AIBU TV Licence

[LouBlue1507]

I don't have a TV licence and don't intend to pay for one.

I don't have access to live TV and only watch Netflix, Itv player, 4od and channel 5. Not BBC iplayer.

I have declared this to the TV licence people and now property is under investigation.

AIBU to refuse them entry if they turn up? I've read horror stories of them being bullies, intimidating and even lying!

Thanks MiladyThesaurus - my thoughts exactly

The BBC needs to move with the times. If it's so amazingly popular and people can't live without it, then people will still pay the subscription.

Young people (by which I mean 16-24 yos) don't watch television

This is hysterically untrue.

Indeed MiladyThesaurus, it's almost as if the BBC is worried they might not get so much money without the legal compulsion.

I used to work for The BBC for TV Licensing - you need to declare WOIRA - the withdrawal of the implied right of access. They then cannot knock on your door. You'll need to re-declare every two years and that is all.

As a generalisation it is untrue. But young people are much less likely to watch tv than older people. That is true.

DS1 (16) hasn't watched tv in years. Even when we had live tv, he never watched it. Ever. He plays videogames, watches crap on YouTube, reads, and sometimes watches box sets. I doubt he'll ever be interested in buying a tv license.

I think you can withdraw their "implied right of access" to your property which means they are tresspassing if they come onto your property without your permission or something (see here for more info):

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2587588/7-000-homes-block-visits-TV-licence-enforcers-Growing-numbers-taking-advantage-legal-loophole-means-threaten-sue-collectors-tresspass.html

Obviously people who don't need a tv license are likely to be overrepresented on a thread about this sort of thing.

People who don't need a TV license are not likely to be on a thread at all - given that they will be very elderly, very poor or sight or hearing impaired. Those are who make up the 3% who don't watch the BBC every week. Not people who have a broadband connection and regularly use a parenting site.

Young people (by which I mean 16-24 yos) don't watch television- viewer numbers in those demographics are plummeting.
16-24 years DO watch lots of TV - they don't watch LIVE TV - that's the difference.

BBC audience data is based on BARB data - it's audited by the government, monitored by competitors and as robust as you can get. BARB data accurately reflects UK demographics and is used by advertisers to plan their TV spots.

Wasonthelist: ditching the attempts to compel everyone to pay for an opt-in subscription model just for the BBC would also help them to avoid political interference. Netflix doesn't have to undergo periodic reviews by the government or have its pricing policy decided by politicians.

People who don't need a TV license are not likely to be on a thread at all Bollocks. There are several of us as you have seen. The fact you choose to call us liars is your problem, not ours.

"This is hysterically untrue"

No it's not I have a 16 year old and he has not sat down to watch tv for the entire Christmas holidays. The tradition of regular tv viewing is dying. Looking at my DC and their friends, they watch YouTube, play games online, download films they are interested in. They do not watch live tv - ever. They will not be paying for TV licences in the future. And I don't see why they shd have to pay for something they don't use.

People who don't need a TV license are not likely to be on a thread at all - given that they will be very elderly, very poor or sight or hearing impaired. Those are who make up the 3% who don't watch the BBC every week. Not people who have a broadband connection and regularly use a parenting site.

You keep telling yourself that.

BTW, those of us who stream everything require a broadband connection and use the internet a lot. So yeah, we'd probably be more likely to be responding to posts about what to do if tv licensing try to intimidate you on a parenting website. Just because you don't want to believe we exist, doesn't mean we don't.

I agree 16-24 do watch a lot of TV, but not live TV, and I doubt the BBC player is high on their list either.
So when the time come for them to get their own license, chances are they won't need one as they don't use the service.

I had a quick look at the BARB data, and the 97% figure is for all BBC content, the figure for TV only is 79% (not sure if it includes iplayer or not).

I only have a TV to accommodate a relative who comes to petsit whilst I'm working away.

If that particular set of circumstances didn't exist, I would strongly consider getting rid of it as I watch it very infrequently. I prefer to watch/buy movies on Youtube.

Had no TV at my last residence but received these stupid letters on a monthly basis.

It's the arrogance of it that pisses me off. People aren't obliged to own a television, far less watch the BBC.

I don't have a car licence either, because I don't own a car.. Have yet to receive harrassing letters/visits from DVLA.

BBC need to drag themselves into the 21st century and become a subscription service if they don't want to run commercials.

People who don't need a TV license are not likely to be on a thread at all - given that they will be very elderly, very poor or sight or hearing impaired.

That's nonsense.

If, hypothetically, the license was for ITV I wouldn't need one as I never watch that at all. It's perfectly easy to envisage a household who watch no BBC and only programmes on catch up.

Bollocks
You keep telling yourself that.
Wow, you seem a bit at this. I haven't called either of you liars.

I made the observation that people who watch a lot of TV are very unlikely NEVER to watch any BBC content. Never said it was impossible.

We got threatening letters at our last house. So many arguments. We didn't have an aerial so no TV for 6 months - both worked ft and in evenings watched boxsets. Now we rarely watch BBC but I think I'd pay £140 a year just to stop the threatening letters

I don't understand this argument that if you have high speed broadband, watch Netflix and post on Mumsnet (WTF at that last one!) then you are lying about not watching the BBC.

Surely watching Netflix and so on is more of an argument against watching BBC since it indicates the poster has a reasonable range of entertainment opportunities at their disposal rather than being restricted to slavishly watching the beeb.

I'm vanishingly rare too :) Stopped watching iplayer on my PC after the rule change in September. It meant going cold turkey on EastEnders but that turned out to be quite painless.

I did watch the last BBC series of Bake Off though, as a friend with a TV (and TV licence) invited me to come and watch it at her house

All these people not watching any BBC output!

So where are all the millions of people watching Bakeoff, Strictly and Sherlock coming from

SerialReJoiner

" £145 for something I never use, and haven't used since I first left home 15+ years ago? Yes, why on earth would I resent that cost? hmm "

BUT ITS SUCH GREAT VALUE! Especially when I never watch it.

I can't stand the BBC, the only thing watching on it is the wonderful Attenborough.

I don't understand this argument that if you have high speed broadband, watch Netflix and post on Mumsnet (WTF at that last one!) then you are lying about not watching the BBC.
Maybe because that argument hasn't been made on this thread.

I can't understand why people can't accept others don't watch BBC even though they watch TV? I've not watched live for years. Why would anyone want to watch live, and omg, record live when everything is on the press of a button for catch up? I used to have Sky and all I watched was Sky Atlantic. Don't like the BBC except Sherlock and Dr Who. Don't watch itv, channel 4.

About 2 years ago, I decided to cut down on expenses and stopped Sky. That's when I told the TV licence people I don't need a licence anymore. All I watch is Netflix and Amazon Prime. It's got more than enough for me to watch. Have you seen the Netflix originals? Besides Sherlock and Dr Who are both on Netflix/Prime. I used to also use the iplayer but now don't because I don't see paying £145 good value for money for something I barely watch. Children aren't interested either. They prefer on demand.

BBC has shit content.