I’m not renewing my TV licence - any pitfalls?

[vinteuil]

Are there any pitfalls?

... you may be regarded as a cheapskate.

Radio 3 is worth the fee alone, so I feel slightly guilty because like most of us in here, I do tune in a lot.

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Seem to be only minor pitfalls for you and the rest of us will be only too pleased to pay for the production of the BBC radio programmes which you will listen to free of charge.

... and a parasite (with a guilty conscience). Remember Kant's categorical imperative. You wish to benefit from radio 3. If you wish radio 3 to continue to exist you might like to ponder whether you should contribute to its continuing existence.

But apart from that, apparently few problems for you.







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[Bryn]

Get some one over 75 to live with you and you could watch television free as long as they applied for an over 75s free licence. Crazy but it covers everyone in the dwelling.

[ardcarp]

So every student term-time dwelling should have a 75+ granny in residence! (Maybe she could do the tidying/washing-up/laundry as well?)
Seriously, I think it's a SCANDAL that students are required to have a TV licence for every room in, for instance, a hall of residence. Bad enough that they all pay £9000 p.a. tuition fees (which we all got for free) plus the same again for living expenses (we got grants). Now our government...shame on the Lib Dems!...will track down hapless students watching TV on i-player. In view of the dirty deal dished out to this generation of young people, surely exemption from TV tax is the least they could offer?

[Cockney Sparrow]

I don’t care whether they come in or not, but I suppose that as a general rule, apart from the Police it’s only welcome guests one should let in.

Radio 3 is worth the fee alone, so I feel slightly guilty because like most of us in here, I do tune in a lot.

A couple of suggestions to support the BBC - buy some tickets for a BBC Singers concert (you don't have to go) - the BBC patently think they are wonderful; or spend on Prom tickets (oops BBC Proms tickets). Mind you it seems your download purchases make a contribution to the support of many a musician, so who's to criticise?

[Bryn]

When I was a student my parent's television licence covered me as ling as I used a set running exclusively on battery. I wonder if the same still applies, and that one might access the iPlayer on a laptop when running on battery power and accessing a free wifi link?

[Dave2002]

I wanted to find out whether it's possible to watch National Geographic programmes on demand, and discovered this site - http://tvplayer.com/plus?gclid=CNu50...FbQW0wod9PUGOA which seems to make it possible to watch TV programmes from most providers, though the legal obligation is still to have a licence for watching programmes which require it (BBC? Not sure about ITV, Channel 4 etc.)).

There's this - which dates from 2016 re students - http://support.tvplayer.com/knowledg...d-a-tv-licence
It may not be fully up to date.

This site presumably has the up to date wording - http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one

As far as I know, if you have a second home you can watch TV there with a single licence, providing that the device used to watch is not connected to the mains - which seems a very curious rule. So presumably a laptop or tablet, for watching catch-up, and using battery power - even if the battery has been charged from the mains - should be OK!

[ahinton]

When I last lived in the UK (2007-9) I didn't have a TV licence (and didn't watch TV). The pitfall is that the "authorities" find it very hard to believe that anyone could have a TV set in their house and not watch any broadcasts. In my experience, they will put threatening leaflets through your letterbox and knock on your door at random times for a while, and then leave you alone. If you do have a TV it's useful to be able to demonstrate to them that it isn't connected to an aerial!

Yes, they do indeed do that kind of thing. From time to time I received threatening letters correctly addressed to the farm that's nearest to where I live but incorrectly delivered to me (it happens frequently). I did wonder if I should call NTVLRO to put a stop to it but didn't get around to it. In the end, a detector van pitched up (although I didn't see it) and, after a while, there was a knock on the door and the person charged with catching me out spoke in no uncertain terms. I told him that I was in possession of a current licence. His reply was that, according to his records, that was not the case. I didn't take kindly to his attitude, so I told him that I'd shut the door while I went to get it and then show it to him, which I did. He said "that's no good, it's for another address!". I replied "it's for this address and I don't have another address". The conversation continued along the following lines:
"This is ×××××× Farm, right?"
"Wrong. It's ×××××× Farm House. Same postcode; different address. Nothing to do with the farm".
"But it's your farm, right?"
"Wrong".
"Well, where is it?"
"Over there".
"Well, like I say, my records show that there's no licence for those premises".
"As I said, it's nothing to do with me, but I can't say that I'm surprised; no one actually lives there and I doubt that there's a television there either, since cows tend not to watch them".

