TV Licensing APR Shock

darbooka

Simon_Barron wrote:

I thought this site was supposed to be about saving money legally, rather than encouraging members to break the law by refusing to buy a TV licence or defrauding the taxman through fraudulant expenses claims.

I don't see anything encouraging lawlessness or defrauding anyone. It's all a matter of paying but paying the least necessary. And in any event, the TV Tax (aka License Fee) "enforcement officers" very often bend or break the rules in telling you things that are intended to make you pay instantly while they are on your doorstep. Incidentally, in practise if you encounter a TV Tax enforcement officer or TV Tax collections letter, all the discussion is about payment from that point forward (ie, not retroactively). So although you are liable have a TV license whenever there's a TV on site, in practise at the time of payment every month that you haven't paid is time and money saved - albeit at risk. So it's kind of like playing the slot machines at the casino - knowing when it's time to quit.

Next thing you know they'll be sending you to Swindon to take an examination as a prerequisite for obtaining your license and no doubt they'll be charging a fee for that as well.

darbooka

Oh and another thing. Is it the case that by law a TV license needs to be procured for each and every TV at your premises? If so, then even if you buy one license and have more TV's you're still just as much breaking the law. How many people do you know actually have multiple TV licenses for extra sets? And wouldn't it be discriminatory for the TV Licensing authority to only chase down people who don't have one license while not even pursuing those who are "criminally" owing for two or more licenses due to holding multiple TV's on site? On the other hand, if just one license is sufficent for all TV's on site, then wouldn't it be cost-efficient for everyone to buy an old black and white TV and license that one?

fgaughan

darbooka wrote:

Oh and another thing. Is it the case that by law a TV license needs to be procured for each and every TV at your premises? If so, then even if you buy one license and have more TV's you're still just as much breaking the law. How many people do you know actually have multiple TV licenses for extra sets? And wouldn't it be discriminatory for the TV Licensing authority to only chase down people who don't have one license while not even pursuing those who are "criminally" owing for two or more licenses due to holding multiple TV's on site? On the other hand, if just one license is sufficent for all TV's on site, then wouldn't it be cost-efficient for everyone to buy an old black and white TV and license that one?

To be honest i hope they enforce this as it can't be a bad thing as too many kids have tv in their bedroom watching rubbish

can you imagine they electricity saved by dumping other tv's

anita1

Simon_Barron wrote:

I thought this site was supposed to be about saving money legally, rather than encouraging members to break the law by refusing to buy a TV licence or defrauding the taxman through fraudulant expenses claims.

Martin linking this discussion on the weekly tips email has put this site down in my estimation.

Hi, Simon, i disagree with you

It seems to be the majority of people that feels the same about the Tv. Lisence issue, we all cant be wrong.

Instead of critizising the people who are being taxed to watch programmes that are needed to be watched, falling audiances etc,

We need to make a programme that people want to watch......
that will keep us in employment, ......
but what we will do to them people, who we are trying to get to watch us....is charge them for us wanting them to watch us.........

How about critizising the Bbc for this tax ! Sound like a better idea

greentomato

Whilst I agree about the quality of tv programmes, on the other hand, I do feel that BBC Radio is of a very high quality and I don't mind paying towards that as I listen to the radio every day.

If you want to know what our £10 per month pays for, see:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/licencefee/

And I prefer not having to watch all the awful adverts for products I have no intention of buying, that you get on the other channels...

Lenzielady_2

If the licence fee is £112 per year, that's less than 31p per day. For that we get BBC1, BBC2, Radios 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 live, the World Service, News24, BBC on-line, plus the freeview BBC3 and BBC4. And probably other things that have slipped my mind. I think it's a real bargain and I am very happy to pay it. Which I do having saved up all year in a decent interest account and then pay using my cash-back credit card.
I much prefer this system (crude though it is) to having to watch adverts every 15 minutes.

judderman

Lenzielady wrote:

If the licence fee is £112 per year, that's less than 31p per day. For that we get BBC1, BBC2, Radios 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 live, the World Service, News24, BBC on-line, plus the freeview BBC3 and BBC4. And probably other things that have slipped my mind. I think it's a real bargain and I am very happy to pay it. Which I do having saved up all year in a decent interest account and then pay using my cash-back credit card.
I much prefer this system (crude though it is) to having to watch adverts every 15 minutes.

The annual cost (set by the Government) is currently £126.50. A black and white TV licence is £42. There is no radio licence. Other regulations govern second homes, residential homes, hotels, students or special situations.
Rip off, rather watch advert's than repeat after repeat!!
If i was a harden rock star i'd chuck the tv out the window (",)

MSE_Martin

Sorry I've just run in and seen some of the notes above. I am out very early this morning. My intent was to allow people to discuss this, not to suggest illegal methods of avoiding payment. I will get abcons to check the thread. When i added this to my tip there weren't any of those comments that i saw. Don't have time to scan through the thread now but will make sure its done tomorrow morning

martin

dc

The following is a sort of story, mostly true, without technical research, so don't bounce me too hard.
from the techie board, in a thread as to " Will Freeview boxes still work after the changeover to 100% digital?", as proposed by HM gov. You can get around 32 VHS quality TV channels in one Analogue channel

The Digital TV story,

So HM gov rubbing its hands when it discovered the opportunities Digital brings, errr...... 5x32 =160, WOW, that makes 160 TV stations to make money from and they dont need as much frequency space to cover the country, so that means spare frequencies to sell to the Highest Bidder. Who says Mrs Thatcher was anti Blair?

" But wont it cost to change over?"

" Well yes but if we announce it as new must have, then Jo public will buy, after all they pay £40 a month for Sky so there is a business plan already. "

"BUTWont it cost to have new transmitters?"

" Err Yus, but didnt the BBC rescue us , with Freview. When we first started this plan it went belly up because of ON Digital, then ITV Digital could not handle it?

"Sooo let us get the BBC to fund it, they will have to put up the licence fee, and thus will get the blame, they daren't put it up too much, or they will have to sack*even more people to pay for it."

"Brill , 3 birds with one stone, a smaller BBC, Jo Public pays, we dont get the blame and make loadsa money. Who says stealth taxes are bad Tony?"

*{The BBC are "sacking 3000+ to pay for digital}

dc

Sorry to hear the RSI is back, Martin.
joke in white writing >


.

Nikki

Have to agree with most of the people on this thread. Tv licence is a big waste of my money. I don't listen to the radio as it doesn't cater for my taste in music and very rarely watch the BBC channels. We mainly watch ITV and Sky. Can't say the ads particularly bother me I'd rather have them than pay up for things I don't watch.