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AIBU?

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Original poster

To have told the to licence man to piss off?

274 replies

DontGoRhiannonStay · 20/01/2017 12:50

I have phoned them so many times and told them we don't need a licence. I have a no licence needed declaration.
So when this guy stood on my doorstep and tried to read me some
Sort of "rights" was IBU to tell him to piss off before shutting the door on him? (It felt amazing)

OP posts:
catwoman0815 · 20/01/2017 13:41

we are under construction investigation too. no TV, don't watch iPlayer.

I really do not get the logic.

We do not use their services. Hence I have nothing to do with them. They do not need to know my name and they do not need to track through my house to doubke check on me. I find the whole approach vile and unacceptable.

FairyDogMother11 · 20/01/2017 13:42

I wouldn't quite have gone as far as telling them to piss off but when they came round to check our house the woman was very rude and we were midway through dinner - 5.30 in the evening. It was annoying to say the least.

witsender · 20/01/2017 13:42

I wouldn't have said piss off unless severely pushed, but yanbu in principle. They really are cheeky whatnots.

Afterthestorm · 20/01/2017 13:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NicknameUsed · 20/01/2017 13:45

There's no need to be so defensive. Not having an ariel doesn't mean you can't watch live TV, especially if you have broadband.

The issue here is that you say you don't watch TV and the TV licence man doesn't believe you. Unfortunate;y that is one of the most common lies they are told by people who have a TV, so you should be able to understand why he is being sceptical.

IMO the BBC should issue some kind of individual password for each household that have paid for a TV licence then there wouldn't be this kind of problem.

VeryBitchyRestingFace · 20/01/2017 13:46

I would probably say more than piss off and threaten to set the hamster dog on them.

Cheeky, harrassing fuckers.

I don't have a vehicule. Funnily enough, I've never had HMRC calling at my house and asking to see the contents of my garage.

NuclearSwan · 20/01/2017 13:46

They woke me up at 7am on a Saturday once by kicking my door and shouting 'We know you're in there'. I was hungover. The bastards. I didn't even have a telly. They knew this. I told them. Repeatedly.

PrivatePike · 20/01/2017 13:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

VenusOfWillendorf · 20/01/2017 13:48

You were verbally abusive, if that's what you actually said. I don't know why you or anyone else thinks that's acceptable.
You could have just told him that you've completed the No Licence Needed declaration and closed the door. No need for invective.

Original poster
DontGoRhiannonStay · 20/01/2017 13:49

Exactly private. We occasionally watched BBC iplayer catch up before but when the law changed we just stopped watching it altogether. People find it so hard to believe that you can live without watching any live tv.

OP posts:
roseshippy · 20/01/2017 13:53

"IMO the BBC should issue some kind of individual password for each household that have paid for a TV licence then there wouldn't be this kind of problem."

Except they say that you need a licence to watch, for instance, US TV, over the internet.

roseshippy · 20/01/2017 13:53

"IMO the BBC should issue some kind of individual password for each household that have paid for a TV licence then there wouldn't be this kind of problem."

Except they say that you need a licence to watch, for instance, US TV, over the internet.

ChasingMars · 20/01/2017 13:55

Dh is a TV licensing officer and regularly gets this kind of abuse. As others have said he is just doing his job! He doesn't trick people or lie to them as posters have suggested- his paperwork is gone through with a fine tooth comb and this would soon be highlighted!!! I totally get the op's frustration if she has contacted them before but the officers are simply given a list of addresses they must attend- if they don't they are penalised, it's not the officer's fault if people centrally have cocked up! Whilst the op may well be genuine dh comes across a hell of a lot of people who go out of their way to avoid paying.

BTW the law is that if you watch ANY live TV including foreign channels or you watch BBC iplayer you need a licence. The common assumption that you only need a licence if you watch BBC is wrong.

OrchidaceousRose · 20/01/2017 13:55

Have gone without a TV or a licence for a couple of spells, about a year long each time.

The harassment you get is unbelievable. Letters every few days threatening prison, knocks on the door at all hours, repeated visits. Even if you register.

They use heavy handed scare tactics and are extremely rude in all communications. They really could say things just as strongly/firmly, but with a much better tone.

