TV Licence article Discussion

MrsStepford

They send me a letter every two years. I tell them that I don't have a TV (true) and don't need to have a TV licence to watch non-BBC catch-up or on demand services or internet-only livestreams or DVDs on laptops. That shuts them up for two years. Not paying £145.50 per year, pays for Amazon Prime and Britbox. 

cw18

MrsStepford said:

Not paying £145.50 per year, pays for Amazon Prime and Britbox. 

It's now £157.50 !!!

JimmyTheWig

Cornucopia said:

JIL said:

We are living between two properties at the moment. We have one tv licence. We only watch tv in house number one, we dont ever watch tv in house number 2, although it's set up with virgin tv which happened two weeks ago when broadband was installed
.As soon as house number 2 is finished, this will be our permanent home and I will change address  and move the big tv to the property. I have written to explain the situation. However it hasnt stopped the dear occupier threatening letters to house number 2. 
Numerous emails and all I have back is please tell us when you move. However it does not stop the letters which sends the husband into a panic. Do I need to do anything else?

Presumably somewhere in their procedures is a note not to stop letters when the householder notifies of a temporary situation.

I think the underlying issue is not telling them what they want to hear.   I would phone them back and tell them that you do not watch or record TV, or watch iPlayer at House 2, and will buy a Licence if that changes.  Don't go into the reasons.  That should stop the letters.   If it doesn't, then make a complaint. 

Is this going to stand up, though, when they are paying to have a TV service streamed to their house?

Nick_C

JimmyTheWig said:

Is this going to stand up, though, when they are paying to have a TV service streamed to their house?

Why should that matter?  I pay Virgin Media for a TV service.  But the Tivo is unplugged and in storage.

VM's cheapest rates (when you haggle) include their crappy TV service.  And a landline.  You pay more for Broadband only.

JIL

I hope it does stack up, presumably as I am paying for virgin media, this should work in my favour in that they should be able to show that I haven't watched any tv?
Anyway we are moving within the next ten days and it will be resolved. 
I did email to explain the situation, they emailed back to say, have you moved yet? 

Cornucopia

JimmyTheWig said:

Is this going to stand up, though, when they are paying to have a TV service streamed to their house?

If the house is empty, and there is no Set-top Box connected, I don't see how it wouldn't stand up.

The most likely scenario, I would have thought is that TVL visitors will be confronted by a locked front door, and no one to open it.

pacman3

If I don’t renew my licence can I still watch what I have recorded and saved. For example films on film 4 or bbc that are saved on my set top box? Or do these need deleting Incase of an inspection?

cw18

I still have things on a hard disk that I recorded when I had a licence (10 years and more ago).  As they're clearly timestamped as to then they were recorded I'm quite happy to keep and watch.   The requirement for a licence is for watching live or recording when live - neither of these is true.

MrsStepford

I have VirginMedia for broadband and phone. The connectors are in the hall and there's no TV there. TV licence people are only allowed to look in your ground floor living space AFAIK. Only screen we have is more CCTV.

cw18

MrsStepford said:

TV licence people are only allowed to look in your ground floor living space AFAIK.

They're not 'allowed' to look anywhere unless you give them permission or they have a search warrant.

If you only give permission for downstairs they're going to suspect you're hiding something upstairs.  If they have a warrant I would be very surprised to find it didn't cover the entire property.  Whether it included sheds (and detached garages) may be a different matter though.....