TV Licence bafflement

[LividMush]

Hang on what. I go to buy a TV License for the first time in years (Doctor & Donna 🤓) and they seem to want me to pay for a whole year by April?

What, why? Why is it like tax years? No. I’m not paying over £50 in December just for Doctor Who. What’s going on with it? Why are they charging me for a year when it’s not a year?

To be clear: I know the legal requirements for a TV Licence and am very clear to not legally need one ie no broadcast TV or iPlayer. Until now, when the good Doctor nearly lured me in. But I just can’t justify this if it’s charging me a year by April.

Oh I know that now! Kicking myself that I said anything.

I'm really torn on this because in principle I think that having an independent producer of quality programmes (and unbiased news) is a good thing, and I'm prepared to pay for a licence to help fund it.

But in practice, the BBC have always had such an aggressive, dishonest, illogical and incompetent approach to enforcing the licence fee that I just think, "Fuck them."

@LividMush
@Pemba

But it's an Annual Licence, not a subscription service. It should be charged upfront like if you buy an annual pass to a theme park or whatever. However they kindly allow you to pay it off. Then people still whinge.

@Pinkpinkpink15 I can't name another annual charge that doesn't allow you to pay monthly or charges you six monthly in advance and then keeps that money. Can you?

I don’t have a licence as I don't watch live TV or anything on iPlayer. The only thing I wanted to watch since not having the licence earlier in the year was the new season of Ghosts and I watched that at my mums. Also want to see the David Tennant episodes of Dr Who and will do the same once all three episodes are available to watch in one go.

Yes, as I said in my post Annual passes to theme parks, zoos, national trust etc.

Ah, thanks - I hadn't heard that. Not surprising at all.

I once also couldn't buy a tv from Aldi on a huge deal because I didn't have my tv licence. I said I don't have one and explained why - they said no!

That's ridiculous. They have to take your name and address if you buy a TV and then pass it to TV Licensing, so that they can chase/harass you if you don't have one - but that doesn't mean that nobody could possibly have a legitimate right and reason to own and watch a TV in a way that doesn't require a licence.

I'm really torn on this because in principle I think that having an independent producer of quality programmes (and unbiased news) is a good thing, and I'm prepared to pay for a licence to help fund it.

I agree with you on principle; but I really wouldn't call the BBC unbiased!

My son lives alone and is classed as a vulnerable adult. He rang me one day in a panic as someone had been knocking on his door for ages and eventually put a note through from TV licensing that they would be back to check whether he was using his TV.
One of his issues is he cannot deal with things he's not been prepared for.
He does not need a license as he only uses his TV as a monitor, they know this as I declare it for him at least once every year.
I rang and asked to speak to a manager and told them they were completely out of order, they tried to tell me they couldn't speak to me as it wasn't my house, I actually do have authority to speak for him so to leave him alone. Bunch of wankers.

If they could get away with it, the BBC would try and stop people watching at others people's houses if they're not licensed at their own!

I'm being ridiculous? The whole device being plugged in or not shows just how illogical it all is! They're desperately trying to cling onto something that should have been consigned to history years ago.

I've purchased a lot of TVs since and never once been asked.

@Pinkpinkpink15 national trust allows you to pay £84 a year or £7 a month. That's not the same at all. If it was, you'd have to pay £14 for the first six months and £7 thereafter.

TV licences can be stopped & refunded.
The refund is proportioned against the number of full months remaining - just like everything else paid in advance and cancelled

https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/refunds-and-cancellations/apply-for-a-refund?B64_feedbackMessages=SessionFeedbackMessage&locale=en_GB&gclid=CjwKCAiA9ourBhAVEiwA3L5RFtq3NQvg46bRvzhioW4UR1JSfsk4FUjKPV9zk0RJF4NTiYBvZiez7xoCNpAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

The requirement to give an address when buying TVs etc was between 1967 and 2013

https://gonedigital.net/2013/07/05/buying-a-tv-in-the-uk-no-need-to-give-your-address-any-more/#:~:text=Some%20of%20you%20may%20already,to%20the%20TV%20licensing%20authorities.

@tommika that's interesting regarding repayment. I think they keep that quiet as I asked them directly and they said no. This was a long time ago but assume the same. I still believe there is no legitimate reason to ask for six months upfront then or now.

I was only asked that time re TV licence. It would have been around 2005/6, maybe 07 but I walked out and went to Tesco instead with no issues. Also others plus online.

It’s now 2019 and curry’s are still insisting on name address they are aware of law change but want to sell on info or use it for their own use not sure where that falls with data protection. I husband had a row in there and insisted he would not bow down to there rules and after a long argument and a second visit he came out with a tv for my mother who if she did watch live tv doesn’t need a tv license as she is

This comment on your link is interesting... as are others. I can't remember the year of the last time I fought a tv but definitely after 2016 and definitely from curry's. We weren't asked. You'd think GDPR would affect the above and they'd be able to opt out.

The requirement to give an address when buying TVs etc was between 1967 and 2013

Ah, Ok, then - it's changed! The last time we bought a new TV was in 2007!

They don’t keep it very quiet bearing in mind the details are on the web page with how to cancel and how refunds are calculated

GDPR covers how data is collected, maintained, handled, past on (internally & to partner businesses etc as well as the sale of data)
If its declared properly and handled properly your data can be sold fully in compliance, there is also still value in anonymized personal data (such as selling purchasing trends of an individual as opposed to the selling of the defined personal data such as name & address etc

You laugh, but I've just had an email (a year after telling them I don't need a Licence) telling me that they've detected I've been watching BBC iPlayer and that I now owe them £££

I haven't watched BBC iPlayer, my child mistakenly downloaded it onto an iPad. So yeah, they do have ways of knowing

@ManchesterLu Please see my previous comment! They absolutely can tell to my surprise

You laugh, but I've just had an email (a year after telling them I don't need a Licence) telling me that they've detected I've been watching BBC iPlayer and that I now owe them £££

Ask them for proof.

Did you fill in the "no license needed" declaration?

I deleted my BBC log in when I stopped buying a licence so I have that as back up but it's ludicrous. Lots of people don't do live TV, it's all streaming for me.

You can buy the 60th anniversary specials on prime video for about £12.50 OP. Much cheaper than having to pay an entire year’s worth of license fee. If you buy the series up front they get released at about the same time they go on iplayer.

Give it a few weeks it'll end up on YouTube. Problem solved.