TV licence visit officer today. 23 Jan 2008 (merged threads)

moonrakerz

davidlizard wrote: »

As I understand it, there are a limited number of TV detector vans (<100) which are capable of determining which channel you are watching. Working in electronics R&D myself, I find it totally plausible that such technology exists, however the TVLA/BBC keep the detection mechanism a closely guarded secret (requests for technical info under the Freedom of Information Act have the exemption clause invoked) - after all, once the detection mechanism is known a countermeasure could be developed and marketed making the vans ineffective.

However, our court system will not convict anyone without evidence, and evidence must be made available to both the prosecution and defence, and therefore into the public domain. As the TVLA/BBC are unwilling to give the technical details of the detection methods, then this evidence cannot be used to prosecute. (FOI act shows 0 prosecutions resulting from detection vans in 2006 - after all, if how speed cameras work were a closely guarded secret then they too could not be used for prosecution).

In my opinion, the vans are really more for propaganda - park one up in an estate with a high number of non licenced properties to chivvy people into paying up.

Re an earlier point about needing a licence to listen to the radio - a licence is often required to play music in public (called a PPL or PRS licence I do believe which is intended to reward the artist/producer/etc), but this is nothing whatsoever to do with the TVLA. My gym has to have such a licence to be able to play CDs and the radio whilst we work out - you will often see shops etc displaying stickers on doors to this effect. Its covered by the bit of law that affects copyright and patents.

Just to add to this:

Capita (who run TV Licensing) have admitted that no one has ever been convicted on "detector van" evidence - probably because none has ever been offered as evidence.
In addition the the point above about the technology used - there is another point of Law regarding use of these vans. Many Legal experts have maintained that use of such vehicles is "Covert Surveillance" - ie: the same as telephone tapping. Not allowed in a Court as evidence !

Jaime-V

Why does the TVLA not have a computer system that works! am I right that you only need a paid licence per address?

TV was bought in husbands name, I bought a TV (a few years back) They had real name & addy through the finance details. TV licence officer appears at our door asking why we didnt have a licence. I had great pleasure in shoving ours in his face!! (must be a thankless job!)

Why dont they search by address and not name??? (am I missing something here?) (theres probably a simple explanation lol)

I phoned up to pay the balance of ours (use the savings card) wouldnt let me do it as I wasnt the licence holder! Tried to explain I was his wife, nope. So grumpy H had to call instead lol

<confused!>

Larumbelle

Something strange happened to me today...

A few weeks ago an enforcement officer knocked on the door. He seemed a nice enough chap. Their PC flagged up OH because he bought a TV, the license was in my name so we showed it to him and he went on his way.

A week or so ago I got a letter (in my own name) stating that I was under investigation blah blah blah that my license had expired in March. I pay by direct debit, I had changed account last year and it would appear that this direct debit hadn't transferred over. I can't think why because all the others had. Anyway, if they'd just sent me a letter saying the DD had been cancelled, or that the license had expired, or whatever, I'd have got another one. I don't agree with the TV license, but hey, it's the law.

So I went on their website to get a new one, couldn't figure out how to backdate it, meant to phone, forgot. You know how these things are.

Today, the same TV licensing bod turns up. Dead nice and friendly again. Doesn't demand entry again, or anything like that, just says that we definitely don't have a license but he can set me one up now and be on his way. Offers to do it on the doorstep so I know he's not just trying to blag entry. Phones through the direct debit, writes out the license, and cheerfully tells me I've saved a few bob because it doesn't need backdating and that nothing further will happen. Tells me that the way a lot of enforcement officers go about their business is nasty, bullying scaremongery, that Capita are utterly incompetent anyway, and that at the end of the day it's only a bloody TV license, you only get one because it's the law, and that frankly he doesn't blame people for not getting one until he knocks. Then off on his way again with a smile and a cheerybye.

What just happened?!!! I am (seriously) getting worried now, surely it shouldn't have been that friendly and straightforward?

adaze

I think, with most TV officers, as with Traffic Wardens, its the bad few that raise the publics awareness of them, so much so that when something happens as its supposed to, like your experience, or a Traffic Warden actually talking to you, you can't cope, your brain says "no" and you have to take a week of work to recover :rotfl:

moonrakerz

silvercharming wrote: »

Something strange happened to me today...

A few weeks ago an enforcement officer knocked on the door. He seemed a nice enough chap. Their PC flagged up OH because he bought a TV, the license was in my name so we showed it to him and he went on his way.

