TV Licence article Discussion

Cornucopia

These changes are merely being discussed at the moment.

The present proposal is not to decriminalise.

DavidP24

The ironic thing is that I would have defended the BBC to the end, but this heavy handed attitude and the disgusting behaviour of TVL has turned me against them.

They suffer from SOPM syndrome (spending other people's money), the BBC world service used to be just the content already produced across the network on Radio4, now they make programmes for that channel, a channel aimed at people around the world THAT DO NOT PAY A TV LICENCE!

Now they have to pay for this but I wonder how it would be if the money to pay for such content came out of the pockets of the executives, would they work for free just so some schmuck on the other side of the world could listen to it?

Many years ago I had Sky and was not bothered about paying the TV licence, the fact is I could afford it.

Even after things got tight and I got rid of Sky I was OK with it until they mistreated me.

I was paying by direct debit and had been for years, this meant that I was actually in credit by 6 months. I moved and was homeless for 2 months, they did not want to cater for that. I either had to pay the full 12 months or go back to paying £24 a month.

I spent a fortune on their premium rate number on hold and then being told I could NOT pay for 10 months and maintain the £12.12 a month

It was at this point that I though F you, my old TV was analogue, my sky box did not receive any channels so I got rid of it and since then I do not watch any LIVE TV or even CATCHUP TV.

Still I have to have this abuse of being pestered by TVL and having to account for myself and am treated like a thief.

It is the same thing with the CREDIT Reference Agencies, there was a time when the data was only used IF YOU WANTED TO APPLY FOR CREDIT which was fair enough.

Now companies like TalkTalk record your payments to equifax even if you do not take credit and ironically even if you pay a year upfront. That data is shared to people WITHOUT YOUR EXPRESS PERMISSION by Equifax, all they need is TalkTalk to add a condition that says if you do business with them you agree to this sharing of your data, no opt out, just accept it or tough shwit.

Capita use both Credit Ref Agency data and TVL data to track people for their other clients which include anything from shareholder services to debt collection.

It is just BIG BROTHER, but should be a breach of the Human Rights Act as well as the Data Protection Act to be left alone.

Cornucopia

DavidP24 wrote: »

Still I have to have this abuse of being pestered by TVL and having to account for myself and am treated like a thief.

That's what they want to do - but you don't have to let them. You can either just ignore them, or like around 15,000 others, use a legal remedy against them.

It is just BIG BROTHER, but should be a breach of the Human Rights Act as well as the Data Protection Act to be left alone.

It almost certainly IS a breach of Article 8 (Privacy) of the HRA, and there are some concerns over DPA, PACE and RIPA too, and also Articles 6 (Fair Trial) and 14 (Discrimination) of the HRA.

The difficulty is for innocent citizens to enforce those rights. The Law is not set up for innocent people to assert their rights pro-actively at reasonable cost - which is a major shortcoming. The Law is also not set up for me, as a concerned citizen to bring a generic or pre-emptive complaint - I have to already be a victim to assert the Rights.

That's where the legal remedies come in. You put the remedy in place, and when they breach it, you either take them to Court, or if they are taking you to Court, you have a platform to assert your rights.

Article 8 of the HRA is the main defence against TVL. (And, yes, it is an offence for a public authority to act other than in accordance with a Charter right, but in the case of the BBC there is no one who can call them to account).

Article 8 (the Right to Privacy) says:-

1. Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.

2. There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except such as is in accordance with the law...

So, it's not looking good for them, so far. Established Case Law goes on to clarify "in accordance with the Law" as being:-

- An explicit piece of Legislation or other regulation [there is no explicit TVL legislation or regulation]
- That is clear
- That is accessible to those who might be affected by it
- That is understandable by those who might be affected by it, such that they can modify their behaviour accordingly
- That has a measure of built-in protection against arbitrariness.

On that basis, I cannot read TVL as being anything other than an unlawful operation, in breach of Article 8.

silverwhistle

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

If you want to spend £145-50 pa, on something you don't legally need, be my guest.

