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

benjdr

I'm have also recently purchased a property and am renovating it. I have received 2 of these letters. (I obviously have no TV receiving equipment)
The first was not threatening and asked me to contact them to "update their records".
I ignored it.
I have recently received a second which is more threatening (with lots of lovely red bold type), stating that my details have been passed onto their "enforcement officers".
I had a good laugh at this and them came on here looking for some advice.
It seems from this thread that i can just ignore them?

JohnDep_2

My halls has about 5 letters a week at uni...

There getting more and more threatening.


Word from security is that that need explicit permission to enter our rooms (i.e. to get a key to get into the front door to our rooms) and security need to give us 24 hours notice to enter our rooms.

I payed up... but fellow students without tellys, just told to ignore them!

jamesd

hewhoisnotintheknow, the reason not to let officials in who lie about having a right of access or lie about who they are is basic civil liberties and the difference between an authoritarian state and a free country.

The legal procedures to gain access are there and ready for their use. All they have to do is follow the law to use them.

moonrakerz

jamesd wrote: »

The legal procedures to gain access are there and ready for their use. All they have to do is follow the law to use them.

It isn't really that simple, they have to persuade a magistrate that there is GOOD reason to believe that you are watching TV without a licence. The fact that you are not on their database as holding a licence is not a good enough reason.
Even if he does get a warrant, he then has to get a police officer to accompany him.
Even if after all that you let him in with the TV switched on - then you deserve to get done !

If you do watch TV, get a licence - don't sponge off those who do pay !!!!

jamesd

moonrakerz, then they should be respecting the law and not lying about having a right of access until they have persuaded the magistrate. Or they could try to get the law changed.

However, the record of lying about the law according to the posters here suggests that they can't be trusted to even follow the current law, let alone one that grants them even more privileges. Perhaps the first step would be a five year free license, transferable to anyone else at any other property, any time one of their employees is found to have lied to you about having a right of access to your home or who they are?

If that changes to them actually being trustworthy then maybe expanding their powers might be considered.

hungrynurse_2

This site is about money saving, within the law. TV licence fees are a legal requirement if you watch TV, therefore I have no repsect for anyone not. The rest of us are paying for your TV.

However when inspectors visit, they are only doing their job. When they are sent away to get warrants & then return with the police, this has a cost implication. This cost has to be met somewhere, and it will invariably end up upping next years licence fee, so if youve nothing to hide, let them in. It take minutes out of your day.

danm

Totally agree with hungrynurse.

These people are trying to catch fraudsters. People are quick enough to complain when not enough is done to catch those stealing from the 'system'. Someone tries to do something, and their efforts are blocked the whole way.

moonrakerz

jamesd wrote: »

moonrakerz, then they should be respecting the law and not lying about having a right of access until they have persuaded the magistrate. Or they could try to get the law changed.

We seem to be saying the same thing here !

I have had a never-ending stream of threats from TVLA over an empty house I owned. I have done a lot of research over this "organisation" and have, quite simply, been appalled by the tactics they use against people who quite legitimately do not have a TV Licence.
Their self-styled "officers", tell half-truths and lies, the TVLA web-site is deliberately misleading and as for the letters they send out, they border on the libellous !
TV Licensing staff have no more right of access to your premises than the paper boy, they have no more legal powers ("to interview you under the police and criminal evidence act " ) than the paper boy either. I have actually banned them from setting foot on my property !
I am quite convinced that I (if I wished !) could watch TV without a licence and that the TVLA would not be able to get me to Court for that offence - NOT that I would actually do that myself or suggest that others do the same.
To some extent the TVLA are on a hiding to nothing, they have been contracted by the BBC to enforce a generally unpopular method of revenue collection within a legal framework that is not up to it. As a result they have adopted their present "bully boy" tactics.
Personally, I think the BBC is quite good value for the Licence Fee. As I have already said, if you watch TV - pay the licence !

dan1979

I've always paid my TV license because I have a TV but it is disgusting the way they behave.

If I had no need for a license and they turned up on my doorstep trying to tell me they had rights to enter they'd be told to **** off in no uncertain terms.

The whole guilty until proven innocent and we can snoop around your home thing is disgusting. If you've confirmed you don't not have TV receiving equipment why should you have to then be subject to anything else?

It's well known that even after letting them in people still get bombarded with the letter.

Ice_2

they can be very annoying...I know when I moved into this property on 1st october 1999 my Licence was due at the end of the month...I rang them to say I had changed address but that I wouldn't be getting another Licence as my beloved TV was a casuality of moving...and I just couldn't afford to get a new tv as well as everything else...so to start off with just the usual "we will call if you don't get a Licence..." letter once amonth...then in the summer they called at the house...very large front window...so I said "yes sure you can look through the window and that's all"...they are only allowed to look in your front room...as far as I am aware...and you don't have to let them in...but I did say to him..."I will be in a position to buy a new tv to replace the one that got broke in october 1999 and so therefore I will be getting a Licence at the same time"...he went on to say "well if you buy from a shop they are by law forced to tell us about it them we'll be back" I was absolutely fumming...I have never had a tv without a Licence...infact 1999 is the only year I have never had one...but when I did change my bank account they was not a problem the DD went out of my old bank and I rang them the next day to say it had been cancelled due to me having a new account I gave them my new details and had no bother...:Dbut I do think they need to change there tactic's yes I know there are people out there who for some reason refuse to buy a licence because of whatever but when a genuine person who does not have a licence gets hassled by them then it's not right...:eek::D