TV Licensing say I've been watching iPlayer

[SpamIAm]

Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else - I've received an email from TV Licensing saying I've been watching iPlayer so I need to buy a TV licence. I 100% have not been watching iPlayer. I don't even have it installed on any devices 🤷‍♀️ The only option on the email is to buy a licence, even when you click the link that says to let them know if you think it's a mistake...

Is it a genuine email? Sounds fake.

Check it's actually from the TV Licensing people. It sounds like a hoax.

Sounds like a scam to me.

Probably a scam. Google to see if it is a common one

I've had a scam email from them recently, not that one but don't follow any links in it, contact TV licence on their own phone number

That sounds like a scam. I wouldn't click on it.

Hover over the email address. Bet my pension it’s from [email protected]

Sorry I meant to add in the OP that I'm as confident as I can be that it's genuine - contains my address and stuff, email address is correct, it's bilingual etc.

Have a look here www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ288

Instead of clicking on the link go direct to the tv licence website and see if you can contact them that way.

I just received this too! It is genuine! I have emailed them and they've responded. I also haven't watched anything

Sorry clicked soon. I have an old iplayer account that I logged into to check and there's a programme I've never heard of that was watched 2 months ago. Not sure how to prove it wasn't me

@SpamIAm

Sorry I meant to add in the OP that I'm as confident as I can be that it's genuine - contains my address and stuff, email address is correct, it's bilingual etc.

What made you choose your user name?

Can you Google (other search engines are available) the phone number & ring them.

Other than that, I'd ignore them. See if they send another letter or anything.

How would they have your email address if you have never had contact with them?

Sounds like a scam.

@Littleposh

I've had a scam email from them recently, not that one but don't follow any links in it, contact TV licence on their own phone number

This is what I would do. We have got used to so many scams being obvious, but a few of them are really "good". There's been the odd time when one has even given me pause to consider if it's real - and I am not the trusting sort. Fortunately I have excellent software that, if I hover my mouse over a link, displays the address of the link, and that is usually the dead giveaway that it isn't real.

Not sure what relevance my username has to anything, but for those interested - Age 14 I became president of the Meat Club, after the former president became a vegetarian (it was a difficult time for the club). My name is Sam, Spam sounds very much like Sam, and was fitting given my passion for meat. That's genuinely true and possibly the most outing thing ever posted on Mumsnet 😂

I have had contact with them because I've previously had a licence, and have registered that I no longer need one.

@unicornpoopoop Back when I was using it there were occasionally odd things in my 'continue watching' or whatever it's called on there so I wonder if it's that someone else is using my account (it's entirely possible I logged in for my parents or in laws years ago and have forgotten...).

I had this recently! It was legitimate. I ignored presuming phishing at first, but no, it was really them.

It turned out that when using the BBC news site (if logged in), it allows you to watch live broadcast news clips (mine was watching a parliamentary covidy thing) without you really realising that this is 'watching live tv', if you are on a 'breaking news' feature. I didn't have a clue that it was! I thought it was just part of the news pages, which are obviously not generally under licencing laws.

No idea about the licence, sounds a pain to deal with! However super glad I closed and read this thread, best user name story ever! 😂 love it!

In all honesty, I just insisted they must be mistaken, or that someone else must have my log in details saved. Got them to delete my BBC account (left over from when I did watch TV and obviously had a licence at that point).

I didn't get fined, though they were a bit grumpy.

Now I have no bbc log in, the live features on the news pages can't play, so there can't be another mistake. I don't think they'd be as forgiving a second time.

We had this, assumed it was because dd had installed I player (then deleted without using when hmshe was told she couldn't)

Oh that's interesting Herja, so you can't accidentally watch something unless you're logged in? Honestly that's not what's happened here, haven't read BBC news since I was last in work in November 2019 😂 but I could easily have been caught out by that, very sneaky. Although presumably if I'm in a licensed property (say my parents house) then I can watch something on my iPlayer login, since it's the premises that needs to be licensed not the individual? Although I'm not entirely convinced they even know what the rules are at this point.

TV Licensing enforcement is contracted out to Capita. You may have heard of their reputation in their handling of disability benefits. They routinely use unethical sharp practice in their TV Licensing work too.

@SpamIAm

Not sure what relevance my username has to anything, but for those interested - Age 14 I became president of the Meat Club, after the former president became a vegetarian (it was a difficult time for the club). My name is Sam, Spam sounds very much like Sam, and was fitting given my passion for meat. That's genuinely true and possibly the most outing thing ever posted on Mumsnet 😂

I have had contact with them because I've previously had a licence, and have registered that I no longer need one.

@unicornpoopoop Back when I was using it there were occasionally odd things in my 'continue watching' or whatever it's called on there so I wonder if it's that someone else is using my account (it's entirely possible I logged in for my parents or in laws years ago and have forgotten...).

Am I the only one intrigued by the meat club?

Ring them up. I had this when our house was having building work and was empty so nobody in the property could have been watching any tv. It was easier to just ring and explain than do all the online contact, and they were really helpful. I think if you ring you speak to the actually licensing people rather than the enforcement agency.

@SpamIAm

Oh that's interesting Herja, so you can't accidentally watch something unless you're logged in? Honestly that's not what's happened here, haven't read BBC news since I was last in work in November 2019 😂 but I could easily have been caught out by that, very sneaky. Although presumably if I'm in a licensed property (say my parents house) then I can watch something on my iPlayer login, since it's the premises that needs to be licensed not the individual? Although I'm not entirely convinced they even know what the rules are at this point.

I think that's right! Though I'm now just avoiding anythibg bbc related to be on the safe side really.

When I initially contacted them demandibg further information, they sent over a list of three occasions the account had been used. I'd contact them (by a googled number or email to make sure it's not a scam), ask why they think this and start arguing.