Personally, I'll continue to save that cash. which, come January 1st, will have reached over £1,000.

It's worked for me, for nigh on six years.

Only 6 years Bob? You couldn't do the sums for me for 27 years, could you, there's a dear?

Joking aside I've never actually had a colour TV, although I admit to spending a little more on beers down the local pub, where they're were once somewhat taken aback by a lass you watched footie and drank pints. The benefit of a university education with jolly hockey stick types dontchaknow.

[Deleted User]

silverwhistle wrote: »

You couldn't do the sums for me for 27 years, could you, there's a dear?

I would need to know what the licence cost, year on year.

WannaBLoaded

I'm watching Eastenders (never usually watch it ever! It's rubbish) and i don't have a tv license someone dial 999 this is a criminal offence.

The police better leave all the old ladies being mugged to die on the pavement and get round here quick to arrest me hahaha.

I HATE YOU BBC!

Poppy_Golightly

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Don't worry about it.

I've had the "What to expect in court" letter EIGHT times so far.
Suffice to say, I'm still waiting for the summons.

I just got the "Court Summons" threat letter this morning and wondered what to do about it. Glad I found your advice. I would go on to their site and tell them I don't have a TV but they want my telephone number and email address etc and basically that's none of their business. So I shall file this letter and wait for the next 7 of the same!

[Deleted User]

Poppy_Golightly wrote: »

I would go on to their site and tell them I don't have a TV

I wouldn't.

No contact, no communication, is the way to go.

cw18

I told them I no longer needed a licence in order to get a refund paid by monthly D/Debit, so was due 3 months on the one in force plus 3 months paid in advance for the next). That was fast approaching 5 years ago and I've had no hassle from them at all, so I really don't understand why people are so adamant that the best way is to have no contact.....

DavidP24

Poppy

Bob is right, NO CONTACT is the way to go, except to tell them to Foxtrot Oscar if they call.

I think those letters are disgusting, they scaremonger and fail to mention prominently that if you do not watch live TV you are not obliged to have a license and the threat of Court Action is irrelevant

TVL are in clear breach of Article 8 of the human rights act and also the Harassment Act (any discussion from them from outside the property where it may be overheard that may affect your reputation is a breach, many Landlords have lost cases because they shout through letterbox)

Respect for one’s private life includes:

• the right to personal autonomy and physical and psychological integrity, i.e. the right not to be physically interfered with;
• respect for private and confidential information, particularly the storing and sharing of such information;
• the right not to be subject to unlawful state surveillance;
• respect for privacy when one has a reasonable expectation of privacy; and
• the right to control the dissemination of information about one’s private life

Whether you watch TV is a private matter and you have a reasonable expectation of privacy
The BBC is a Public Service Organisation therefore effectively the State
The state forces TV Supplier and TV Services companies to share private information (that you bought a TV or that you subscribe to a TV Service)
You have no way to control the sharing (dissemination) of this information to TVL and other parties named or unamed

The biggest culprits are the Credit Reference Agencies who buy up the voting data and reconcile it with non credit data (e.g. TalkTalk share your payments even if they are not part of a credit agreement and even if you pay a year upfront).

We really need a class action lawsuit or someone like Amnesty International or Big Brother Watch to make representation to the EU Court of Human rights because the ICO has decided to file down their teeth (probably on direction from the Government).

You are NOT obliged to tell TVL your name or anything else

You can remove their assumed right of access to your garden to get to the door, tell them that by instructing their staff to tresspass your property from the street they are agreeing to a consultancy and expenses fee of £2000, plus all subsequent legal fees.

If you want to write to them do so as Legalo[FONT=&quot]c Cupier (Legal Occupier) there are standard letters online that remove their right to trespass.

[/FONT]If you contact them to tell them you do not watch live TV they just move to a different phase, of wanting to come in a check. Never admit you have a TV or other device capable of watching live TV, if they know your name and have seen a TV, they can get a warrant to inspect.

So Bob is right, ignore and no contact is best approach