TV Licence article Discussion

Cornucopia

Nick_C said:

Cornucopia said:

TVL:  "When did you last watch live TV?"

Savvy Householder:  "Do you mean last night in the Pub, on Tuesday at my Mum's house, or last Sunday on Twitch?"

Precisely.

Which is why I won't fill in the on line declaration.  "No one in my household watches or records TV programmes live on any channel - not just the BBC."  I do.  We do.  Just not in our own home.

I suspect that we reached the point some while ago where the BBC's (and others') attempts to simplify things to aid the Public's understanding have become fundamentally counter-productive.  

I'd always recommend that legally Licence-free people never enter into a detailed conversation with TVL about their viewing habits - there is no need, and the danger of meeting a TVL person who doesn't understand the rules is just too great. 

Cornucopia

We were discussing TV Licensing compliance with the PACE interview rules a couple of pages ago.   I was looking for some information today, and stumbled across this FOI response from 2018.   Whilst it doesn't directly reference McNamara, it does use some quite contentious wording about TVL's relationship to PACE.

... please also note that enquiry officers are not the police and do not have police powers. They have regard to the PACE Codes of Practice ...

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/468041/response/1133954/attach/4/RFI20180400%20response.pdf


Also, I saw a new format of the TVL record of interview, and it now contains a reference to legal advice within an extended caution text.

wild666

Even those who declare they don't need a licence could get a goon visit. I did in March 2017 and he called when I was just getting back from walking the dog. He said he was scared of dogs so I went to put him inside and the goon tried to push past me to enter my property. I reacted quicker than the dog and pulled him back and he fell, I just walked in and shut the door. Plod couldn't even get me to step outside my door and eventually left as did the goon and I haven't had a visit since, only letters, but I was drunk one night in 2020and filled in a no licence required declaration so I'm looking forward to their letters commencing from around December this year, which I won't be replying too.

veganpanda

What I found helped me was not engaging with the BBC or any of their goons

at all, when over 20 years ago I cancelled my direct debit to BBC licencing,

every letter from them I received I didn't open, sent them back with no

letter attached and only wrote on the outside "No contact, please return

to sender", in the next month I must have received 4 separate envelopes

from them and I always did the same, they stopped. When I moved home

I had a BBC goon knock at my door, opening it as usual I said "get off my

property!" then shut the door! Since then nothing 👍

silverwhistle

Cornucopia said:

TVL:  "When did you last watch live TV?"

Savvy Householder:  "Do you mean last night in the Pub, on Tuesday at my Mum's house, or last Sunday on Twitch?"

Hah! That could be me, apart from I don't know what Twitch is. I watch football down the pub (or at a ground) and I'm now an expert on antiques and various quiz programmes as I visit aged parent daily. I've managed to avoid East Enders though..

silverwhistle

Just an update.. Covid must be over as I received a letter yesterday promising me a visit! :-)

Unlike some on here I don't have any special technique for doorstep visitors, not even the BBC, just my usual cheery smile and a polite "not interested thanks". The last such was somebody who waved some letter and said "we left you this", and unfortunately I didn't oblige by saying "no, what?", but my standard response.. ;-)

Swipe

I've had 3 visits in the last decade. The last one being a week or so ago. I clocked an oldish guy with a name/ID badge on his jacket through the kitchen window and wasn't going to bother answering the door but he didn't even knock and instead, left a filled out calling card wit his VPN number. The previous two were too lazy to even fill out their "We said we'd call / DO NOT IGNORE" cards.

castle96

Worrying.... Just been chatting with a good friend. No reason to lie. 20 yrs ago (no licence, no visits, only letters). Police turned up. handcuffed. Cells. Straight in fronf of Magistrates. £100 fine. "detected electronically"
I have heard on here many times that the TVL vans did not  work, just a scam. Noone ever went inside his house to check.
 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! comments?

Cornucopia

castle96 said:

Worrying.... Just been chatting with a good friend. No reason to lie. 20 yrs ago (no licence, no visits, only letters). Police turned up. handcuffed. Cells. Straight in fronf of Magistrates. £100 fine. "detected electronically"
I have heard on here many times that the TVL vans did not  work, just a scam. Noone ever went inside his house to check.
 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! comments?

No - highly unlikely.  

The closest possible scenario would be:   false allegation or address mix-up during interview, tried in their absence (admin error), didn't receive or didn't respond to the penalty letter, Police arrest warrant, then to Court for a formal order to pay the previous fine.   

Even then, there's a lot of ifs and maybes there.

The BBC have confirmed that electronic detection evidence has NEVER been used as evidence in an evasion prosecution case, so it couldn't have been that.   And the Police have never been the investigating/prosecuting agency for this offence.

castle96

i kow it's "unlikely", but he swears it happened. He had previous letter. (we all do). He didnt respond. (why should he?). Next thing....police. No penalty letter.. Interesting thing is that "electronic evidence" convicted him. Noone ever went into thehouise