TV Licence - 6 months in advance, !!!!!! ?

Skeekwarton

Apologies in advance, not sure if this is the correct board but it does say vent and I am angry.

Has anyone else been enraged to find that if you want to pay your TV Licence by monthly DD, you must pay 6 months in advance ?

'What's that about ?' I asked the customer service rep at the non-helpline 'coz that's the rules if you want to pay by monthly direct debit' he informed, 'why is that the rules ?', 'in case you cancel your direct debit but not your licence'.

Sorry but isn't their job to ensure people pay the licence, why am I insuring it ?

He assured me that I could claim it back when I cancel my licence. Come on, I'm unlikely to cancel my licence now am I . Maybe when I die, hopefully no less than around 30 years from now, my estate can claim it back. Why not just send me 5p in an envelope now and we'll call it quits. Extortion I tell thee.

Rant over, thanks for listening

Skeek

pinkshoes

If they make you pay in advance, you might as well just pay it 6 months at a time by cheque!!

I don't trust the TV licensing company enough to set up a direct debit with them!

maninthestreet

pinkshoes wrote: »

If they make you pay in advance, you might as well just pay it 6 months at a time by cheque!!

I don't trust the TV licensing company enough to set up a direct debit with them!

I pay my licence quarterly by direct debit, and have done so for well over a decade, with no problems whatsover.

Gingernutmeg

They don't give it back - not without a fight lol. A Portugese friend of mine got a license while she was at uni and, after the year was up, she rang up to cancel. They refused to give her the six months back, saying that it would be held for her should she want another license, which was unlikely as she was moving back to Portugal ... Not sure if they were taking advantage of her because her English wasn't brilliant, or if they had no idea what they were doing, but it took hours of phone calls before they'd agree a refund. My advice would be to pay a lump sum if it's at all possible, ad avoid this 'surcharge' they stick on direct debit.

flutterbyuk25

I got mine back by cheque no problems after moving back home from uni, just rung them and they sent it within 2-3weeks.

mute_posting

Hi OP - carp isn't it!?!

I bought first license for my flat at the end of March (even though I wasn't moving in for another week) after reading an article from Martin saying it was going upto £139.50 from April 1st.

Wish I hand't bothered now as I have since found out that it is only valid 11 months (until end of Feb 2009 - appears they only work in full months - stewards of the bar!)

Regards refunds, from what I gather they will gladly refund STUDENTS any unused quarters (hence why they ask where you are a student when you apply online) BUT they make it VERY difficult to get a refund otherwise. So regarding refunds - are you a student or not?

MP

sassybooboos

ive always paid mine by ddebit ( admit having to pay in advance a cheek) but i find it easy.
when i moved back in with parents years ago they refunded no problem, but they are a bit like car tax the only refund the full months left.

Mikeyorks

Skeekwarton wrote: »

Has anyone else been enraged to find that if you want to pay your TV Licence by monthly DD, you must pay 6 months in advance ?

You don't.

Most people join the DD scheme when a licence is due. So they send you the licence ..... and you pay for that one over the next 6 months - in arrears!

You then (at half the previous rate) pay towards the next one ... for 6 months (in advance). They then send you the next licence. You then pay off the remaining 6 months of it (in arrears).

You then continue to pay 6 months in advance - get the next licence - and pay it off over the next 6 months in arrears. So that is 'interest neutral' thereafter?

You never pay 'in advance' ..... without a compensating period 'in arrears'. If you look at the Monthly DD on the TV Licensing website ..... it's clear as a bell.

Rant over

mute_posting

Mikeyorks wrote: »

If you look at the Monthly DD on the TV Licensing website ..... it's clear as a bell.

Pity their online "calculator" isn't so "clear" about license validity and monthly payments!

i.e. it could say that when you buy a first licence it will run out 11 months after the start of the next calendar month - not 12 months after it is bought (that is hidden in the legislation) - i.e. buy last day of the month and it effectivly only runs for 11 months and 1 day

Their clear as a bell website could also giva ACCURATE DD prices on their CALCULATOR - when querying why I was paying for my new license over 4 months instead of 6, susprise, surprise I was "too late" for next months payment date - if they knew I was too late at 14:00 31/03 - they sure as hell knew it at 13:55 when I used the calculator and when I re-checked on the calculator after I found the DD payment was different than previously indicted.

thieving stewards!
GRRRRR:mad:

brightonman123

cuts down on admin costs i guess.. i pay monthly on my chav card.. ;-)

Al-boy

Whats so great about a TV licence? Mines works without one, has done for the last 20 years.