Tv licence terrible attitude and treatment.

Debbie9009

For a few years now, I have taken out a tv licence to watch TV over Christmas, this year I took the licence out on the 21st December, and cancelled today.  Instead of being able to cancel online you now have to call them and answer a series of questions on why you don’t want a license, simply saying you don’t watch TV is no longer enough.  The questions  include how many people live at your address, I refused to answer that one. I was then told that I would be charged for 3 months because I had watched tv for part of the last three months this including Feb, but as the licence is cancelled from today I can’t watch TV from now, so I have ended up paying for something I no longer have.  I told them I now won’t ever take out a TV licence, so instead of getting some money from me they won’t get.  With that attitude no wonder there are so many people no longer wanting a license.

Also they said they will send me a declaration each year to say I still don’t watch TV, I said I would ignore it, after all I don’t contact Sky each year to say I don’t use their services, she told me I think it’s law, so I said when you can prove that I’ll sign the declaration.  Just checked and it’s not the law, they make things up as they go along.  

She also told me they can send out TV enforcement officers to my house I told her won’t be allowed in without a the police coming with them with a warrant as I know they don’t have any legal powers.

I always used to complete the declaration, but I’m not playing that game anymore, they can waste time and money sending me letters that have no legal standing.

I will state I have no intention of watching TV I do believe you shouldn’t watch it if you are prepared to pay for it, but I also believe you shouldn’t be treated as a criminal if you don’t want to watch live TV which is how I felt I was treated today.

ButterCheese

You're doing the right thing if you don't watch any BBC content on any devices in your home.  You're also right that they make things up as they go along.  It's been going on for nearly as long as the inventino of the TV.  They used to drive around in TV detector vans and state that they had detected you receiving a signal, which is not possible.

There are dedicated channels on YT which you have probably already seen.  Though I do question the honesty of some people who claim never to watch BBC content.  If you have a smart DVD player, or any form of smart TV or TV box then chances are there's a BBC App on there which cannot be deleted if it's a native install.  At some point or other, I bet a few people just watch the odd thing and therefore breaking the law.

Just follow the advice given on many online outlets - as soon as they say they are from tv licensing, politely say no thank you and shut the door.  Do not give them any information and do not engage in any conversation.  It is up to them to bring the Police with a warrant to enter your property.

saajan_12

ButterCheese said:

Though I do question the honesty of some people who claim never to watch BBC content.  If you have a smart DVD player, or any form of smart TV or TV box then chances are there's a BBC App on there which cannot be deleted if it's a native install.  

Surely this could be easily solved by requiring an account linked to your TV licence payment that you have to sign in to in order to watch iplayer. All the other chargeable on demand and streaming services seem to manage it. 

Rather than this system of relying on honesty and threats..