TV Licence article Discussion

lucylucky

heebs wrote: »

Totally agree...it is not a licence for TV..it is for BBC channels..and I do NOT watch BBC so forcing me to pay for a service I dont use is EXTORTION...i have a tv...we watch only arabic language channels from a satalite dish we paid alot of money for...i use my TV for dvds non bbc channels and whatever..but NO BBC..so why should i pay...its completely wrong...i dont aggree with it at all...if bbc want a fee for their programmes then only charge poeple who watch...scramble their channel and open it to those who pay...I DONT WANT BBC ON MY TV...

Write to your MP and complain then.

Make sure you use a nice big colourful font, so much more effective.

The licence fee no longer just funds the BBC

lucylucky

heebs wrote: »

eXCUSE ME...ARE YOU FOR REAL :mad:...How is it sponging off you..you pay x amount for your tv licence regardless of who chooses they dont want to pay for a service they dont use...

The fewer people who pay then the higher the cost to those who do.

I suspect that may be part of the point being made.

Lots of us pay for services we don't use.

lucylucky

Kuztardd wrote: »

doesnt it? No it doesn't

The BBC provides 8 interactive TV channels, I get 9 10 radio networks, more than 50 local TV and radio services, the BBC's website, and the on-demand TV and radio service, BBC iPlayer.
BBC World Service is funded by government grant and not the TV licence fee. Not for much longer Profits from separate BBC commercial services help to keep the licence fee low.


and even though the fee went up in price recently, the amount spent on programmes have decreased.. Interesting huh! Have they, maybe they are making them more efficiently?

The licence fee is now frozen so will be interesting to see what happens.

Andy_L

Kuztardd wrote: »

sorry i forgot to say that it was a quote from the bbc website.
http://faq.external.bbc.co.uk/questions/about/licence_spent

I would be interested to know what else the licence fee is used on if it isn't for the BBC and it's services?

IIRC its paying for some of the costs of the digital switchover, transmitter upgrades & set-top boxes for OAPs

Guderian

I posted 18 months ago that I had moved to Thailand. I had allowed my current licence simply to expire, and sent the TV licensing people a polite letter explaining that I had left the country permanently, so please save yourselves some admin costs and note this.

Did they? Of course not! The person who keeps an eye on my place tells me that not only have I received a different threatening letter every month since I left, but twice somebody has called to visit and left his warning.

Are these idiots for real? They are wasting taxpayers' money chasing people who have been polite enough to let them know that they have left the country. Well I don't much care, I watch the BBC iPlayer via a proxy server here in sunny Thailand for free, so thank you to all the loyal TV licence payers who make this possible. The two Top Gear's over Christmas were most enjoyable.

I should probably write to somebody and complain, but to be honest I can't be arsed. It's no longer my money they are chucking away. IMHO, since it is pretty much impossible for TV licensing to ever be really effective, they should simply do away with it, save the money, and either let the BBC get by on what people volunteer to pay for its left wing crap, or else make it a subscription service only.

Niv

Some TV licence money also goes to channel 4

candyman67

As with so many others, I took time to consider my viewing.
I realised that I was chasing around the channels, I had Virgin, to watch the same varieties of programmes on a nightly basis.
Once I had done the maths, I figured that I was throwing away about £8 per week watching nothing of value, so, as the licence was due for renewal at the end of the following month, I canceled Virgin, and killed the Direct Debit for the licence.
Two days later I received a phone call from TVL informing me that my DD had been canceled, but it was OK because they could simply renew it for me over the phone.
It took about 10 minutes to tell the idiot on the other end that I had no wish to use the tv for broadcasts, but only for video. He spouted law and scripture, warned me of the dire consequences of watching illegally, and effectively cast me as the devil in a monastery.
He finally ended his speech with the question "And WHY don't you want to watch tv?" At which point he was impolitely told it was none of his business.

For years thereafter, I received the threatening letters, which were replied to at first and then ignored, until the day I got a letter that was labeled outside with the phrase "YOUR HOUSE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION". That set me off. I tore into the first guy that answered the phone, then demanded to know if he had a credit card. He agreed he had, so I asked him if he would appreciate if the would could see his debit balance in the same half inch bold red capitals on the outside of his envelope, in the manner that I had received my warning.
He agreed that it was over the top, and agreed to take my details off the database. Case sorted for a while.

I recently moved 6 months ago. There was a reminder posted for the last tenant, so I went online and emailed the response that the tenant was no longer here, I was, and had no license nor intention to use a tv as described within the licensing regulations. A response was received.
5 months later, at 8pm, the door was aggressively knocked, immediately followed by the doorbell being rung three times.
On the doorstep was an individual who would be a poor representative of that vagrants magazine, holding a glowing handpad.
He immediately asked if I was XX, the previous tenant. My response "Who are you?"
"Are you XX?".
Again "Who are you?"
"Are you XX?".
To which he was promptly told that I am the guy who is going to shut the door in his face if he did not identify himself.
"Tv Licensing. Are you....."
"No tv. No licence. Go away" and proceeded to close the door.
"'Ere 'ang a minute" as he tried to place his boot in the door.
At this point he was told, quite abruptly, the manner in which he should leave. He still stood there for 2 minutes.
This appears to be typical of the bully boy nature of the individuals employed. I have since found out that TVL employees earn about £11000 per year, and receive a bonus for each address that successfully leads to prosecution, with a minimum of 38 addresses needed per month. A "good" collector can double his money with bonuses. Thus explaining their underhand tactics.

Check out this site
http://www.televisionlicence.info/tvl/inspectors

tph86

I'm sorry if this has come up before. We're moving to a new house and the previous occupiers (now our landlords) have offered to pay for our tv licence for the next year. We already have a tv licence for our current property.

Do I need to just cancel my existing licence and does it have to be in my name (i.e, is this alright?)

derrick

tph86 wrote: »

I'm sorry if this has come up before. We're moving to a new house and the previous occupiers (now our landlords) have offered to pay for our tv licence for the next year. We already have a tv licence for our current property.

Do I need to just cancel my existing licence and does it have to be in my name (i.e, is this alright?)

Refunds and cancellations

Moving home.

Make sure the new licence is in your name, not the landlords.

.

sa80_99

Can someone please help. I have received a summons from TV licensing even though we had a visit from them in december and was told if we agree to quarterly instalments and keep upto date with the payments everything would be fine. We have kept up with the payments and i have now got this summons which states it's for one month. I have spoken to the TV people and they said it's not for the month stated on the summons it because when he turned up it was for that day. I just don't know what to do. I know i've got to reply to the summons is there anything else i can do?