TV Licensing have ripped me off!

cybersquatter

When I moved into my flat in mid-late December, one of the first things to come through the door was the usual threatening letter from TV Licensing. So I phoned them up promptly and got a licence. But I've just read it properly for the first time, and it says it's going to expire on 30 November 2008 - not a full year.

Does anyone know why this has happened? I know from bitter experience dealing with call centre staff that I'm likely to be stonewalled if I phone up tomorrow to try and get this sorted. Can anyone give any tips/laws I can quote at them? I'm paying by yearly direct debit.

Regards

cybersquatter

Ms_Chocaholic

When you buy a licence half way through a month it's backdated to the start of that month so, if you bought your licence say on 15 Dec, it will run from 1 Dec until 30 Nov the following year.

HTH

intranix

The TV licence is a rip-off anyway

cybersquatter

Ms_Chocaholic wrote: »

When you buy a licence half way through a month it's backdated to the start of that month so, if you bought your licence say on 15 Dec, it will run from 1 Dec until 30 Nov the following year.

HTH

Really... well that would explain it. Nice little earner for TV Licensing that one :mad: A little bit like their equally suspect direct debit "choices", which involve a choice between paying 6 months in advance on the monthly scheme (thus losing out on 6 months of interest), paying annually at the start of the year (thus losing out on interest) or paying quarterly (and paying extra to do so)

Thanks for letting me know anyway.

Mikeyorks

cybersquatter wrote: »

A little bit like their equally suspect direct debit "choices", which involve a choice between paying 6 months in advance on the monthly scheme

............which leaves, of course, the other 6 months being paid in arrears? So the interest impact to you (and them) is precisely neutral or ... 'Zero' !!

cybersquatter

Mikeyorks wrote: »

............which leaves, of course, the other 6 months being paid in arrears? So the interest impact to you (and them) is precisely neutral or ... 'Zero' !!

The way it was explained to me, you are constantly 6 months ahead.

geordie_joe

Mikeyorks wrote: »

............which leaves, of course, the other 6 months being paid in arrears? So the interest impact to you (and them) is precisely neutral or ... 'Zero' !!

No, when I started to pay by DD they took double for six months then take a months payment every month. It means that after the first year you have paid for 18 months, and continue to pay 6 months in advance.

Mikeyorks

geordie_joe wrote: »

No, when I started to pay by DD they took double for six months then take a months payment every month. It means that after the first year you have paid for 18 months, and continue to pay 6 months in advance.

cybersquatter wrote:

The way it was explained to me, you are constantly 6 months ahead.

No .. it doesn't work like that. Most people commence DD payments when a new licence is due. So you have to pay for the first one in 6 months .. so you 'get ahead'. Then you pay 6 months in advance for the next licence. Then they send you the new licence .. then you finish paying the final 6 months for it in arrears. Then you pay thereafter .. 6 months in advance and 6 in arrears. So it's 'interest neutral'

From their website - re DD monthly payments :-

Paying Monthly
You pay for your current licence in monthly instalments within the first six months. Then in the seventh month, you start to pay in advance towards your next licence with 12 monthly instalments of around £11 (so you make six payments before your new licence begins and six after). You continue paying for future licences in this way

cybersquatter

Mikeyorks wrote: »

Paying Monthly
You pay for your current licence in monthly instalments within the first six months. Then in the seventh month, you start to pay in advance towards your next licence with 12 monthly instalments of around £11 (so you make six payments before your new licence begins and six after). You continue paying for future licences in this way

...which makes you six months ahead at all times - because you're paying for the second six months of the licence during the first six months of the licence period, and the first six months of the licence during the final six months of the previous period. You're never in "arrears".