Hassled by tv licence people

[letthegamesbeginagain]

I don't have a tv licence because I don't watch live tv or iplayer.

Ex husband moved out and took the tv licence with him.

He then proceeded to watch player on my account in his house rather than his own.

Now I'm getting letters threatening me saying i have to buy a licence.

I literally haven't watched anything and I've told him to log out of my iplayer. What now?

Both rude and wrong, lol

TV licences are issued to a physical property.

The watching took place at a property which was licenced.

It shouldn't be relevant that your DH used your account. He holds a valid licence for that property.

If you were still "together" with your DH and you had 2 homes, and only watched TV when at the main property and never watched any TV when at the 2nd property you would not need a licence for the 2nd property.

You can fight this. Obviously you do need to log the TV out of iPlayer to ensure the situation doesn't continue but you are correct that you should not have to pay.

It's so frustrating, isn't it? He DOES have a TV licence in the house where he watched my iplayer.

I haven't had a tv license for decades as I neither watch tv nor bbc iplayer at home. However, out of the blue, I received one of these letters and, like you, panicked. I googled a phone number for the TV licensing people and spoke to a very helpful guy who accepted what I told him and just updated my records. I never heard anything again apart from having to re-register every few years as not needing a license. I do have an iplayer account and watch it very occasionally when I am babysitting at my daughter's house which does have a license.

Also that is £45 quarterly, so 4 months in the whole year, not £45 a month for 4 months or you can pay the £15 for the month and then cancel it if you wont be using it anymore after that

That's good to know, thanks

I think you're incorrect on this as I went through the process and it was definitely going to take 45 a month for four months and then reduce down. I'll check again.

So this is what I'm offered if I pay monthly, it's gone down now to 33 (I think it decreases as the year goes on) but still far too much for something I don't watch!

Yeah have a look, I've just looked at ways to pay and it definitely says monthly at £15, quarterly 4 payments throughout the year of £45 or something like £145 for the whole year

If you have iplayer in your name and it's being watched, you will get fined without a licence. I'd log into your account and cancel it. Your husband can set his own up. I'd ring them after it's been cancelled, and offer to pay for a couple of months use.

It's not possible to pay for a couple of months

It's coming from a different IP address in a completely different physical location. Give them his address. In fact why aren't they already outside his door seeing as apparently they have 'detection' vans. It's bollocks. You didn't log in and don't owe them a penny.

How strange, maybe they have added on for how long they think you've been using it.. I would definitely try and speak to someone before paying that.

Surely if it's been watched at a house that has a license by a person who has a license that's fine? If you have never watched it at your house they don't have a leg to stand on.

It's so frustrating, isn't it? He DOES have a TV licence in the house where he watched my iplayer

Oh I managed to miss the fact he had a licence. In that case then yes, watching your iPlayer, at a separate address on a plugged in device (which presumably his was?) needs a licence at THAT address.
Whether or not you still need a licence at your home address too isn’t clear though.

Change your password on iplayer and just ignore the letters

Yeah, the more I think about it I'm sure this must be the case.

Like the pp who watches it when she's babysitting at a house with a licence.

I think I could have gone round there legitimately and watched iplayer from his.

Most frustrating thing is I've sent DD to his house every Saturday to watch Dr Who as she can't watch it here. I've been really careful and I'm being pursued like this.

I think yoiu're right. They're pursuing the address, this address, and it's not been watched here.

Oh I see it sorry, its higher in the first 6 months because they spread a years worth out... but it is possible to pay for a month or two, you just cancel the tv licence after a month and state you dont need it anymore.

It must be specific to me and my address, I don't know why. But it was the same when I looked before he moved out back in November so it's got nothing to do with the iplayer stuff.

Your wrong they do know if you've accessed your BBC iPlayer account they own it.

Could you just change your password / delete your account so he can’t use it?

Yes, there are lots of very confident - and very wrong - people on this thread 😃

@letthegamesbeginagain

Would it help you if you were able to pay for a licence using the Simple Payment Plan? It spreads the payments into very small amounts over the year.

You and the children could watch anything you liked once you were signed up.

https://signup.spp.tvlicensing.co.uk/cop/#/faqs

He's not using it, I changed the password as soon as I realised a couple of months ago. They're still pursuing me.