CommonFramework · 20/01/2017 13:58

Bittern11 yes I do have a TV, why?

Hmm Because maybe the TV licensing people know you have a TV and think you're lying about not watching live TV? Am sure it's been known to happen...

And afterthestorm, I was thinking of cancelling my tv license as I have a tv but never watch the BBC and its money I could do with - it's not about watching the BBC! It's about watching live TV on any channel! I'm sure we could ALL 'do with' the money...

WankingMonkey · 20/01/2017 13:58

Why couldn't you have been polite?

The TV license people are among the rudest I have ever encountered in life (and I have worked customer service jobs). Of course it may just be the ones round here and the rest are all lovely, but the few that do out area are utter cunts. I never needed a license and had signed the declaration thing, then out of nowhere I started getting bi-weekly visits from them. First time I let them in to check I had no TV and such. After that I told them no and got a bunch of abuse. Once I was tricked into signing their stupid little form that basically gives them permission to prosecute you!

Now, I pay for TV license even though I 1) entirely disagree with it and 2) don't actually need one. Just to keep the fuckers off my back.

OhtoblazeswithElvira · 20/01/2017 13:59

The TV licence people work from the assumption that everyone is a liar and a criminal and they treat you accordingly.

When we moved to this house there was no aerial or TV point, and BT took 6 weeks to give us an Internet connection. No G4 available, we are in a black spot apparently. It was physically impossible to watch TV, live or otherwise. They found the whole thing so so hard to understand Hmmthe poor lambs!

It can't be a nice job to do but then the whole system needs looking at.

wasonthelist · 20/01/2017 14:04

hmm Because maybe the TV licensing people know you have a TV and think you're lying about not watching live TV? Am sure it's been known to happen...
No Doubt. But we (broadly) have a system here where you're supposed to be innocent unless/until proven otherwise. So thankfully a suspicious TV licence person doesn't get to be the sole arbiter.

ChasingMars · 20/01/2017 14:06

Perhaps the rudeness works both ways? Posters say the licensing officers are rude abusive etc but also think it's quite in order for householders to tell officers to pass off. How does that work then?

DH in his work has been physically attacked, abused, filmed and had dogs set on him. He used to be a police officer and says he felt much safer doing that job!

ChasingMars · 20/01/2017 14:07

*piss off, sorry

WankingMonkey · 20/01/2017 14:09

Perhaps the rudeness works both ways?

Possibly, but that doesn't excuse the officers rudeness anymore than it excuses the shop girl being a twat to you because she took some abuse off the customer before you, or because you refuse to admit that you are shoplifting(when you aren't)

mollie123 · 20/01/2017 14:11

chasing good to here the other side - politeness costs nothing
All those up in arms accusing the TV licence man of being a goon

  • are you sure you are not breaking the law ?
You don’t need a TV Licence if you: 
<span class="italic">never watch or record programmes <strong>on any channel</strong> as they’re being shown on TV or live on an online TV service, and never download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer – live, catch up or on demand.</span>

This could be on any device, including a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box or DVD/VHS recorder.

LivingOnTheDancefloor · 20/01/2017 14:13

Chasing
it's not the officer's fault if people centrally have cocked up

It is not a cock up it is how they function!! Everybody who doesn't need a TV license has to fight to make them admit it. It is not a secret.
I would be surprised if your DH wasn't aware of it, considering he works for them...

MakeJam · 20/01/2017 14:14

We had this too. Every six weeks or so a rude and aggressive man would come round peering in the windows and frightening my children before knocking on the door. He also tried all those tactics mentioned upthread like implying I was lying and trying to get me sign a piece of paper to confirm he'd made a visit when it was to accept a caution. He was so horrible he made me cry one day. He would not take no for an answer. We made a formal complaint and never saw him again.

YANBU and you are well within your rights to tell him to piss off.

LivingOnTheDancefloor · 20/01/2017 14:15

Obviously violence/abuse is not acceptable.

But telling the representative of a company to piss off, as he comes unannounced to your home, basically accusing you of lying after you repeatedly said you did not need the license, and after you received several letters threatening to take you to court for something you didn't do... Can't you understand the frustration and anger??

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