So, yes, these people can be an officious nuisance.

No one's ever called back or sent any more of those letters...

[french frank]

and the rest of us will be only too pleased to pay for the production of the BBC radio programmes which you will listen to free of charge.

It seems a sight fairer than us having to fork out for everyone else's television programmes which are mammothly more expensive than radio! BBC One alone costs a billion pounds a year, especially since most TV viewers listen to radio as well - which they're getting FREE.

[vinteuil]

It seems a sight fairer than us having to fork out for everyone else's television programmes which are mammothly more expensive than radio! BBC One alone costs a billion pounds a year, especially since most TV viewers listen to radio as well - which they're getting FREE.

... I pay taxes which go to pay for all sorts of things which I don't use and may even not approve of. I am happy to do this : the paying of taxes is part of being a member of a society of which, all things considered, I wish to be a member. In the same way I'm happy to pay a tv licence even if i only 'use' a tiny part of what is on offer.






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[french frank]

I agree with the principle as far as tax goes but the TV licence is not a tax. You are licensed to use receiving equipment so that you can view television programmes, just as people are licensed to keep a motor vehicle on the road. No car, no license needed. Same with firearms.

... I pay taxes which go to pay for all sorts of things which I don't use and may even not approve of. I am happy to do this : the paying of taxes is part of being a member of a society of which, all things considered, I wish to be a member. In the same way I'm happy to pay a tv licence even if i only 'use' a tiny part of what is on offer.

[waldo]

Be prepared for some fun and games, Beef Oven. As far as I can tell, the system is designed to discourage people from ditching the license, by essentially harassing them until they give in and pay up again. Plenty of people do give in because it becomes genuinely stressful. It is a bit like being in debt to a loan shark, minus the violence.

To give an example of the kind of people you are up against: my wife's younger brother recently stopped paying his license. He disconnected his tv and did all the things you are advised to do. An inspector called, asking to look around his flat. They were invited in. The inspector looked over the property and agreed that everything was in order. A few weeks later, the tv license people debited the fee from his parent's bank account. His parents (living far away, in another town) had paid for his license several years back - just a one-off - and the tv license people still had their account details on record. So they just took the money, without asking permission or without notifying them.........

When I researched this issue a while back, I found there is some kind of online form which you can fill in to declare yourself a non-license fee payer. Apparently, that makes a significant difference to amount of harassment you get. I can't ditch the license fee, unfortunately - much as I utterly detest the bbc - because I live with someone who watches Eastenders.........

[french frank]

Capita who are responsible for TV Licensing were given a rap over the knuckles by the BBC in February, so they will presumably tighten up on rogue managers and agents (both the people who called on me were charming).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/statements/tony-hall-letter-capita

[oddoneout]

I had some irritation when living in one property while doing another up preparatory to moving in, then moving in and having the other property empty while waiting for it to be rented out. A certain amount of form filling/declaration procedure and a couple of telephone calls reduced the 'harassment' to 6 monthly check-ups, which stopped once both properties appeared on the database as licensed(although only one by me).
There is quite a lot of information on the paperwork that comes with the renewal about students, holiday use etc.I remember the battery limitation form way back but the situation for students has certainly changed from the umbrella parental license.
Waldo - surely what happened there re the direct debit is illegal - even for a government organisation?

[waldo]

Capita who are responsible for TV Licensing were given a rap over the knuckles by the BBC in February, so they will presumably tighten up on rogue managers and agents (both the people who called on me were charming).

If only a "rap on the knuckles" meant anything these days! Hard incentives and managerial directives are what count. Everything else is theatre for the masses.......

[waldo]

Waldo - surely what happened there re the direct debit is illegal - even for a government organisation?

It could well be, but what do ordinary people without expertise or finance do in such circumstances? Most of us don't have access to the "law" in any meaningful sense. At the doorstep, all kinds of illegal stuff goes on, and not just in this area. One of my friends has been (professionally) campaigning against the practices of "debt-collectors" and "bailifs" - not loan-sharks or mafiosi, but official organisations employed by local councils etc. Quite unbelievable things go on everyday and all perfectly illegal.

Here's a funny thing bailifs do........a bit off the point, apologies. Anyway, they employ a slightly built, attractive young woman to knock the door. She looks unthreatening, so you open the door. However, she is wearing steel-toe capped shoes, so she is able to slide her foot into the doorway to stop you from closing it. As soon as this is accomplished, two hefty men spring from out of nowhere, push through the door and take all your stuff.......