Question about TV licence

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  • pinkcloud
    pinkcloud Posts: 231
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    edited 27 August 2018 at 5:23AM
    Cornucopia wrote: »
    You can have your own free Licence at the address where your NI number is registered, and you can pay for a Licence for the other address, if you wish. You'll probably need to tell them that the other address is a "second home" in order to do this.

    TV Licences are now refundable in 1 month chunks, so the commitment is fairly short.

    It seems that Cornucopia's solution here is the only course open to me (thank you) although very expensive to watch just Sky News in one house.

    Unless someone can tell me something better?

    Thanks all for help
    pinkcloud
  • chippy2u
    chippy2u Posts: 320
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    Had a letter from the TVL saying that I have not paid my TV licence and that they will be paying me a further visit. Being that I turned 75 in March this year and have recieved my "free" licence plus a refund of unused months, it seems to me to prove that nobody actually checks the records and just sends out random letters. Or that they can't read English!! Can't wait for him/her to return so I can shove a rolled up copy of the licence right up their um, nose!!!
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,008
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    Sorry, but this isn't making much sense to me. You are living in the house, so it is not by definition 'uninhabitable', If you wish to watch live TV at the property, then you need a TV licence: the fact that you consider it uninhabitable does not void the requirement for a licence. If you are not prepared to transfer your NI reg to the new address, then you will have to pay for an additional licence.
    If you only want to watch the Sky free to air (Freesat from Sky) channels, they are virtually the same as Freeview or Freesat, so you can use either platform. Which specific channels do you wish to view?
    Sky News is on Freesat Ch 202, and Freeview Ch 233.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,146
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    macman wrote: »
    Sorry, but this isn't making much sense to me. You are living in the house, so it is not by definition 'uninhabitable', If you wish to watch live TV at the property, then you need a TV licence: the fact that you consider it uninhabitable does not void the requirement for a licence. If you are not prepared to transfer your NI reg to the new address, then you will have to pay for an additional licence.

    I don't think that the OP is saying anything different. The question of uninhabitability is a red herring - this is about having a second home, and the questionable policy of the BBC that only the address linked to someone's NI number is eligible for the free Licence.
  • pinkcloud
    pinkcloud Posts: 231
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    macman wrote: »
    Sorry, but this isn't making much sense to me. You are living in the house, so it is not by definition 'uninhabitable', If you wish to watch live TV at the property, then you need a TV licence: the fact that you consider it uninhabitable does not void the requirement for a licence. If you are not prepared to transfer your NI reg to the new address, then you will have to pay for an additional licence.
    If you only want to watch the Sky free to air (Freesat from Sky) channels, they are virtually the same as Freeview or Freesat, so you can use either platform. Which specific channels do you wish to view?
    Sky News is on Freesat Ch 202, and Freeview Ch 233.

    The fact that the houses are uninhabitable has absolutely nothing to do with the TV licence.

    I am camping at my husband’s home while I sort out his considerable affairs and the two houses. I am not going to get his TV working until I have a licence.

    I am not trying to avoid getting a licence or licences to the contrary I am trying to do the right thing and don’t know much about it having never had a TV which is why I asked on here.

    I think I already said my husband had Sky Free to Air. It was pre-installed

    pinkcloud
  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,146
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    chippy2u wrote: »
    Had a letter from the TVL saying that I have not paid my TV licence and that they will be paying me a further visit. Being that I turned 75 in March this year and have recieved my "free" licence plus a refund of unused months, it seems to me to prove that nobody actually checks the records and just sends out random letters. Or that they can't read English!! Can't wait for him/her to return so I can shove a rolled up copy of the licence right up their um, nose!!!

    I'd beware of the possibility that they have an error on their database (possibly an issue with duplicate addresses). You might want to let them know, just to avoid the visit (yes, I know it feels like a waste of time).
  • clairec79
    clairec79 Posts: 2,512 Forumite
    Red Dwarf is on Netflix

    We signed the declaration a year or so ago and haven't had any visits

    We realised that we weren't watching live TV so for us it made sense.

    The only current BBC series I enjoy is Call the Midwife - and am quite happy to not watch each episode when it comes out, but buy the boxset when it comes out and binge over a few days (which is how I prefer to watch TV shows)
  • silverwhistle
    silverwhistle Posts: 3,776
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    edited 27 August 2018 at 8:32PM
    esuhl wrote: »
    But no one's going to want to watch some grown men kick a ball around! That's just silly.
    :rotfl:

    That's what the pub is for, surely? I don't have a TV let alone Sky, so if I'm not watching live at the stadium or playing local football on the council pitch I resort to the pub if my team is playing.

    Next summer there will be grown women on the box too as the women's world cup takes place in France.:D

    I do occasionally watch DVDs but it's either ones my friend brings round to watch together or, on my own, foreign language films to maintain my language skills. As a result I'm slightly disappointed I haven't had a visit as I'm fascinated to know what they actually say during a visit. I would, as ever, be ineffably polite as I closed the door on them.
  • Cornucopia
    Cornucopia Posts: 16,146
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    edited 27 August 2018 at 9:27PM
    As a result I'm slightly disappointed I haven't had a visit as I'm fascinated to know what they actually say during a visit. I would, as ever, be ineffably polite as I closed the door on them.

    The reports are very variable depending on the particular member of staff who attends. Some are said to be polite and respectful, and others not (and there are videos to support that contention).

    They have a bad habit of opening the conversation in a slightly confrontational way, and without immediately introducing themselves. Typical "openers" are "Are you Mr. X?", and "Have you recently moved here?" Once you get into it with them, they will ask why you don't have a Licence, and when you tell them, some of them will say that whatever equipment/usage you have requires a Licence. From there it's a short journey into Interview under Caution.

    You may of course never meet them. Even back when I had no legal measures in place, I never met one of their field staff, although I did once see someone outside my premises examining the old Sky wiring that was there at the time.

    Like you, I've often speculated about how I'd handle any visit. I'd be tempted to ask what they know about the law (that would be intrinsically interesting to me). Then, when they tell me that I don't need to answer any of their questions, I would simply say: "Okay then", and shut the door.

    It may also be possible to tie them in knots over their own DPA policy:-

    TVL: "Can I speak to Mr. C?"
    Me: "Who's asking and what do you want?"
    TVL: "Are you Mr. C?"
    Me: "I can't tell you that until you tell me who you are and what you want".
    TVL: "I can't tell you that until you confirm you are Mr. C".
    Me: "Suits me. Bye".
  • Cornucopia wrote: »
    Like you, I've often speculated about how I'd handle any visit. I'd be tempted to ask what they know about the law (that would be intrinsically interesting to me). Then, when they tell me that I don't need to answer any of their questions, I would simply say: "Okay then", and shut the door.


    I thought that they'd say that you _did_ need to answer their questions, but I suppose confronted with someone who knows about PACE they might be a bit more honest!


    As they don't know my name they could conceivably ask if I've lived there long, but as with the double glazing/solar panels/electricity company canvassers I save them their time (as well as mine) by saying "not interested" and closing the door.



    Of course if they asked if I were the occupier I could lie and tell them to leave their business card "and I'll make sure it get the attention it warrants"..
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