TV Licence article Discussion

cw18

Paul_Varjak wrote: »

I wonder what would happen if their TV detector van comes to my house and I have a 'fake' TV switched on, such as this...

http://www.faketv.com/

That looks like a brilliant little device

Cornucopia

Paul_Varjak wrote: »

I wonder what would happen if their TV detector van comes to my house and I have a 'fake' TV switched on, such as this...

http://www.faketv.com/

Nothing - assuming that it works with some kind of accuracy. If it doesn't, they will look very foolish if they challenge you.

This is why I think that discussion of detection is pointless. It is never used in court, and therefore we can never know if it exists, if it works and how it works.

At the same time, if you are doing nothing wrong, then it ought (if anything) to help them satisfy their unwarranted curiosity and move on to the next house.

From what I've seen there is much more to fear from an overzealous TVL staff member exploiting the credulity of an innocent person than from a possibly mythical detection device.

Edwardia

Don't have a TV, DVD recorder or VCR. Just laptops to watch catch up or YouTube on plus portable DVD player and zillions of DVDs.. and we go to the cinema <gasp>

Nush

My daughter passed away on 3rd January 2013 and when I contacted the tv licencing to get a refund of her licence which she had paid a full year, they deducted a full quarter as she died 3 days into it (which would amount to £1.20).

When I queried this with them in our time of devastation they replied telling me that legally they did not have to give a refund. Absolutely heartless when every penny is needed to pay for a funeral.

Paul_Varjak

cw18 wrote: »

That looks like a brilliant little device

Yes, I would never advocate leaving a real TV switched on when you are out - too likely to catch fire.

My mum had two TVs catch fire and another TV owned by another resident in a residential home she lived in also caught fire and my neighbour's TV also caught fire a couple of years ago.

mrobsessed

double post, ignore.

Paul_Varjak

Cornucopia wrote: »

Nothing - assuming that it works with some kind of accuracy. If it doesn't, they will look very foolish if they challenge you.

This is why I think that discussion of detection is pointless. It is never used in court, and therefore we can never know if it exists, if it works and how it works.

At the same time, if you are doing nothing wrong, then it ought (if anything) to help them satisfy their unwarranted curiosity and move on to the next house.

From what I've seen there is much more to fear from an overzealous TVL staff member exploiting the credulity of an innocent person than from a possibly mythical detection device.

It may not be used on Court to prove an offence but is it ever used to get a search warrant? If I had a fake TV switched on it means I am out of the house.

Over zealous man knocks on door cos he thinks I have a real TV and I don't answer (cos I am out)

Over zealous man assumes I am not answering because I have seen the TV detector van.

Over zealous man applies to court to get a warrant to search my house.

Over zealous man detects my fake TV when he returns with his warrant. Does he then break in when I don't answer?

I agree it is a bit contrived but these sorts of things do happen. I have sat in Court listening to court cases occasionally and, on one occasion, there were a number of alleged TV licence evaders at Court. Some were guilty, some were innocent - simply because they already had a licence!

mrobsessed

Do you need a license for Fake TV?

Steve059

As an ex-electronics and computer technician, I can see how TV detection might have worked in the past, with CRT screens and no other electronic devices around.

Nowadays, with LCD screens and all the EM/RF 'pollution', no chance.

I'm sure that, if BBC/TVL had the technology, they'd use it to back up the stronger of their prosecutions to create a body of case law.

Paul_Varjak

mrobsessed wrote: »

Do you need a license for Fake TV?

No, since it cannot receive broadcasts.