TV Licence article Discussion

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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
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    Cornucopia wrote: »
    - How is the process supposed to work to catch evaders?

    Given they have no power of entry, then, without the use of questionable behaviour, there isn't a way for it to work.
    - How is the process supposed to work to "check" households that are not evading?

    As above, without using questionable behaviour, it can't.
    - Is it true that there are no legal powers covering the main enforcement activity and, if not, what statutory power is there and where in legislation is it?

    Save for the (incredibly rare) Search warrant, their "enforcement activity" relies entirely on the cooperation of the householder.
    - If householders refuse to co-operate with TV Licensing, is it true that TVL are largely powerless?

    In a word, YES.
    - Why won't TV Licensing disclose the tiny number of TVL warrants that are issued each year?

    Because the threat is a scare tactic, to be used against householders who refuse to let the doorstepper in, even though such threats are in breach of their own SOPs.
    - Is it right that TV Licensing has a tendency to be economical with the truth

    Depends by what you mean by "is it right".

    If you mean do they do it?, then yes they do.

    However, if you mean is it legally/morally right, then the answer is no, it's not.
    and is that lawful where the matters concerned are within the scope of the Human Rights Act (like privacy in one's own home)?

    No, it's not.
  • Rapidos
    Rapidos Posts: 2 Newbie
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    Stupidly,(ornot),have overpaid fee by double every 2 weeks for around 5 years!
    My other half was advised to pay an amount every 2 weeks,that I,ve only just come across and realised it’s double the amount.
    Now realising this I,d like to know If anyone has ever been in the same boat and what chance has a successful application for a refund got?
    I,ve heard TVL have a bad rep for such matters so before going down the path I thought I,d see if anyone could suggest advice/legalities of a formal claim..etc.
  • stragglebod
    stragglebod Posts: 1,324 Forumite
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    You want to make a 'formal' claim (which I presume you mean court proceedings) without even contacting TVL first? Not a very good idea.
  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,153 Forumite
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    Rapidos wrote: »
    Stupidly,(ornot),have overpaid fee by double every 2 weeks for around 5 years!
    My other half was advised to pay an amount every 2 weeks,that I,ve only just come across and realised it’s double the amount.
    Now realising this I,d like to know If anyone has ever been in the same boat and what chance has a successful application for a refund got?
    I,ve heard TVL have a bad rep for such matters so before going down the path I thought I,d see if anyone could suggest advice/legalities of a formal claim..etc.

    You should definitely be able to get a refund for the last 2 years, and this should be relatively automatic, if they accept your reasoning for the double-payment.

    Beyond that will be at their discretion.

    A legal/formal claim process might be difficult, because this is a tax levied by an official body (the BBC). If you want to pursue it further then there is an official complaint and escalation process on the TVL website.

    https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/about/making-a-complaint-AB7
  • Mutton_Geoff
    Mutton_Geoff Posts: 3,817 Forumite
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    My gf has moved out of her rented place and into mine. During August, she cleared out all her stuff and gave her TV away to a friend since we already have one here.


    She applied for a refund of her licence fee (about six months) and filled in the form, adding a copy of the tenancy termination which ends tomorrow (14th Sept) but confirmed she had not lived at the property, or had a TV there since 21st August.


    Today they wrote to her (at her new/my address that she'd provided) saying that "the evidence you have provided is insufficient to support your refund application".


    How on earth can her moving into (and being written to at) a place that already has a licence and her confirmation she no longer owns or watches TV at her old address be "insufficient evidence".


    Any idea how to escalate this before I blow a fuse on her behalf?
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  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,153 Forumite
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    edited 13 September 2019 at 9:02PM
    When requesting a refund from TV Licensing, it is better to simply say that you will no longer be watch/recording TV broadcasts or using iPlayer. There is no evidence that they could conceivably require for that, and they do not ask for any.

    If a person is moving to an address that is already licensed, I'd even suggest cancelling the existing licence at the new address (with the no licence needed reason as above) and then transferring-in the licence with the person who is moving in. That avoids the refund cheque being sent to the old address.

