TV license and refunds

fatso_forgetso

Hi all.

I'm new to this forum, but it looks extremely helpful.
I wasn't sure exactly where to put this thread.

Anyway. A few years ago I was a student sharing a house with two other fellow students. The three of us had shared equally the paying of the TV license.

When they both left, I took over paying for it, and that was during my last year at that address. The landlord tried to find replacement lodgers, but couldn't.
When I spoke to the him just before I left that house, he hinted at selling it, due to his mother being unwell: whether he did or not, I don't know right now. So I don't know who's living there today.

(Right. Bear in mind that I am completely aware of my stupidity).

After I left this student house the following summer, I moved straight back to live with my parents. Now, obviously what I should have done, and what I didn't do, is contacted the TV licensing agency and informed them that I would be moving. Then I wouldn't need a license, as my parents have theirs (or as it is now, parent, rather, 'cause I've lost my dad recently, and it's under my mum's name only; and then I contribute towards it).

Looking through my old bank statements, I can see monthly payments have been made for a TV license since I left that address. So now I'm wondering if I have been paying for someone else's license all this time!
But if the following occupiers had set up a new contract, then why would the monthly payments still have been coming out of my account if the agency knew that someone else occupied that address ?

I know those are questions I have to find out the answers to myself, and believe me, I will ASAP, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has moved house and forgotten to cancel or inform the agency etc?
Were you refunded all that you'd mistakenly paid?
Where do I stand legally?
Or do I just have to put this down to experience and accept I've wasted money.
After all, it's my own stupid mistake! :mad:

Looking at their website it does mention refunds can be claimed: https://tvlicensing.metafaq.com/templates/tvlicensing/main/realMainPage?_mftvst:moduleID=%24main

Thanks for your time.

Mikeyorks

You can only get a refund for the unexpired portion of the current licence. Contact them ..... but get the Direct Debit cancelled that clearly exists on your Bank account.

fatso_forgetso

Thanks mike.
I could probably get something back then.

If I have been paying for someone else's license, could I get any money back from them somehow? I mean if they knowingly used it as their own and didn't pay for it.
I don't know. Probably just clutching at straws with this, but the more I can get back the better.

Mikeyorks

You can definitely get something back - as you should be able to prove that you haven't used the current licence at all.

As to recovering some of the earlier money - you'll need to talk to them about that. If they have another licence in force for that address it will make it easier. This from the FAQ link you provided, offers some hope? :-

However, if the claimant states a date from which the television licence was not needed which differs from the date he/she applies for a refund and which would make a difference to the refundable amount, and can provide satisfactory documentary evidence to support the earlier claim, then the stated date will be the "effective" date

But get the DD cancelled from your end

MissEyre

fatso_forgetso wrote: »

Thanks mike.
I could probably get something back then.

If I have been paying for someone else's license, could I get any money back from them somehow? I mean if they knowingly used it as their own and didn't pay for it.
I don't know. Probably just clutching at straws with this, but the more I can get back the better.

Just from personal experience, if you live in a house which is covered by a TV licence DD, the licence people would have no reason to contact you, so it could just be that the people living there genuinely didn't realise they you were still paying (ie. assumed their OH was paying it etc) or...they could have realised and decided not to point it out to anyone. Hope you get some money recovered, anyway!

anybodynat

I work for TVL so I can answer any questions anyone has.

The reason that they allowed you to pay a licence at an address they may have started a new licence at is because you can have any number of licences at an address, they might have been a lodger with you you see.