Cancelling tv licence

carlbhoy

About to cancel my licence with the online form, do I have to fill in my name and email address on the form, or can I just fill in the licence number and leave the rest blank, as I’ve been told if tv inspectors turn up at your door they ask for your name, and you can refuse to give it

GrumpyDil

Not sure what you expect to gain from that but does the system allow you to cancel.without completing those fields or are they mandatory.

I would also guess they want an email address to send a confirmation email to?

Sorry, meant to add that yes you can refuse to give a name and refuse entry to your property as the licence salesmen have no more right of access/powers to enter your house/ask questions than Joe Public without does without a warrant.

Cornucopia

carlbhoy said:

About to cancel my licence with the online form, do I have to fill in my name and email address on the form, or can I just fill in the licence number and leave the rest blank, as I’ve been told if tv inspectors turn up at your door they ask for your name, and you can refuse to give it

Presumably they already have your name & address from the Licence you are cancelling?   In which case I wouldn't bother not giving them on the Cancellation form.  

If TV Licensing call on you at home, you are not obliged to give your name, or answer any other questions.  

oldernonethewiser

If TVL inspectors* turn up at your door then you have no need to speak to them or even open the door to them.

*I use the word very very loosely.

FreeBear

oldernonethewiser said:

If TVL inspectors* turn up at your door then you have no need to speak to them or even open the door to them.

*I use the word very very loosely.

I just let the TV licence expire here (a little over 10 years ago now). Didn't bother informing anyone, as there is no legal requirement to do so.

Had one wannabe thug with pretensions above his stature hammering on my door claiming to be from TVL. Refused to answer any questions, refused entry, and sent him on his way.

rollingmoon

Just let the license expire, nothing will happen but you should expect a slew of letters threatening investigations and possible prosecution etc. These should go straight in the recycling, and should a TVL inspector turn up simply close the door. Do not engage in any sort of dialogue with them.

Cornucopia

How you expire your Licence depends on how you pay.

If you pay annually, it's okay to let it expire.  (If it's annual DD, you'll want to cancel the DD with the Bank).

If you pay by instalments, you'll need to contact TVL to cancel the payment scheme you are on.   The upside is that there is usually credit to be refunded to you.

You can also cancel an annual Licence with them and obtain a refund for unused months.

ballyblack

be aware if you inform them on line & you use an email address. That same email is logged when you log into BBC  Iplayer  after you cancel

JohnSwift10

ballyblack said:

be aware if you inform them on line & you use an email address. That same email is logged when you log into BBC  Iplayer  after you cancel

I just let my licence lapse, I got a visit from a TV licence bloke.
He was wearing a camera.

He wanted to come into my house to look at my TV but I told him I don't have one anymore and I told him I only watch stuff on my computer and he went away.

My daughter, who has a TV licence for her house, occasionally visits me to use my fast internet connection to watch BBC iPlayer programmes using my email address from when I used to watch BBC iPlayer as it is stored in my computer.

I just happen to be in the same room as her when she watches BBC iPlayer.

Strange how our viewing habits are so similar 

Cornucopia

JohnSwift10 said:

ballyblack said:

be aware if you inform them on line & you use an email address. That same email is logged when you log into BBC  Iplayer  after you cancel

... My daughter, who has a TV licence for her house, occasionally visits me to use my fast internet connection to watch BBC iPlayer programmes using my email address from when I used to watch BBC iPlayer as it is stored in my computer.

I just happen to be in the same room as her when she watches BBC iPlayer.

Strange how our viewing habits are so similar 

This isn't technically how the exemption works.

The exemption is for a person to use their own portable equipment powered by its own internal batteries to view TV broadcasts when away from their Licensed home.     So, it's not intended to be a loan of someone else's computer.   And it isn't intended to be viewed over the shoulder by a person not covered by the original Licence.

In other words, a person doesn't bring their Licence with them - they bring an extended exemption that has specific conditions attached to it.

Having said that, TV Licensing seem to be increasingly ignorant of the detail of their own legal interpretation, so they may not be that bothered.