A week or so ago I got a letter (in my own name) stating that I was under investigation blah blah blah that my license had expired in March. I pay by direct debit, I had changed account last year and it would appear that this direct debit hadn't transferred over. I can't think why because all the others had. Anyway, if they'd just sent me a letter saying the DD had been cancelled, or that the license had expired, or whatever, I'd have got another one. I don't agree with the TV license, but hey, it's the law.

So I went on their website to get a new one, couldn't figure out how to backdate it, meant to phone, forgot. You know how these things are.

Today, the same TV licensing bod turns up. Dead nice and friendly again. Doesn't demand entry again, or anything like that, just says that we definitely don't have a license but he can set me one up now and be on his way. Offers to do it on the doorstep so I know he's not just trying to blag entry. Phones through the direct debit, writes out the license, and cheerfully tells me I've saved a few bob because it doesn't need backdating and that nothing further will happen. Tells me that the way a lot of enforcement officers go about their business is nasty, bullying scaremongery, that Capita are utterly incompetent anyway, and that at the end of the day it's only a bloody TV license, you only get one because it's the law, and that frankly he doesn't blame people for not getting one until he knocks. Then off on his way again with a smile and a cheerybye.

What just happened?!!! I am (seriously) getting worried now, surely it shouldn't have been that friendly and straightforward?

I don't want to worry you - but...............

TV Licensing "officials" know that it is almost impossible to prove that someone is using (that's what the Law says - not owning) a Television without a licence, therefore their first objective is to get someone to "admit" that they have been doing just that.

I may be wrong, but what you did for that nice friendly man may be just that !

I wouldn't trust these people any further than I could throw them; I have been constantly hounded/bullied/threatened by these people and now have my MP on the case !

tsilv

Hi

I have a problem which I could do with some advice on please.

We have been in our flat for a couple of months now.

The landlord has their television here. We do not use it to watch tv (we have used it a couple of times to play video games though).

Its not hooked up to the ariel. And it should be really as our video intercom goes through it.

We have had a final demand recently regarding people visiting our premises.

Do you think we should just hide the landlords television and let them come around? Or tell them we do not use it to watch or record television but occassionlly play video games?

Or just ignore the letter and not let them in?

weegie.geek

tsilv wrote: »

Hi

I have a problem which I could do with some advice on please.

We have been in our flat for a couple of months now.

The landlord has their television here. We do not use it to watch tv (we have used it a couple of times to play video games though).

Its not hooked up to the ariel. And it should be really as our video intercom goes through it.

We have had a final demand recently regarding people visiting our premises.

Do you think we should just hide the landlords television and let them come around? Or tell them we do not use it to watch or record television but occassionlly play video games?

Or just ignore the letter and not let them in?

Ignore the letter. Don't let them in.

You only need a license if you watch or record TV as it's broadcast. You do neither by the sounds of it, so tell them where to go if they come round and hassle you.

They won't do any more than send you annoying letters or maybe come round but they've no rights to enter the property unless they've got the police with them, and the police have better things to do.

wildmandy

tsilv wrote: »

Hi

I have a problem which I could do with some advice on please.

We have been in our flat for a couple of months now.

The landlord has their television here. We do not use it to watch tv (we have used it a couple of times to play video games though).

Its not hooked up to the ariel. And it should be really as our video intercom goes through it.

We have had a final demand recently regarding people visiting our premises.

Do you think we should just hide the landlords television and let them come around? Or tell them we do not use it to watch or record television but occassionlly play video games?

Or just ignore the letter and not let them in?

Ignore the letters and if they ever call tell them to **** off. Seriously, don't entertain them, shut the door in their faces.
Mandy

lincroft1710

Isn't it strange how when official records and their maintenance are "privatised" sensibility and civility go out of window. About 30 yrs ago in 1st house had 3 old BW sets (gifts) in succession which all stopped working. So didn't renew TV licence. A few months later, one evening knock at door "Good Evening sir TV Licensing. We don't have a record of TV licence here". "No, I have TV set, but it is broken and not connected to aerial" (true) "You can come in and have a look if you like." " Oh no sir, no need for that, thank you we'll update our records. Goodnight". Perhaps I had an honest face.

vansboy

Had yet another letter - this one in red type - to 'The Occupier' (been here 9months now, so they mighght have checked the electorl roll) stating that they would further investigate our 'case', if a we didn't buy one!

If they'd have taken notice of our reply to their first letter, where we told them the truth, that there is no TV here (we were ripping the house out, as Moneysavers that have seen my other posts will be aware) there would have been no need for the additional letters they sent to this address.

We will buy one, when we eventually get a TV, but would LOVE the officer to visit & to ask him why his department seem so keen on wasting everyones time & licience payers £$£$£$

VB