Things that pee you off...


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I dispensed with my tv a few years ago after realising that I hadn't even switched it on for 6 months.  It is very difficult to communicate with the licensing authority but I did manage to send them an email to the effect that I no longer had a tv and would not be buying any further licences.

 

They issued a response which was marked DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL stating that 9 out of 10 people who profess to have no tv are caught watching without a licence and are fined. They also said they may send someone round to check!

 

Around 2 months later, someone turned up at around 6pm. I had just come home from work. He had appropriate ID and I assured him I had no tv and did not watch live transmissions via the internet.  He squirmed rather noticeably as he asked whether he might come in to check my statement.  I thought that was a bloody cheek and asked whether he had a search warrant. Of course, he didn't. 

 

I did allow him to come in and look. He had to accept that there was no tv and seemed surprised. He wasn't allowed upstairs and went away quite apologetically.  Since then, I occasionally receive emails reminding me that if I acquire a tv, I also need a licence!  I have never missed it. If I want to look at cr*p, I just go and empty a litter tray! :rolleyes:

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1 hour ago, Brew said:

TV licence money is collected by a contractor not the BBC

Who does the contractor work for?. It's still bullying tactics anyway, especially as you don't get an option to explain !!

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I've noticed that Youtube is starting to have more commercials with no warning usually a burst of horrible noise.  It seemed to be the last area where you could be selective and watch only what interested you.

First commercial and  i click it off.  Not much left to watch anymore.  TV is a wasteland I  don't watch it at all anymore.

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I agree with Waddo. The TV Licensing Authority is a bit third degree-ish. They can email you with a list of their demands and potential sanctions but you cannot reply. Nor can you explain.

 

I'll admit I was annoyed when the chap turned up on my doorstep as this indicated they clearly didn't believe what I'd told them. Asking to come in and see for himself just annoyed me further, although it was clear that he was highly uncomfortable with making the request.  My reasoning was that, if I refused, it would only arouse the suspicions of those who sent him and result in other people turning up at regular intervals.

 

As it turned out, no one else has ever pitched up on my doorstep.  I marvel at the arrogant assumption that no one can live without a tv!

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Problem we face, Jill, is that lying has become so commonplace in our respective societies that few believe anything anyone says anymore.

I'm often reminded of Pilate's words to the Lord.  "what is truth?" Lying was so common that I think he genuinely didn't know.

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The truth is you are in a very small minority who are actually telling the truth and have no TV or access to  it whilst away.

Here's a sample of the excuses:

 

One non-payer claimed: “I don’t need to buy a licence as I live like a Buddha".

 

"When I called TV Licensing they refused to barter so I decided not to buy. Everything should be up for negotiation."

 

Another TV owner said he only put the set on to be able to see in the dark.

 

You can't really blame them for having a somewhat jaundiced view when someone says they don't need to buy a licence.

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I might be wrong (i have been on many occasions) Brew, but doesn't the law in England say that you are guilty until proven innocent?. My point being, if the tv licensing goons want my money then why not give the option to explain. Like Jill said, emails to you,me or whoever, but with the message 'do not reply to this email '. A bit one sided for my liking !!

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2 minutes ago, Waddo said:

I might be wrong (i have been on many occasions) Brew, but doesn't the law in England say that you are guilty until proven innocent?.

 

No might about it... you are wrong...   ;)

 

'Do reply' usually mean the reply will not be read and therefore saves you wasting time and effort and getting all bent out of shape when there is no answer.

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There's some good Youtube videos made by folks who have given the licensing people the bird, had plenty of experience in dealing with them too.

When I was downunder, Canberra was on about bringing TV licensing back, that was around 1981ish, when asked who would collect it, they said Australia Post at the post offices, Post Office Union told them straight, their members would walk off the job if they were ordered to collect the license fee and issue licenses. So the Government dropped the idea.

I've read they wanted to license TV here stateside many years back, it was taken to the Supreme Court who stated a TV license would violate the 1st amendment.

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2 minutes ago, Waddo said:

Which bit is that then ? 

the law in England say that you are guilty until proven innocent

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Sign of the times I suppose, I blame the EU. Any chance of an answer to my earlier question about the contractors please? Ta in advance.

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Your question 'then why not give the option to explain'.

 

The answer, because they don't give a stuff what anyone says, they just want the  money!    ;)

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There are a lot of grumbles and criticism regarding the licence fee but despite the many faults of the BBC I feel it's still a bargain for what we get.

£150 compared to £800+ for cable? can't grumble at that

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But it’s still necessary to pay for a £150 TV licence as well as cable subscription (if, like us, you want Sports channels) Brew. My husband turned 75 last year and I contacted TV Licensing giving his NI details and whatever else they needed.  Consequently we only had to pay 6 months licence fee up to his birthday.  That was great!  

We have a second home and the TV licence was due on the month of his birthday so I cancelled the direct debit.  Within days we were receiving threatening letters and emails stating that only ONE free licence was permitted.  

What has made me really really mad though is that a newish friend says she hasn’t got a TV licence and insists she doesn’t need one (she’s 70) she says she watches TV programmes on her iPad.  I’m seriously thinking of de-friending her!   

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We must be careful what we wish for and there is still plenty of entertainment without a cable or satellite subscription.

You have a choice of what you want to pay for, nothing is compulsory and the licence fee amounts to less than a couple of cups of coffee a week!  ! If your friend only watches 'catch up' TV she is correct.   You only need a licence for 'live TV'.

 

I take it you object to the tone of the letters but you and your family have been / still are in business -  how are your letters to debtors worded? The ones I draft leave the recipient in no doubt whatsoever of the consequences of ignoring the content.

You probably object because like me you cannot stand the thought of someone saying you owe money but the letter is generic, a catch all and is not really a slur on your good character.

 

As an alternative the Americans would love to buy the BBC, then we would have reason to moan.

Just as a 'for instance' The Wizrad of Oz film is 101 minutes long. With standard US advertising it would take between two and a half and three hours! No one will sit that long so what do they do? They cut the films down to fit the time and keep the adverts. A typical 30 minute programme has only 22 minutes of content and 8 minutes of adverts.

Then of course there will be the propaganda but that's a subject for a different topic.

 

If we make the BBC a commercial station it would be the jewel in any networks crown and there would be a battle huge battle for control - we the viewers would be the losers.

 

As I said we should be careful what we wish for.

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We are lucky in OZ we do not have a license fee, I certainly wouldn't pay for one given the dross they mostly serve up.

On the odd occasion we watch "live TV" other than sport we record it and zap through the endless ads on the commercial channels.

Just a question, if you record a live program and watch it later does that need a license?

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2 minutes ago, Oztalgian said:

Just a question, if you record a live program and watch it later does that need a license?

 

Yes you have received a 'live' broadcast.

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1 minute ago, Oztalgian said:

But not if you watch in on catch-up how stupid is that!

So what are you actually paying for with a TV license? Do you need one for radio too?

 

You're not watching it 'live' on catch up you're watching a recording.. Radio licences stopped sometime in the 60's (I think)

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