Aaaaargh - what's gone wrong with the world!

We have a valid TV license which is in my wife's name and correctly details our address.

I go and purchase a new TV for the kitchen - the shop advise the TV licensing folk - then I get a letter from the the licensing folk saying that they have no record of a licence being held at that address in MY name. And... ?

So now, I'VE got to contact THEM to explain the situation!!!

Well, it might be childish, but I'm not playing their silly little games. I won't waste my time (and money) by having to make contact with them when there is CLEARLY no need! They know the house is covered by a valid TV license!

you gave your real details when buying a TV, why?

pay cash, give some else's details...

and no I don't have one, why should I? BBC programs are rubbish

[Edited on 31/10/08 by Mr Whippy]

Should provide some amusement, this guys been keeping a blog of all the different threatening letters he's received.

http://www.bbctvlicence.com/index.htm#Most%20recent%20letter

I agree with you, simply ignore them and let it escalate until the point where you can turn the tables on them.

Let's not forget innocent until proven guilty so let them keep writing and threatening until they prove you've done something wrong.

I haven't had a licence for about 4 and half years where I live, never had a letter yet and I'm sure my big telly could be detected from space it fizzes so much with static and its wired into the stereo for the sound and my Xbox, a got freeview box too loads of channels, bbc ones are poop

Tips - don't have an aerial outside, hide it in the loft, position the TV so it cannot be seen from outside through a window, close the curtains at night (black out ones) so no one can see the light. If you have a dish, put it in the garden on the ground surrounded by plants and paint it black (doesn't need to be fixed to the wall...



[Edited on 31/10/08 by Mr Whippy]

Maybe everyone should stop paying as a protest to the complete waste of money employing Mr Ross on such an obscene salary which we're paying.

[Edited on 31/10/08 by jabbahutt]

[Edited on 31/10/08 by jabbahutt]

quote:

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Originally posted by Mr Whippy
I haven't had a licence for about 4 and half years .... my big telly could be detected from space ......

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I bought a TV and had it delivered to my shop address. They now want me to pay a licence here! I called them and explained, they were very nice, said I had to fill out a form they will send me saying that I don't use it in the shop ..... me thinks that will go straight in the bin - why should I have to sign something saying I'm NOT using a telly here ?

quote:

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Originally posted by chrsgrain

Mr Whippy - are you happy that everyone else is subsidising your entertainment?

Chris

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LOL ^^^^ he must be the saddest git on the web!

hmmm, seems I was wrong about the TV thing; see here: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/nm/index/your_world/communications/television_licences.htm

You don't need a television licence if a TV set cannot receive TV programmes and is used only:


* for close circuit monitoring
* for watching pre-recorded videos or DVDs
* as a computer monitor – see under heading You don't use your television set or other device to watch or record broadcast programmes.


[Edited on 31/10/08 by 02GF74]

Some years ago I had all of this. I actually had a TV licence. It didn't stop them writing. I even had a visit, whilst I was out, and they left a card through the door. I wrote to them several times and phoned them on a couple of occasions. Still I got the letters.

Eventually, I got a piece of A4 lined paper and, with a pen gripped in a fist, wrote in 4 line high block capitals: "I have a TV licence. Get this in to your thick skulls and stop harrassing me". I never heard from them again.

quote:

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Originally posted by 02GF74
LOL ^^^^ he must be the saddest git on the web!

hmmm, seems I was wrong about the TV thing; see here: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/nm/index/your_world/communications/television_licences.htm

You don't need a television licence if a TV set cannot receive TV programmes and is used only:


* for close circuit monitoring
* for watching pre-recorded videos or DVDs
* as a computer monitor – see under heading You don't use your television set or other device to watch or record broadcast programmes.


[Edited on 31/10/08 by 02GF74]

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And with what as just happend on radio 2 with them two clowns and the money there on!!!make,s you wonder why you sould pay........

yep had this too, me and the missus aint married but live in the same house, Tv liscense is in her name but comes out of our joint bank account so my name is visible to them. Bought a second Tv and they sent me a letter thru which i have ignored. Waiting for them to come to the door so i can give them a piece of my mind.

That was about 5 months ago.

Nah, ignore the letters. I've had this too when I was in the RAF. Each room within the block had to have its own license and with people coming and going quite often there were loads of rooms on the hit list for letters.
Strange though that in the Sgt's mess. One license was deemed adequate for the whole block. Another example of class/rank discrimination in the forces there!
I sodding hate having to pay the TV license, it's an absolute rip off. Its not even as though BBC are any good! I only watch Top Gear when it's shown, which is like 7 episodes every 6 months but I would be willing to sacrifice that. They seem to have completely lost the ability to produce comedy and they hang on to decrepit old farts because they're an "institution" and are the "good old BBC"! The war is over, people have moved on. I don't even listen to BBC radio because that's a load of crap too. Radio 1 speaks for itself and now so does Radio 2!
Channel 4 recently applied to have some funding from the licensing fee and were told to ram it. They obviously don't have the right connections.
The Polish in North Manchester are refusing to pay their fee as they said they are only watching Polish TV True that.
My neighbour doesn't have a telly either, in his words " if I can't eat it I don't need it". He had to take the licensing people into his house and show them he had no telly. Same when the SKY people came mithering at the door, they simply couldn't believe he didn't have a telly so he dragged them in too.
I've always said that if someone designed a television that simply could not receive BBC and therefore was license free then they would absolutely fly off the shelves and the BBC would start to crumble and realise how cack it really is but I imagine some government busy body would put a block to that

Ahhhhhhh - that explains why when i bought a new TV after moving house i got a snotty letter advising that no licence was registered at the address in my name. I wondered where they got the details from.

