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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:
Original poster
DontGoRhiannonStay · 21/01/2017 08:14

They would never make it subscription, they would lose millions

OP posts:
NicknameUsed · 21/01/2017 08:29

Erm, because I watch TV - recorded and live, a lot of it being BBC output. I use it so I pay for it.

Clearly, it is hard to prove that people don't watch TV, so what is the answer? Extra tax?

PrivatePike · 21/01/2017 08:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mum2Bomg · 21/01/2017 08:35

I'd pay it just to make sure we keep Radio 4.

IAmAPaleontologist · 21/01/2017 08:42

We have a house that we will be renovating that we don't live in. Whenever I pick up the post there are various threatening letters from the TV people. Let them come, they will soon figure it out. I may have had visits, I don't know I don't live there! If they've any sense a quick peek through the window at the shell of a room will give them a clue.

supermoon100 · 21/01/2017 08:48

I'm really surprised that you don't have to pay for licence if you don't watch bbc live or record, eh? So catch up is free? Well confused! I'm happy to pay licence cos think it's great we have a channel that has nothing to do with advertising. The younger generation may be watching less tv but the generation 40s upwards will still generally keep their tv viewing habits going for another 40 years. So I think tvs here for a while longer. Who are these millions watching the great British bake off? I hardly watch bbc but very happy to pay for it

SaskiaRembrandtWasFramed · 21/01/2017 10:11

"I'm happy to pay licence cos think it's great we have a channel that has nothing to do with advertising."

There aren't any adverts on Netflix or Amazon either. It isn't something that is unique to the BBC.

ChocolateCakeandSprinkles · 21/01/2017 10:18

It is an act not a law so legally its more difficult to enforce and they can not read you any form of caution as they are not law enforcement. It is a little rude, but its no worse than what the Cold callers get called! They are horribly ruthless about it.

bloodyteenagers · 21/01/2017 10:30

I'm over 40, as are my friends. No live tv watchers here. Why does anyone want to pay £145 a year when you can pay less and have more content?

BBC need to pull their fingers out of their ears and start listening to the public. They can close as many loopholes as they want, but the more people know their rights the more people aren't buying a license and not engaging with the sales people.

To the people that are buying them when they don't need to. Stop. When you get the salesman on your door in the guise of some legal person, treat them as any unwanted sales person. Not interested bye and close the door. Regardless of what they think they can do they cannot come in unless they have a warrant and these are rarely issued, so much for the detection vans lol.
Regardless of what they think you don't have to give them any information.
To take you to court they need your name, the only way they can get this is if you give it to them

Even the MPs want a change. Every year there's at least one petition that generates more than the required 100,000 signatures.

SteppingOnToes · 21/01/2017 10:39

I don't know why the BBC don't go subscription based like Sky - would solve all the problems...

SteppingOnToes · 21/01/2017 10:40

Or just block all houses who don't have a licence - easy enough now it's digital...

RaspberryOverloadTheFirst · 21/01/2017 10:54

supermoon100 Sat 21-Jan-17 08:48:00

I'm really surprised that you don't have to pay for licence if you don't watch bbc live or record, eh?

You need a licence if you watch any live tv, not just the BBC.

NicknameUsed · 21/01/2017 11:02

"Why does anyone want to pay £145 a year when you can pay less and have more content?"

Why not?
Personal choice, and £145 a year is not a lot of money to us.
We actually enjoy a lot of the BBC's output. I also enjoy some of the programmes on the other Freeview channels and Amazon Prime and find that I already have plenty of choice. We don't need any more channels.

I realise it is fashionable on MN to hate the BBC and any of their programmes. I don't like everything they show - I am not interested in sport or antiques programmes, but there is plenty I do enjoy - wildlife programmes, crime drama, comedy, music, documentaries, local news, cookery shows etc.

bloodyteenagers · 21/01/2017 11:07

Wonder how many will be happy still when the fee goes up this year.
Genuine question to those that think it's good value. Will it be good value when it goes up in line with inflation?

NicknameUsed · 21/01/2017 11:20

Unless it goes up ridiculously, which I doubt it will, it wouldn't bother me.

ivykaty44 · 21/01/2017 11:35

Where the money goes is irrelevant, it's the people that come along and say

Oh I would pay £145 for just one TV programme from or by the BBC as the BBC are so wonderful etc etc . And it's such good value

Well I don't want to pay £145 for one programme as I can get a DVD for a £10 note and keep £135 for something and no I don't think it's good value.

BlurryFace · 21/01/2017 11:43

We did a declaration online that we don't require a licence, which we don't, and thankfully heard nothing more. Maybe because we live on an island, presumably they wait until there's a lot of non-payers before bothering to fly someone over, assuming they do still send people here. We did it to save money but now I'm glad that we're not basically paying a corporation to pay another corporation to harass people into coughing up money. The people who don't really require a licence but pay one "just in case" are basically being extorted.

paddypants13 · 21/01/2017 12:18

We had quite a bit of trouble in our old property, not because we didn't have a licence, we did because we watched TV. We had issues because both properties next to us were vacant so had no licence. They used to knock on our door and demand access to our property so they could check whether there was access from our property to the houses next door. There wasn't, we refused to let them in, we confirmed both properties were vacant. You could see into both properties and clearly see there was no furniture or other signs of life. ConfusedHmm Dh always seemed to answer the door to them, in the end he would just say no and shut the door.

VeryBitchyRestingFace · 21/01/2017 14:34

They used to knock on our door and demand access to our property so they could check whether there was access from our property to the houses next door.

So they could do what - enter the neighbouring properties?

Cheeky gits.

Shock
NicknameUsed · 21/01/2017 14:40

ivykaty I watch lots of BBC programmes so, for me, the licence represents good value. I also don't mind paying to not have adverts interrupting my viewing. We pre-record most of what we watch, but we still have to zap through the irritating adverts that are on anything that we record from commercial channels.

wasonthelist · 21/01/2017 15:12

Clearly, it is hard to prove that people don't watch TV, so what is the answer? Extra tax?

No - make the BBC subscription like Netflix etc - dead easy. But the BBC won't do it as they want to cling to the TV licence.

paddypants13 · 21/01/2017 15:18

Verybitchy, I can only assume so. Our house and one of the others had been one house at some point so it's likely that you could access that property through our loft space. We were damned if he was going to come in our house and start crawling through the loft space, if he'd damaged anything or hurt himself I don't know who would have been liable. It was also quite clear that both houses were empty and they had been for at least 2 years.

ivykaty44 · 21/01/2017 15:20

Nickname and you are doing exactly what I'm posting about....

I don't care what you watch on TV you can pay what you like watch what you like.

That's not the point, if I don't have a TV I don't want to be hounded to pay for something I don't need or want.

If you don't drive a car ever would you want to be hounded to pay insurance to drive, then told but it's excellent value you know for me to have insurance, I drive all the time so it's really good value. You'd think but I don't drive so why would I want to pay?

NoLicenceNeeded · 21/01/2017 16:42

"As though it's impossible for anyone to live without watching live TV?"

It's far from impossible, to live without watching live TV.

I've been doing so for over 7 years.

NoLicenceNeeded · 21/01/2017 16:43

"- are you sure you are not breaking the law ?"

I'm positive.