To point out that you do not need a TV licence

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

Unless you watch live TV!

The TV licencing authorities have got everyone terrified, loads of myths about scanning equipment and having to let authorities in your home if they randomly turn up on your doorstep. All of which are told to be untrue on their own website. It's there in black and white, you are not breaking the law if you have your TV connected to a DVD player only, or if you watch (non-live) iplayer on your PC.

I'm told very often that I'm going to be locked up or fined for not having one
Yet the actual authorities have no problem with me declaring I don't need one and haven't hassled me at all!

It's ridiculous. People need to be informed!

[garlicbollocks]

I've just stopped paying as I found out I don't have to - only watch re-runs because my concentration's shot and I have to keep rewinding.

I think it's unfair, though! I'm still watching BBC programming and, tbh, it's good value. If they sold advertising on the iplayer, it would make some kind of sense but the rule as it stands seems a bit daft.

[BegoniaBampot]

Don't really get it. Morally, what's the difference between watching BBC live or watching later but not paying the licence - you are still enjoying the programmes. Can understand if you don't watch any BBC stuff at all.

[ControlGeek]

Another one with no TV here, haven't had one in almost 8 years. DP loves his DVDs so we'll watch those, or box sets of series we both enjoy. We both spend far too much time on the internet or otherwise enjoying ourselves to be worried about finding time to plonk ourselves in front of a TV!

The only thing I genuinely miss about the TV was the wii, as it doesn't work properly through a computer monitor.

I could rattle on about these bullies for hours, but will stop here

[Somebodysomewhere]

No license here. Just use it for DVDs. They send me letters but i ignore them. Dont see why i should have to declare i am not committing a crime once a year or so.

I dont walk down to the police station to inform them of this so why should the BBC be any different ?

[forevergreek]

Lljkk-I don't think that's true. I had a tv as a child but it broke when I was about 10 and they have only just got one again in the last year or so

I have 2 sisters and 2 brother. Both parents living at home. So 7 of us growing up. I can't remember anyone having plenty of free time for tv. ( this was in the 90s so not centuries ago

School finished at 4pm, home at 5pm. 5-6.30 was just catching up, eating dinner, etc etc. then as all at secondary by then. An hour min homework (3 hours generally for anyone of exam age). Read/ shower bed

Weekends were out/ in garden/ working/ reading/ friends etc..

The only time would be to watch a film every so often. But just did that at the cinema occasionally

[lljkk]

If there are enough people in the family, some of them will have time to sit and watch live TV.

I would miss live cycling coverage. I think most sports fans would prefer some live TV as option. (imho) It is morally wrong to waste bandwidth watching live sports over the 'Net.

BBC radio on all day here so I would feel like a right scrounger not to pay something towards it.

[ivykaty44]

SarahStratton I wonder the same -when do those of you with tv's have time to sit and watch them?

[ConfusedPixie]

No TV here either. As I said on the thread a few weeks back, we watch, at most, 5 hours of iplayer or 4OD between five of us a week. Why should we buy a license to watch reruns of QI and Heston Blumenthal? I don't understand why you'd want a TV tbh

[MotherOfSuburbia]

No TV here either. We haven't ever had one so no licence. If the BBC start charging for iPlayer we'll stump up but mostly we just use netflix and lovefilm and dvds. I consider myself a pretty moral person but it never crossed my mind to voluntarily pay the licence fee when we don't have to just to watch a couple of iplayer programmes every now and then.

It's a real shock when we're staying with relatives and flicking through a gzillion channels with pretty much nothing on and awful adverts as well.

[MurderOfGoths]

You mean there's more to the internet than MN?!

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

dozy if you cancelled and that day ever came, all you'd have to do is pay instantly online

murder you missed out mumsnet!

[MurderOfGoths]

"No television?

What do you all do?"

DVD's, internet, computer games, catch up, read, sew...

[DozyDuck]

I don't watch live tv actually. I hadn't realised until just now

I might fancy turning the tv on one day though

[redwellybluewelly]

if you do and as most people do have a tv it doesn't actually matter if you say its not connected or its only for 4od and dvd's because they still take you to court and fine you

That is BS.

