TV Licence article Discussion

Errata

gavsmillie wrote: »

Folks,

Finally found a foolproof way of not paying legally for a TV licence!!!!!

Become a member of parliment !!! So simple I keep kicking myself for not realising sooner !!!

Duh really really feel stooooopid now !!!

Off to find a party who wants somebody with morals !!!! Having problems so far. Any ideas ?

A political party with morals? Spoilt for choice at the moment, I'd say :rolleyes:

A.K.

Hi, a newbie here.

Had a question about TV licensing.

I have recently changed TVs quite a few times and everytime you buy a TV from a retailer they ask for your TV license address details for verification purposes.

Now everytime I have bought a new TV, I obviously need to give these details to them. From this it may appear to them that I own many TVs but in reality I only have two in my household and have sold on the ones I don't want.

My question is, for a standard colour TV license is there a limit to how many TVs you can have within the same household or can you have as many as you want - as long as there is a valid license!

I've tried searching for this online but can't find an answer.

Thanks for the reply in advance.

Nile

Hello A.K.

Welcome to the MSE site.:wave:

I've merged your thread with this TV Licence thread.

Nile

moonrakerz

A.K. wrote: »

My question is, for a standard colour TV license is there a limit to how many TVs you can have within the same household or can you have as many as you want - as long as there is a valid license!

I've tried searching for this online but can't find an answer.

Thanks for the reply in advance.

From TVL website:

"What does yourlicence

allow?

The licence allows installation and use of TV equipment:

• at the licensed premises by anyone.
• in a vehicle, boat or caravan by:

• You and anyone who normally lives with You at the licensed place (so long as TV equipment is not being used in a non-touring caravan and at the licensed place at the same time).
• anyone, who normally works at the licensed place (so long as the vehicle, boat or caravan is being used for a business purpose).

Use of TV equipment powered by internal batteries anywhere:

• by You and anyone who normally lives with You at the licensed place."

Note the deliberately confusing wording "installation and use" - you can "install" as many TVs or recorders as you like - and you only need a licence if you watch or record live TV broadcasts.
You can "use" all these TVs you have "installed" to watch DVDs from Blockbuster and you do not need a licence - despite what TVL say (or imply) above !

xlt_hunter

Right, before I decide to cancel my direct debit to these cowboys..

As I understand if I watch any TV that is currently a Live transmitted broadcast I need a license. However, If I download the show say 5 minutes later let say from a bittorrent site like UKNova or use the BBC Iplayer/ITV media Player I do not need a license as the show is not shown Live?

If so, then my license is getting cancelled tomorrow and I would save £160 a year :cool:

want2bmortgage3

same here... my budget is tight at the moment and they have taken two payments of 27.10 already which isnt exactly cheap. i realise its something i can do without, seems like the tv license is something people accept, but why when more and more programs are available online? my mate said why not watch online but plug the laptop/pc into an lcd tv, doesnt sound like a bad suggestion.

anyway ive cancelled the direct debit and will see what happens. i wont be watching the box, time to explore online tv.. after all its got to be the future¬

xlt_hunter

same here want2bmortgage3 - there is 3 LCD in this house which 1 belongs to my brother and the other 2 are mine. 2 Sets are hooked up as PC mointers with TV Cards inside. And the other one in the main living room with a PVR hooked up to it. To get round this issue, I would be looking to remove the TV cards and unhooking the PVR and going online watching instead.

With so much online now, I am thinking is it worth it.. I mean, I only watch TimeTeam on sundays, but I can watch that at parents house or On4Demand service. and other programs are all online within 30min of them shown on TV

moonrakerz

xlt_hunter wrote: »

As I understand if I watch any TV that is currently a Live transmitted broadcast I need a license. However, If I download the show say 5 minutes later let say from a bittorrent site like UKNova or use the BBC Iplayer/ITV media Player I do not need a license as the show is not shown Live?
I

The Law states live television. There is some discussion as to where stuff from the net might fall. When the Law written this problem didn't exist. They might say that downloading it is the same as watching it live, probably it will go to Court, then they may have to amend the Law.
I can't really see the BBC letting people getting away with having no licence then downloading all the programmes off the BBC website - not for long anyway !

Andy_L

gavsmillie wrote: »

Folks,

Finally found a foolproof way of not paying legally for a TV licence!!!!!

Become a member of parliment !!! So simple I keep kicking myself for not realising sooner !!!

Not quite, you'd still have to pay for one at your constituancy address.

alexcq

Here's a copy of the letter I'm sending to the BBC's Pipa Doubtfire today . . . it might affect you too!

07/04/2008
Head of Revenue Management
BBC TV Licensing
Room 4436
BBC White City
201 Wood Lane
London W12 7TS


Hello Pipa,

I'm writing to you today because I believe that TV Licensing is pursuing a deliberate policy of collecting multiple license fees for properties where only one license fee is due. I don't know why they might be doing this, but this may be an issue that is causing tens or even hundreds of millions of pounds of double taxation.

On two occassions I have mistakenly paid for television licenses where the property was already licensed by the landlord. TV Licensing made no attempt to contact me or inform me that two licenses were being paid for but only one was required.

I contacted TV Licensing for a refund and asked them to estimate the size of the problem, where two license fees are collected on properties where only one is required. I received my refund but really no adequate explanation of the size of the problem or any steps that are being taken to correct it.

Now that was the recent past, but I've received a letter today from TV Licensing at my new address, it states,

"we still have no record of a TV Licence in your name for the above address" (emphasis mine)

The property is, of course, fully licensed but the letter is threatening and I wonder how many people mistakenly purchase additional unneeded licenses on foot of these kind of letters. It seems to me that TV Licensing enables this kind of mistake to occur, and has no motivation to correct it. Could I ask you then, are you aware of the size of this problem, and what is being done to correct it?

Sincerely,




p.s. I understand that some properties require more than one license, but this is in a small number of cases, and I'm really just interested in properties where one license is required.