To ignore the TV license people?

[Fellia]

So the TV licensing people knocked on my door at half 8 on Saturday morning.

I was in bed and didn’t answer but I’m expecting them to come back.

They put a red letter through my door saying I am watching tv illegally and they can “help me watch legally.”

I’m finding this absolutely ridiculous. I do not watch tv apart from Netflix/DVD’s and the one tv I do have isn’t connected to actual channels (sorry, I don’t know how to explain this properly as I don’t know much about it)

But the fact is I do not watch regular TV. I have written to them, called them numerous times to explain this and I had a visit last year (at a different property) where I also explained this.

AIBU to just ignore them if they keep coming to my door? I’m sick of being harassed by them for no reason.

Never I actually feel a bit bad for you with some of the responses (genuine, not being sarky) as you do seem to know what your talking about and thank you for the advice.

However, I think people are just getting frustrated that they can’t actually find any evidence for this on the website/ guidelines?

I really do Fellia I'm genuinely not making anything up and I was sincerely trying to help. Please, please declare WOIRA and then they can't intimidate you or make you worried. That's all I genuinely cared about at the start of this whole thread.

There's not that much info out there unless you look on whatdotheyknow and some of that's slanted.

Fucking hell!

8 YEARS ago you worked there a LOT has changed in that time, govts, laws, technology...

I do remember back in the day the law USED to be just owning a device that was capable of watching tv meant you needed a tv licence but that to my recollection was back to the early 90's and even then it was considered outdated by many!

What I have heard is being mooted is us all paying a "communication tax" but that will include nationwide wifi and is a long way off, apparently they're not seeing it come in until at least 2022

I get a bit confused by "if you watch live TV on any channel"

So if I watch channel 4 website live I need a TV license
If I watch 4od after the show has ended, I don't
Is that right?

How about if I am watching a show on 4od but unknown to me the show is also being shown live eg a repeat?
What if the show starts at 9pm and I start watching online at 9.30pm but the "live" show is still running until 10pm?

And does it cover live TV anywhere in the world? But just if it is being shown on TV live somewhere? So a live internet clip on a foreign news website is ok, unless it is being broadcast on TV simultaneously somewhere in the world, in which case I need a license?

How bloody confusing.

Quack - other channels receive money from the government from the licence fee, they aren’t just funded by adverts. You have to have a tv licence to watch any live tv

If you use catch up but not bbc catch up then you don’t need a licence. Many people don’t have a tv 📺 and tv licensing can’t comprehend this and so send threaten letters

I’ve even been told by tv licensing I must not go to a friends house and watch live tv as this is cheating the system!

Wow! They'll try anything eh?

I’ve even been told by tv licensing I must not go to a friends house and watch live tv as this is cheating the system!

That’s ridiculous ivy! 😂

So if you go round to someone’s for a coffee you have to tell them to turn their tv off?!? Talk about scare tactics.

I would be more likely to buy a TV licence if you could subscribe monthly eg like Netflix

I generally see a BBC show coming up that I'd like to watch, but that one show really isn't worth £150. So I buy the single show on BBC website or Google play/ Amazon for a few pounds, or just not watch it. Then a few months later the same happens. I notice BBC shows infrequently enough that it's much cheaper to buy the individual shows online than pay the £150 fee. But if you could subscribe monthly I would prob subscribe when I saw a show I wanted to watch, then likely find more good stuff and let it roll over.

As happened with Netflix, and I've been subscribing for years!

Also tbh the aggressive letters from TV licencing actually deter me from buying a licence. I hate the aggressive scaring tactics.

Years ago (nothing has changed since I don't think), I equipped myself with the wise advice of most of the people here, thought I knew my rights- aha, brilliant. Nope, still ended up with a court date :/

Years ago I had cause to check the rules about guests visiting with iPlayer shows downloaded on their devices

It said if person A has a TV licence and takes their iPad with a BBC iPlayer show downloaded to the house of person B who doesn't have a TV licence, person A can watch the downloaded show so long as they don't need to recharge their device. Once they recharge with person b's electricity, then person B needs a licence to cover the show that person A is watching in person Bs house

So watch out for friends recharging their iPads in your unlicenced house!!

Really bizarre rules. What if person B doesn't search their guests' devices for contraband downloaded iplayer shows??

If you already have a TV Licence for your address, you are already covered to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer when you’re on the go, provided the device you’re using isn’t plugged into the electricity mains at a separate address. If the device is plugged in at a separate address, you need to be covered by a licence at that address

can you use a battery pack for recharging?

HopelesslydevotedtoGu That’s just... weird. What an odd rule.

I’ve even been told by tv licensing I must not go to a friends house and watch live tv as this is cheating the system!

This is hilarious, I would love to see someone fight this in court.

No! Not "Once they have recharged it/once it has been plugged in" but whilst it is plugged in don't ask me why, I don't know! But that is how most students get away with not having a license.

And yes, if you only ever watch on catch up - other than BBC iplayer - you won't need a license. Whether or not it is being shown live at the same time is immaterial as you will be watching it through a 'catch up' service!

Maybe, ivykat, that is what your 'advice' meant. You can't take your on device to a friend's house and watch it there (id plugged in). As otherwise every single one of us has broken that particularly weird interpretation!

"However, if you’re away from home and plug one of these devices into the mains and use it to watch or record live TV programmes on any channel or device, or to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer, you need to be covered by a separate TV Licence at that address (unless you’re in a vehicle or vessel like a train, car or boat). It’s the law." www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ129

the comment was some years ago now so not regarding tablets

He didn’t want me thinking I could get rid of my tv and then cheat the system somehow 😂

I just played along, said yes in the wrong places

He gave me particular instructions on video recording 🤣

The whole issue arose as The aerial fell of the roof and we didn’t watch enough tv to get it fixed - but still had an old analogue tv & video. Of course this was a problem as I could prove I wasn’t using it but they told me not to video anything at a friends house and then watch that either - I told him that my friends were much more up to date and didn’t have videos 😅

It was farcikle

Ooh! I likes farcikle

So what exactly is it that needs a licence?
Does every person watching BBC need a licence
Is it every premises in which the BBC the watched that needs to be licensed
Or is it every device from which BBC is watched that needs a licence

Or do they not even specify because they want us all to be confused and just pay up because we're scared of getting prosecuted?

What about if you go to a friend's house and the telly is on but you cover your eyes?
should you block your ears as well?
What about if I can hear my neighbours telly through the wall?

Best to meet friends down the pub and watch football 😅😂

My parents cannot understand that I don't want a license and won't use one. Every birthday and Christmas, is the offer to pay

Maybe that is so they can recharge their mobile devices while visiting

Yes, my grandad was quite concerned about that when I moved into my own place! :) He was completely nonplussed that I chose an internet connection over the possibility of watching live TV.

Rarely ever watch broadcast telly. Even at other people's houses.