[Biscuitsareme]

New here. No, I don't watch live tv. Watch BBC iplayer about once every 3 months and listen to the radio in the car. Don't feel I'm missing anything much. But I expect the kids will want live tv when they're older- so I'm relishing the present live tv-less state of our house.

[SarahStratton]

No television?

What do you all do?

[ivykaty44]

1charlie1 Th reason I made up a name to sign of with (didn't actually put J Bloggs) was due to me reading that although you don't need to give your name for withdrawing access this was one point TV licenceing would argue about - the fact it wasn't legal without a name - which is untrue. So just gave any old name.

I am also informed that it will last around 3 years and then the process needs to be repeated - for the piece of mind the cost of a stamp is easy. here is why I was so keen to stop them threatening to call round the house as this is a local town some 15 miles from me

[meah]

HA i have many outstanding fines for non payment of tv licence and still dont have and refuse to buy one - Speaking from LOTS of experience, always remember this... When the big bad lying guy from tv licencing knocks on your door 1stly DONT answer the door to him, they can nothing and tend not to return for quite sometime! 2, if the first option is unavoidable (this bit is important) DO NOT ALLOW HIM/HER INTO YOUR HOUSE AT ANY COST, if you do and as most people do have a tv it doesn't actually matter if you say its not connected or its only for 4od and dvd's because they still take you to court and fine you, However if they cant gain access into your property to see for themselves whether or not you have a tv they can do diddly squit - but do remember NOT to tell them that you have a tv because they then take you to court and you have admitted owning a tv but there is no proof is not connect and used for live tv, the courts always favour the word of tv licencing against yours.

[StuntGirl]

I'm not really sure antoinette, but it seems bonkers. There is no way to prove it really, that's what makes it so hard. You'd have to remove every device capable of getting TV or catch up services from your home,(so that includes pc/laptop/smart phone/gaming consoles) and wait for them to come and check. If they even do at all (something like 14% of people who send back the forms stating they don't need one get a visit). They operate on the basis of guilty until proven innocent, it seems. They just can't seem to get their head around the fact that some people don't watch tv!

I would probably write back and ask precisely what evidence they require, and do that, or write back and just reiterate you no longer watch live tv, will be cancelling your account with them and you would like a refund of the advance payments by X date. Although they are an absolute sham of an organisation so I doubt you'd get anywhere with them unfortunately :(

[confuddledDOTcom]

I got rid of my TV for a year once, we ddin't miss it and didn't have net access at home then, although even if we did I don't think the players had been invtented then. I was in a block of flats that didn't have a good enough ariel to watch anything on TV and we weren't allowed sky dishes, so I didn't see the point in keeping it. I got a TV again when I got pregnant and moved house. Even now we're out of the TV watching habit so I rarely watch anything live but we do have BT Vision in our room and Sky downstairs so that's what we get the licence for.

Someone said you can't watch live TV on a laptop, apart from BBC being live on their site now, you can also buy a dongle for £20 that turns your laptop into a TV. Pretty good quality too. I got one so I didn't have to spend loads of money on Patient Line!

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

Antoinette are you in a digital area and have you got sky?
Cause I guess that not having a digital reciever in a digital area is as close as you will get to proof?
Apart from that, I'd find out who they are accountable to (ofcom?) and complain!

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

I cancelled mine online about six months in, they did it no problem, didnt ask for evidence and refunded what I'd paid within a week, without me even asking! (I paid by dd and didnt realise I'd paid in advance)
Guess I must have had a nice CS rep look at mine!

[DillyTante]

Interesting thread as we are just about to cancel sky & our TV licence. We almost never watch live TV. I do love the BBC though & don't resent paying the licence but luxuries have to go. The only thing I will miss is live tweeting/Mumsnetting when the apprentice & masterchef are on!

[kittyandthegoldenfontanelles]

I don't watch live tv. Nor on iPlAyer. Nor do I pay a licence.

[AntoinetteCosway]

Stuntgirl the problem is that I've literally just last week renewed the licence, so I want at least some of my money back-that's why they want evidence. I don't think they're going to give it to me, are they