TVL and (mis-)use of email address

CharlesLincs

I have a pretty common first/surname and got my Gmail account when the service was still in beta, decades ago. So I managed to get Charles.RandomGuy@googlemail.co.uk (RandomGuy being just an example...) which later was turned into Charles.RandomGuy@gmail.com.

Over the years I've received dozens of emails for other Charles RandomGuys, mostly from the UK and US but also France and Argentina, who are trying to use my email address as theirs: I've received important insurance documents, confidential tax stuff and medical information, order confirmations... you name it, I've got it (and don't get me started on companies that use email to send important stuff without first checking they're reaching the intended recipient and not some random guy).

Now I've received an email to my gmail account from TVL, implying that I'm using the BBC iPlayer. I don't watch live TV, have never used and will never use iPlayer(don't even have an account with the BBC) and don't do anything else that would require a TV licence. So I've stopped paying for it about a decade ago. But what happens if someone else used my email address to create an account and then goes on to watch iPlayer stuff?

I don't want the TVL people go after me because they think I'm using the BBC iPlayer service and therefore need a TV licence. How can I make sure this doesn't happen?

TadleyBaggie

Just ignore them, and in the remote chance they turn up, just tell them to go away.

Ayr_Rage

Just as an aside, TVL have just sent me letter number six since my declaration of not needing a licence expired, this one came in a lovely RED envelope, I'm so scared now.

oldernonethewiser

As above - ignore.

I too have an old legacy Gmail account of firstname.secondname at gmail.com and like the OP have had many misdirected communications, my favourite being the headteacher who got irate at my inability to confirm that I would come in to discuss my daughter's attendance at school. Took quite a while for her to be convinced that she was corresponding with the wrong person. Would have been nice if she had apologised.

flaneurs_lobster

I reckon johnsmith@gmail.com probably gets more misdirected mail than you.

There's no way that TVL can "go after" you based on the fact that someone has used your* email address as a user id for an iPlayer account. Just ignore it as you'd ignore any other unsolicited mail or spam.

I get occasional email misaddressed for a guy in the US whose hotmail account is the same as one of mine but with a .com rather than .co.uk.

*Discussion to be had around do we ever "own" an email address? Probably not if the domain is gmail/googlemail but what about charles@charlesrandomguy.com?

oldernonethewiser

Over the years there have been many instances of people no longer having access to "their" email as they move ISP or they stopped paying for a domain or a company went bust.

AOL was my first email address provider back in the day

EssexExile

I don't know if it's relevant here but charles.randomguy@gmail.com and charlesrandomguy@gmail.com are treated the same.

As for TV Licensing, they send threatening letters and emails to everyone.

flaneurs_lobster

As for TV Licensing, they send threatening letters and emails to everyone.

Slight exaggeration, I don't get threatening emails or letters, but then I pay for a TV licence.

sheslookinhot

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81984905#Comment_81984905

Receiving a letter or email has got nothing to do with “paying for a TV Licence”.

oldernonethewiser

I've never had an email from TVL but I get letters every month. I have no need of a TV licence.

Many years ago when I did have a TV Licence I started to get threatening letters from TVL so I phoned them and told them I had one. They replied that they knew I had one and couldn't understand why I was getting letters. Went on for several months until I threatened to report them for harassment. Stopped after that.

flaneurs_lobster

Oh dear, I thought this might be an interesting thread about My Greatest Email Addresses but instead its turned into yet another tedious rant about not paying for a TV Licence and the TVL Stormtroopers.

Carry on.