license online after lots of letters sent to me, asking to check my room. 

However, I recently got an email from TV Licensing saying they found me using Iplayer and are now demanding payment.

I admit after declare, I actually watched iplayer for 2-3 days just for one tv series. I then deleted iplayer and never used it again. I’m sorry for my ignorance and mistakes. I personally feel bit shocked if it’s legal to check user’s physical location and use it as evidence.

The problem is, I've already moved out of the address they're referencing. 

I'm not sure what to do. Does anyone have any advice on how to handle this situation and maybe avoid paying the total fee of 200+ pounds (considering my current tight budget://)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Cornucopia

If you're already moved address, then you can safely just forget about it as a genuine mistake.

If you feel you should pay, you could sign up for a Licence and cancel before the end of the first month - this should cost you around £14 once your refund is processed.

The contact from TVL relates to them matching your iPlayer usage and your previous Licence via their associated email addresses.   They are not tracking your location.

There have been increased reports of them doing this, so they seem to be stepping things up, but it's still not a reliable method of detection of evasion.

PRAISETHESUN

They don't and can't determine your physical location from your iplayer usage - as above, all they do is match your iplayer email against their list of emails for people who have/do not have TV licenses. Even then there is a small selection of things on iplayer you don't need a license to watch anyway, so they still don't actually know if you need a license or not. It's just a bluff to coerce you into buying a licence you might not actually need.

I personally wouldn't bother about doing anything. You know you won't need one moving forward and getting in touch to try and backdate a license won't work. Best case you just pay for a license you don't need, but worst case they use what you say as evidence for not having a license and get you hit with a fine. Not worth the risk IMO.

Olinda99

agree with above it is an email matching algorithm

huantingpen123

Thks guys it’s so helpful, I agree and I will not bother for now. Let’s see if they send me more tedious threats to court, I will keep you updated. Also found so many similar posts about similar issues of mine, feel quite shocked what they are doing.

littleboo

What's shocking? By your own admission you have been using a service that you had you hadn't paid for and they have contacted you using info you provided, asking for payment.

Cornucopia

littleboo said:

What's shocking? By your own admission you have been using a service that you had you hadn't paid for and they have contacted you using info you provided, asking for payment.

Yes... although they don't know where he is (so cannot know for sure that any usage was outside the terms of a Licence).  

Kim_13

If you have moved out of the address then their letters will be going to that address, unless you have a redirect in place which TVL cannot know unless they send a tracked letter. The new occupier might return them as not known at this address and TVL move onto somebody else they're more likely to get money from. They have your email and old address, for all they know you could have bought a licence at your new address and have been watching legally. I would not update your BBC ID with your new address, just don't use it until such a time that you actually have a licence. Set up a fresh account for Sounds (no licence needed if you wish to use it) using another email address.

Most likely the new occupiers will either submit a no licence needed declaration and TVL will try to catch that email using iPlayer instead, or they will buy a licence. It certainly makes no sense to buy a licence for an address you no longer live at.

If you only want to watch one series on BBC it's likely cheaper to buy the DVD.

Hoenir

,Your IP address gave your usage of iplayer away. Doing nothing isn't going to stop the problem going away. Be an automated process to pursue the matter further. BBC have all the evidence they need. 

Cornucopia

Hoenir said:

,Your IP address gave your usage of iplayer away. Doing nothing isn't going to stop the problem going away. Be an automated process to pursue the matter further. BBC have all the evidence they need. 

They almost certainly don't use IP addresses for this purpose - and even if they did, it would still be fundamentally unreliable and incomplete in making a legal case against someone.

la531983

Hoenir said:

,Your IP address gave your usage of iplayer away. Doing nothing isn't going to stop the problem going away. Be an automated process to pursue the matter further. BBC have all the evidence they need. 

This is the most inaccurate post I have seen on here all week and the OP can safely ignore it.