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!

[sunshine401]

Or laptop or computer device ..... the list is endless.

[KobayashiMaru]

you still need a license even if you don't watch the bbc.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

You do not have to pay for a TV license if you have a radio.

swedish - yes, really. Why?

The only time I have really missed not being able to watch live TV was the olypmics opening ceremony (went to a mate's). Everything else ... well, it's right there on Iplayer a whole hour after, it's not exactly a challenge!

[DameSaggarmakersbottomknocker]

ds watches at university on his laptop via our SkyGo thingy. Does he need a licence?

And how would they know as it's via t'internet?

[PoppyWearer]

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

sunshine - no, you don't!

You only need it if you watch/record live TV as it's being broadcast.

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

Radio licences were abolised in the seventies!

See, another myth!

[sunshine401]

When I first moved in to our new home. I was there on a day off and the children were at school. None of the actually furniture was even there yet I was just decorating the living room. I got a knock on the door from a TV licence person so I informed her we had just bought the house etc. SHE CAME in and pulled me about the bloody radio I had on!! I explained I already had a licence at my old address and was going to move it when I moved in all together and she did back off. But still RUDE!!

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

Dame legally, yes. But they dont have magical scanning equipment that can find him, although if they had a warrant (I think? This could be wrong) they could find him from his IP address?

[sunshine401]

And that was only 5 years ago!!! I should complain!

[SwedishEdith]

Well, you must be one of the three this applies to nationally LRD. Well done for being so law-abiding

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

never let any "authority" in without a warrant!!!

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Rubbish. Loads of people do this swedish. I know more than three people.

Why do you assume everyone is either exactly like you, or a crook, just out of interest?

[KatyPeril]

Thanks for sharing. I get sick of people getting on their high horses and telling me I'm breaking the law for not having a licence. I phoned them up! I don't need one!

[dabdab]

We don't have a tv (haven't done for 20 yrs), and don't watch live on laptops. Instead we do lots of 'cultrul' things of an evening like mumsnetting and watching box sets

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Same here dab.

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

I watched the olympics at my mums

[DameSaggarmakersbottomknocker]

Oh thanks.

I'm not paying [morally bankrupt]

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

Dame when I cancelled mine, they even refunded the months I'd paid in advance. The bastards.

[DeWe]

I don't watch live TV. Ever. We don't have a TV.
TV licencing have finally accepted that and stopped sending letters to the house that say:
"Please reply with the following options: 1. Oops sorry, I shall shortly be buying my TV licence

1. I would like to sign up to pay monthly direct debit for my TV
   
2. I have already got my TV licence"
   

Um... no option for "don't have a TV" then?

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

They do eventually stop sending letters if you keep getting back to them explaining. We've been here since 2009 and by now they have given up with the letters and have us down on their database as not needing one.

(They can be fucking rude meantime, though!)

[ivykaty44]

I have two old tv's that are analogue and therefore can't watch any live tv on them - one is in the garage on a shelf and the other is broken and needs to be dispatched.

We do have internet but we prefer to watch films and down load and pay for them.

I do not need a tv licence to do this as we don't watch live tv.

I know two other households who don't have tv's - one doesn't have internet either. I doubt we are the three people nationally that don't have tv.

When my friends dd went to uni - she was told to get a tv licence as she would need one and would be breaking the law if she didn't have a licence - she didn't have a tv, she did have a laptop - but you don't need a licence to have a laptop....

The tv licencing people have called twice at one friends house twice, no tv and nothing to worry about - but the second time the man wasn't asked in and he knew that without a court warrant he couldn't enter the house. To get a court warrent you need proof and the tv man had no proof that the friend may or may not have a tv.

If other people want to pay £115 per year for something they think is good value - then fine but I didn't think it was worthwhile getting my aireal fixed when it broke and didn't miss the tv so I guess I didn't think it was good value enough to pay out shed loads of money. I must admitt I though the tv licencing was more three years ago - has it gone down in price?

[SwedishEdith]

Erm, do I LRD? Bizarre comment. I find it highly improbable that there are a significant number of people who have easy access to live tv and do not ever look. Ever.

[gordyslovesheep]

without the BBC we will be forced to WATCH the combined output of E4, Sky1 etc - a diet of Hollyoaks and cheesey quiz shows

I go for quality over 'chewing gum for the eyes' every time