I take it Curry's etc dont believe in client confidentiality etc.

by law(?) the seller has to take your details and pass it to the TV license people.

Someone on another forum bought a set top box from Tesco, paid cash but gave clubcarb and received the letter from TV L P.


They are watching you, you know!

Have you sold the Mac1?

I've been looking after a totally empty house that belonged to a deceased relative...

I received a notification from those jokers about the TV license, did the decent thing and informed them that the owner had died and the property had been emptied. They said that they could only add that to the system for 30 days. I was pretty pissed off and explained in simple terms that my Aunt would NOT be coming back from the dead and the property was unlikely to be sold for at least 6 months... Needless to say they've delighted in sending RED letters to nobody since the 30 days lapsed... Numpties

I wish the public would all just agree not to pay their TV licence. The Beeb was once a credible broadcaster and their programmes made the tax bearable.

They are now so dumbed-down and dross laden that I think its an absolute outrage that we have to continue subsidising them!

Surely we should have the freedom to choose what to watch and what not to? I'll happily have the Beeb channels blocked from my dish if it means I don't have to pay the licence.

we should start a campaign, to all cancel DDs on a predetermined date with enough notice to get everyone on it. Sadly, too many people are scared of the bloody mythical detector vans...

i wouldnt have a license if i was single, but the wife doesnt have the balls (thankfully ) to tell the gadger to wee off when he comes knocking.

Radio4 is worth the licence fee alone.*


Switch off your TV, work on the car instead, listen to Radio4 and actually learn something useful while you're getting the car done!


I don't pay the licence fee... but then I only have TV for DVDs so don't need to. Have no aerial here so if someone turns up at the door (they've threatened to by letter) then it's easy to prove.


The BBC, along with the NHS, is one of the better things about this country.
How could you possibly want to see more adverts! I'm astounded!

Cheers,
James


*not that I'm saying you need licence fee for Radio- you don't!

Radio 4 does have some of the best comedy at the week ends, there are some programs on the BBC that i watch, though thinking about it, its only really Top Gear and QI!

Its channel 4 and its varients that we tend to watch!

[Edited on 25/2/09 by trogdor]

the licence is worth it just for the Count Arthur strong comedy programe.
It has me in tears

Interesting to see peeps with no telly's. What keeps you entertained when vegetating on the couch??

One of my mates didn't have a telly after his wife left and took it with her. They knocked on his door a few times and he tld them to pi€€ off.

They came back with a copper and a warrant and when he let them in they searched the house looking in all the cupboards until it was obvious he didn't have one. When they noticed he had a radio they insisted he needed one for that. At that point the copper saw some sense and called a halt, instructing the licence bloke to get out!

Don't forget its a licence to receive radio waves so what's the score with car radio's???

quote:

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Originally posted by kipper
the licence is worth it just for the Count Arthur strong comedy programe.
It has me in tears

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quote:

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Originally posted by coozer
Interesting to see peeps with no telly's. What keeps you entertained when vegetating on the couch??

One of my mates didn't have a telly after his wife left and took it with her. They knocked on his door a few times and he tld them to pi€€ off.

They came back with a copper and a warrant and when he let them in they searched the house looking in all the cupboards until it was obvious he didn't have one. When they noticed he had a radio they insisted he needed one for that. At that point the copper saw some sense and called a halt, instructing the licence bloke to get out!

Don't forget its a licence to receive radio waves so what's the score with car radio's???

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Wasn't the origin of the TV licence to do with the requirement for the government to be able to disseminate information to the populace via the medium of TV? That was supposed to be the reason why the BBC has an obligation with respect to public information serices.

I strongly object not so much to the licence fee itself, although i dislike the way it is mandatory nowadays, despite the obvious proliferation of communication media available, but to the way in which the licencing thing is enforced. I've had numerous threatening letters from the licencing people despite having a valid licence and even had a hand delivered note telling me that "enforcers" would visit me and interview me under police caution as the first step of legal proceedings against me. This was their *first* communication on the matter. I pointed out their error and made a formal complaint about the tone of their letter, saying that just a simple red reminder would have sufficed. They didn't care at all and ignored my complaint entirely. @rseholes!

This happened with me the other week when i bought a tv from John Lewis. I have a valid license for my current address under my name but when i bought the tv the women behind the counter mispelt my name. Next thing get a letter saying that there isn't a valid license at the address. I just rang up and gave them my original license number no problems.

quote:

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Originally posted by coozer
Interesting to see peeps with no telly's. What keeps you entertained when vegetating on the couch??

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