tv free!!!

whatdoidonow

Square-eyes wrote: »

perhaps you should keep your tv licence /iplayer idea quiet .... if everyone got the same idea there would be no one left to pay for the great stuff the BBC produce!!!!

mmm.... but if everyone did have the same idea it would prove the point that a lot of people dont want the TV licence tax!;)

I could live without the BBC!

Tribulation

I got done many years ago for having a TV unplugged in another room from the one with the Ariel socket in, covered in dust (you could tell it hadn't been moved for years) and I stupidly let the TV license person in to show him this fact.

I lost the court case and the magistrate said that having the ability to move it onto the other room and plug it in is deemed using it and I got fined around £80.

Had I known then what I know now, I would have appealed.

TV companies don't detect you using a TV, it's all done by Capita who use baseless threats to try and earn commission. I know people who watch TV and still refuse point blank to buy a license and there appears to be absolutely nothing that Capita can do about it. But they will try, an example of the rubbish they can send is

WARNING AGAINST UNLAWFUL ACTION

To the Legal Occupier,

You are hereby notified that if you are using television receiving equipment to watch or record television programmes at the above address. you are acting in contravention of The Communications Act 2003.

According to our records, there is sill no TV Licence at the above address. Furthermore, we have received no response from you to our previous communications. Therefore have no choice but to investigate.

Authorisation has been granted for Enforcement Officers to visit your property in order to determine whether equipment such as the following is being used illegally.

• A colour or black and white television
• Video or DVD recorder
• Set-top-box
• A computer

If evidence is found that any such equipment is being used on your property without a TV licence, you may be cautioned and your statement will be taken in accordance with the relevant criminal law. This is the first step in out action to prosecute if an offence is suspected. We take TV Licence evasion very seriously, and last month alone we caught 30,840 evaders.

Which is complete rubbish as others have said.

Also in order for them to enter your property, they need to have a warrant, which will only be issued if they can prove illegal activity is going on.

If you answer the door and tell them you do watch a TV without a license, they can come back with a warrant. If you slam the door in their face, and write to them denying them the right of access to your property, the capita guy looses his commission and for around 5 years the TV licensing company stops hasseling you.

Then rinse and repeat.

I know someone that admits to watching TV for 18 years without a license and seems to get away with it without any problems at all as he knows how the system works.

The TV licensing site says

Do I need a licence?

You need a TV Licence to use any television receiving equipment such as a TV set, set-top boxes, video or DVD recorders, computers or mobile phones to watch or record TV programmes as they are being shown on TV.

If you use a set-top box with a hi-fi system or another device that can only be used to produce sounds and can't display TV programmes, and you don't install or use any other TV receiving equipment, you don't need a TV Licence.

Personally for me, it's too much hassle to go through and I just pay the stupid thing, although I think it's wrong to have to.