Does anyone understand TV licence rules?

[AvoidingRealHumans]

My current tv licence ran out and due to various reasons I haven't bought a new one.
I removed the tv aerial and deleted the bbc iplayer off of our devices. After receiving letters I called to inform them that I didn't need one, she said she has put on the system that I don't need one and they will be in touch after 6 months has passed.

We watch Netflix, Disney+ and I catch up on the soaps etc using itvhub, so no live tv or anything bbc.
I have received 2 letters in the past few days, one saying they will be visiting me this month and one asking if I will be in on a certain date. This has panicked me for some reason and I've done some googling and although it says watching catch up is fine, live streaming isn't. I don't live stream anything but obviously itvhub, 4od etc have the facility of streaming live tv which I can't take off. If someone turned up would they take my word for it that I don't live stream or would it be assumed that I do because I have the option on the app to do so.
I am following the rules but the letters and tone of them has me worrying now.
I just find it stressful, you wouldn't get letters off of the dvla demanding to know if you drive a car when you don't have a licence.
Thanks for any knowledge on this.

I think it's just the BBC you can't stream. I've not had a TV licence for about six years now, the first couple of years they were wildly overenthusiastic and sent someone round to check every six months. Now I just renew my declaration that I don't need one each year I think.

Nothing will happen ,if they do visit and they probably won't ( I get these letters all the time ) just don't engage ,they have no right to enter your property nor do you have to speak to them .

They may visit but they have no right to enter your property to check any devices. You repeat what you said to the person on the phone. You don't watch live tv and then close the door.

I understand they have no right to enter my property but I would rather avoid the confrontation, especially if my children are at home at the time.
Also I've read that if you refuse entry they can apply for a warrant and come back with the police which would be mortifying and the village gossip for weeks which I would also rather avoid.

Just ignore them.

They have no right to enter your property.

@AvoidingRealHumans

I understand they have no right to enter my property but I would rather avoid the confrontation, especially if my children are at home at the time. Also I've read that if you refuse entry they can apply for a warrant and come back with the police which would be mortifying and the village gossip for weeks which I would also rather avoid.

Just tell them you don't watch live TV and close the door on them. They can't do anything about it. Or ignore the door. I would do the latter - they have no right to intimidate you into paying up.

I thought you needed one if you use BBC iPlayer. I'm sure when you first log in to iplayer it asks if you have one.

They can come with a warrant but only if they have evidence ,as they won't get evidence they won't come with a warrant ,I get these letters all the time ,they get increasingly threatening but nothing ever happens ,and the odd time they have knocked on the door I have just said no thanks and closed the door .

@LemonBreeland

I thought you needed one if you use BBC iPlayer. I'm sure when you first log in to iplayer it asks if you have one.

You do, but OP doesn't use iPlayer at all.

I would have thought the catch up of terrestrial tv would warrant you to Pay it- itvhub/ 4od etc

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

I would have thought the catch up of terrestrial tv would warrant you to Pay it- itvhub/ 4od etc

Nope.

www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one

"The law says you need to be covered by a TV Licence to: watch or record programmes as they’re being shown on TV, on any channel
watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service (such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, Sky Go, etc.)
download or watch any BBC programmes on iPlayer

You don't need a license to watch catch-up TV unless it's on iPlayer.

The OP doesn't use iplayer, Lemon.

I haven't had a TV for decades, and stopped using iplayer when the regulations changed. But the intermittent onslaught of threatening letters (despite my repeated assertions) means I would never give the TV Licence people a single penny of my money. I do on the other hand spend a fortune on Prime, Now TV, Netflix, etc.

As long as not using bbc i player and not watching live tv , it's downloaded I'd think it was fine .
Bbc is one of my main channels otherwise I'd probably not bother with a license as I rarely watch live tv .

vanillandhoney I have been up all night with a newborn but the paragraph you quoted includes watching programs on itv hub, doesn’t it?

We don't have one. We watch YouTube, Disney+ and Netflix. Nothing live. Made our declaration to Licensing, and haven't heard anything since. I think the more people stop paying the fewer resources they have to hassle people.

As you don't watch any live television or use iPlayer, you don't need one (I'm guessing Disney is like Netflix and just programmes whenever you want to watch them not live?). We haven't had a television or licence for almost 15 years, but they still send letters all the time, as if they really can't quite believe some people don't watch television

We're never in when they call (genuinely, out at work) so nothing ever happens.

Oops I clearly didn't read it properly.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

vanillandhoney I have been up all night with a newborn but the paragraph you quoted includes watching programs on itv hub, doesn’t it?

Live programmes, not catch-up ones.

on any channel watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service (such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, Sky Go, etc.) but it says watch or stream

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

on any channel watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service (such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, Sky Go, etc.) but it says watch or stream

Yes, it says "watch or stream programmes LIVE".

Live being the key word. You can watch catch-up TV on any service except iPlayer without a license, you just can't watch or stream it as it's being aired.

Got it! I was reading it as watch - or stream live (stream live being one concept on its own)

We got rid of our tv after much discussion about the rubbish that the bbc was showing every day. It's the best thing I've ever done! I watch Amazon prime on my laptop mainly.
Anyway, I've had two visits from the tv licence people. I really enjoy letting them in and letting our three dachshunds bark around their ankles . Mean yes, I could stop them if I wanted to, but it's my house, and if he wants to come in he puts up with it. Some of them are real bullies.
Ps you don't have to let them in at all op .

Doesn't sound like you need one, OP.

I thought channel 4 was partly funded by the license fee, though, so I don't really know why you are allowed to watch catch-up on All 4 without a license.

I’ve never quite forgiven them for hassling me as a student. I was in halls, before the days of iPlayer etc and had no TV. Person the year before had had one and therefore had a licence. They simply couldn’t and wouldn’t believe that I didn’t watch TV. I had to pretend that I did so in the common room before they’d believe me. Gah!