TV Licence article Discussion

niknick

hi all, after a stay in hospital recently, I'm wondering if it's legal for the "hospedia" company to charge people on their bedside sets to watch freeview channels let alone BBC channels when they have a valid tv licence at home as I do.

castle96

expensive, but certainly legal

Cornucopia

I was told that the companies provide the TV/Phone equipment to the NHS for free on the basis of being able to charge patients for the service.   It's not cheap, but I guess probably equates to the amount saved by having free meals provided.

Andy_L

niknick said:

hi all, after a stay in hospital recently, I'm wondering if it's legal for the "hospedia" company to charge people on their bedside sets to watch freeview channels let alone BBC channels when they have a valid tv licence at home as I do.

Yes. You are paying for both the hardware and their licence.

Your TV licence is not valid at the Hospital as the device you are using is plugged into the mains

[Deleted User]

So basically don't answer the door and ignore letters then you don't have to pay?   I guess they have no detector to know if you're watching it either

Cornucopia

sin_city said:

So basically don't answer the door and ignore letters then you don't have to pay?   I guess they have no detector to know if you're watching it either

If the BBC weren't quite so aggressive in their enforcement attempts then there wouldn't be any need for discussions like this (which are from the POV of law-abiding citizens who simply want to be left alone by TV Licensing), and there would be no learning points that might be exploited by evaders. 

FreeBear

cw18 said: So, since last Thursday I've discovered I've been delivering a style of threat letter I'd not seen before.

I got one through the door this morning. Crafty burgers haven't bothered to address it to the "legal occupier" like they usually do, but the Darlington return address was a clue (as well as your heads up).

Well, I've got a new way to dissuade them from visiting - Come banging on my door, and you are at risk of being sneezed on. Do you feel lucky punk ? Well do you ?

Ellieduval

I filled in the online form to say I don't watch live TV because I have Netflix and I got a letter back stating they would be in touch in two years time to enquire if there are any changes to my viewing habits .
Its 18 months since and I've not been bothered by anyone at all.
I think if you go through the proper channels they don't seem to bother you,I have friends who did the same as me and they have never been bothered either.
There isn't much they can do if you don't let them in and refuse to talk to them.
They can't tell what you are watching even if you are watching live broadcasts and they are standing at your front door. 
If they do get a warrant provided you don't admit to watching live broadcasts they can't win a prosecution because they haven't seen you watching live TV and you have to admit to it because they cannot prove it otherwise.
A TV aerial is not evidence of you watching live TV, just a standard thing attached to most households regardless of what you watch.
There is no way I would get rid of my TV aerial as some people do because they don't have a TV licence as I have read advised by a lot of people on forums.
Its just not necessary .
Prosecutions are just not that easy if you don't allow them to bully you.

rizla01

Ellieduval said:

I filled in the online form to say I don't watch live TV because I have Netflix and I got a letter back stating they would be in touch in two years time to enquire if there are any changes to my viewing habits .
Its 18 months since and I've not been bothered by anyone at all.
I think if you go through the proper channels they don't seem to bother you,I have friends who did the same as me and they have never been bothered either.
There isn't much they can do if you don't let them in and refuse to talk to them.
They can't tell what you are watching even if you are watching live broadcasts and they are standing at your front door. 
If they do get a warrant provided you don't admit to watching live broadcasts they can't win a prosecution because they haven't seen you watching live TV and you have to admit to it because they cannot prove it otherwise.
A TV aerial is not evidence of you watching live TV, just a standard thing attached to most households regardless of what you watch.
There is no way I would get rid of my TV aerial as some people do because they don't have a TV licence as I have read advised by a lot of people on forums.
Its just not necessary .
Prosecutions are just not that easy if you don't allow them to bully you.

Similarly, I had my two year letter and since that expired and every month thereafterfor the past five years I have received (and kept) a regular 'To the occupier' letter with various amusing threats and promises, sometimes a white or buff envelope and sometimes even, in a very scary red envelope.

Slightly differently for me was that 7 or 8 yrs back i actually had a visit from a 6' 'Enforcement Officer' !!!!!! who asked me who I was and asked why there was no licence registered at my property so I told him I dont want one, and dont need one, and I am selling my house. I then advised him to leave my property and  being 6'4" he listened to me and left, so maybe they have that logged.

Either way I have had no visits since - just mail.

Karl_me

Do I need a TV licence to watch catch up of BBC programs on other service that are not iplayer.