TV license officers threatening me

[Lovelybitofsquirrel3]

This is a bit long.
Backstory, at my previous address I got a letter about not having a TV license. I called to explain I don't need one but the person I was speaking to still kept me on the phone for a while, and even after them going over what counts as live TV and me explaining I only watch things like disney+, they were very threatening as they were saying things like ''if you are found to be watching TV'' and the whole speech and threatening that if an officer visits and finds TV equipment I could be prosecuted. After a short few months of not receiving letters, they started again.
Since moving to my new address, I have been receiving the previous tenants sky tv letters and debt collection letters, threatening bailiffs, including a sky hub. It's really frustrating. I attempted to contact sky to explain that he doesn't live here but they insisted they couldn't do anything. I couldn't find the man named on the letters to contact him. I even tried making a local facebook post to ask if anyone knew him and not a single person replied.
I've been getting letters from the TV licensing agency and binned them each time, I didn't want to phone them because of my previous experience, and information online suggested that it was an empty threat and they would do nothing. But at the end of the year I got a letter about an upcoming visit from an enforcement officer. They never arrived. I've just received one again today, I'll comment underneath with a photo of it. I have cropped out the top and bottom in case the named officer can identify the area I live in, but the bottom says that a report will be sent to the prosecutor fiscal who will decide on prosecution. The link they've given where I can update I don't need a license online is actually broken and not functional.
I can't remember where I read it, but apparently receiving letters from sky can be seen as proof that I'm watching live TV, or having a TV can be seen as proof. I also have a satellite connected to the house that was here when I moved.
I haven't done anything wrong but I feel really afraid. The letter reads that if I dont answer they can keep coming back at any time of day. I don't understand why they can go around threatening people like this. I'm thinking about calling the police over it but that might be an over reaction.

Attached letter

Fill in the declaration saying you do not need a tv licence they leave you alone then.

Make sure you have a copy of your council tax bill to hand to prove it's only you living there

Fill in the declaration online saying why you don't need a tv licence my daughter does it every year or so

And you can safely, and I mean safely, ignore and bin any letter you receive from them. They are generic. Take a look at one of the many ChilliJonCarne videos and you will feel very enlightened and reassured by the advice afterwards I promise!!

Sorry but I think you’re making this problem for yourself. Pick up the phone an speak to them to declare you don’t need a licence. All the patter about use is them covering their butts and is a sales patter to get you to have a licence.

Completely unrelated but when they stop the TV licence I think these people should go work for child maintenance apparently CM can't find ANYONE and tv licence people can find everyone like dd moved in hadn't even put her name on the electoral roll and they were right in there with the payment demand letter 😳

This 100 times over!

They send so many of these letters out and they almost never show up. If they do, shut the door, do not even confirm your name to them.

I have a licence since having children (for cbeebies) but before that I filled out the declaration online.

Just tell them you don’t need one at this new address?!

They take your details when you buy a new TV I think. Cheeky fuckers. They have no right to enter your house OP. If they arrive and you tell them to go away then they have to go away!

The tone of that letter is appalling.

the TV Licence’s days are surely numbered. So archaic.

Just fill in the online declaration. Read the questions very carefully - they're designed to trip you up. You should be left alone for around a year then.

Regarding previous tenant, just keep posting the letters 'return to sender'. Keep a copy of your tenancy agreement to hand in case anyone knocks. Try not to stress - you're doing nothing wrong.

Fill in the form so they stop the letters (they’re mass sent out even the date ones) and if they turn up just don’t answer/no thank you and shut the door

I get those letters all the time, OP. They almost never turn up. On the vanishingly rare occasions they do turn up, all they want is to check the TV is not connected to anything which can receive a live signal eg Sky box, digital aerial, etc.

Consoles, Firesticks, and other devices used for streaming are fine. The visits take a matter of a minutes, although there have been times I have turned them away because they've caught me as I was on the way out. They muttered a few vaguely threatening things about courts and fines and left pretty quickly.

It is honestly nothing to worry about.

You have done something wrong. You haven't saline them to tell them to declare you don't need a license. So because you are afraid of one phone call, you've now had numerous letters and a threat of prosecution to deal with. Just call them if you have the same issues as the last call, tell them firmly you understand the rules, and you don't need them explained, on repeat if needed.

The sky/bailiffs issue is more worrying. You could have bailiffs at the door! Sky may be saying they can't do anything if it's with a debt collection agency - you need to call the agency instead (albeit I'm pretty sure that sky could recall that the debt if they wanted to). If you don't feel confident dealing with this, go to citizens advice for help.

I would not just leave either situation in the hope it goes away. This is rarely the best course of action with things like this.

For the letters addressed to previous tenants write - Not known at this address- and put them in the post box.

I kept filling in the form and getting the letters. It was during the pandemic and I'd been unable to move in on completion day as extensive renovations were needed beforehand and all non essential work stopped...it took nearly a year to move in.

I was positively gleeful the day an officer did show up to my totally empty house while the concrete floor was getting laid - "of course! I'd say come in but I literally don't have a floor. I have informed you repeatedly...why do I keep getting harrassed?"

He took some pictures through the front window and I never received a letter again.

Let them come.
If you aren't breaking the law there is literally nothing they can do.

We got lots of these at one house. I was happy to ignore them and wait for someone to arrive and verify I didn’t have live TV. They never turned up.

The tone of the letters is disgusting though - threatening people like they’re criminals.

I agree after dealing with that useless agency for 15 years. Utterly incompetent.

I don't fill in the forms or call them, mostly because the letters do not bother me in the slightest, and I CBA, but partly because why the fuck should I waste my time doing it?

It is not up to me to prove that I am not committing a crime; it is up to them to prove that I am.

The letters get progressively nastier in tone. Ours tell us we could go to prison and have big red headings, not nice, soft blue ones 😂

We don't actually have the capability to receive live TV signals to the TV set, btw, nor do we watch live TV or iPlayer on any other device.

In short, I didn't call them and don't want to call them due to my previous experience with them where they were threatening to visit anyway, and the link they gave me on the letter takes me to a page that's apparently broken.
I was never going to answer the door to them anyway but apparently they can keep coming back if I don't answer. I'm also expecting important deliveries and visits so could go to the door thinking it's someone else or look through a window, and then I'll get seen.

Op please don’t let the tv license people upset you. Total bullies. If they ever do turn up then don’t bother telling them why you don’t need a license etc, shut the door in their faces. They have absolutely 0 right to inspect your tv or anything else. If you talk to them /give your details they will try and trick you by asking questions like asking if you saw x on the news or watched the match last night.

I’m worried sick about it if I was watching TV I would have bought a license I’m not
not a thief. If I don’t answer the door do they then go and get a warrant?

This, keep returning them to Sky and they’ll eventually stop.

Just fill in the online form. You can find this just by googling: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/telling-us-you-dont-need-a-tv-licence

I've had two letters in five years, each time I've made the declaration online and not heard another peep. You are causing difficulties for yourself by ignoring the letters then calling and arguing with them.