    Having got past that point, it could be that they are being awkward because the tenancy termination has not yet happened. You could reapply after tomorrow.

    Or you could complain to the TVL Operations Director using the details in the post above.
  • JimmyTheWig
    JimmyTheWig Posts: 12,199 Forumite
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    Mutton_Geoff wrote: »
    My gf has moved out of her rented place and into mine. During August, she cleared out all her stuff and gave her TV away to a friend since we already have one here.


    She applied for a refund of her licence fee (about six months) and filled in the form, adding a copy of the tenancy termination which ends tomorrow (14th Sept) but confirmed she had not lived at the property, or had a TV there since 21st August.


    Today they wrote to her (at her new/my address that she'd provided) saying that "the evidence you have provided is insufficient to support your refund application".


    How on earth can her moving into (and being written to at) a place that already has a licence and her confirmation she no longer owns or watches TV at her old address be "insufficient evidence".


    Any idea how to escalate this before I blow a fuse on her behalf?
    There can be no evidence to support a backdated claim. It would have been possible for your girlfriend to have gone back there and watched TV. If an officer came and checked she would have had a valid TV licence and so all fine. If they allowed backdated claims with no evidence then anyone who hasn't had an inspection (i.e. most people) could claim a refund.
    As far as I am aware, you can only get a refund from the date you tell them about it.
  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,153 Forumite
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    You can get TVL refunds for up to 2 years, but it depends on the circumstances as to whether they will allow it without a struggle.

    I think that Mutton Geoff is talking about a refund of a pre-payment - either credit built up under a payment plan, or outstanding unused time on an annual Licence. Either of those can be refunded, again, under the right circumstances.

    Unfortunately, this "requirement" for evidence that a Licence is/was not required is another grey area - it is not a requirement built in to the legislation, other than through the BBC's general powers to set the Terms and Conditions under which Licences are issued.
  • Phil555
    Phil555 Posts: 3 Newbie
    Hi, been reading through this Thread with interest.

    I am still quite confused about the license as it is worded in so many different ways when I read through the BBC info.

    As a household we don't watch any "Live TV" events such as sport etc

    Couple of questions please..

    Do I need a license if I am watching or recording say "Peaky Blinders"?
    Do I need a license if I am watching the news on any channel as this is classed as "Live TV"?
    Do I need a license if I am watching a recorded program that is not "Live TV"?

    Thanks in adviance,

    Phil.
  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,153 Forumite
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    edited 18 September 2019 at 8:38AM
    Phil555 wrote: »
    Hi, been reading through this Thread with interest.

    I am still quite confused about the license as it is worded in so many different ways when I read through the BBC info.

    As a household we don't watch any "Live TV" events such as sport etc

    Couple of questions please..

    Do I need a license if I am watching or recording say "Peaky Blinders"?
    Do I need a license if I am watching the news on any channel as this is classed as "Live TV"?
    Do I need a license if I am watching a recorded program that is not "Live TV"?

    Thanks in adviance,

    Phil.

    The Licence is a licence to receive TV broadcasts - all of them. The term "Live TV" is an unhelpfully ambiguous term, as you have found. (And to their shame, BBC-TVL undertook a public survey to test the Public's understanding in 2016, and found that 59% did not understand the term in the way required to successfully interpret its own communications about the TV Licence).

    What they mean by "Live TV" is programming that is transmitted in real time, rather than being catch-up or video-on-demand. So, unfortunately, that means that the answer to all three of your questions is: yes.

    Once you ditch the notion of "Live TV", the rules are pretty straightforward:-

    You need a TV Licence to...

    - Watch or record TV Broadcasts ("linear channels") received via traditional means (terrestrial, satellite or cable TV).

    - Watch the Internet-streamed versions of the channels above.

    - Use BBC iPlayer to watch or download BBC programs (but not radio or S4C programs).

    https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/tv-licence/
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