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.

The rules are bonkers! Of course the problem is that it takes so long to make laws that it cannot possibly keep up in pace with technological development. I'm on another thread discussing revenge porn - law only JUST catching up to that when its been sadly going on for years

I have never had a TV licence in my whole life
my TV works perfectly fine without one 😄

I will say that I only watch Netflix Amazon Prime & Now Tv

They often send the threatening letters - I file them in the bin

We do have big gates at the end of our drive which are pretty much always shut so they can't exactly get to my front door

When I bought a TV Several years ago I put down an addresss on the form for a house that I knew was empty

Omg....those iplayer charging rules are insane! What if I had a solar charger, and used sunshine shing through their window? Or would the sunlight have to be direct, as once it passes through the glass it becomes the property if the bbc!? Do I need a license for sunlight next 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

The bit about watching iplayer while plugged in at someone else’s house is utterly ridiculous.

I presume that if MIL comes to stay at ours and decides to watch iplayer on her tablet in bed while plugged in that she’d be the one liable for the fine. Because otherwise the tv licensing people are expecting us to police our guests in unacceptable ways. Should be confiscate their devices on entry?

And how on earth would they prove that someone was watching iplayer while plugged in to the mains rather than using their battery? Especially when there is no way in hell they’d get over the doorstep.

If a law is unenforceable than it may as well not exist because you can safely ignore it

Should be confiscate their devices on entry?

No just confiscate their chargers!
Or to be safe turn your mains electricity off for the duration of their visit

Maybe we will need to buy TWO licenses per year, one for the household, and one for traveling with? Or, maybe the bbc will start micro chipping us, and TVs will de-tune in the vicinity of non tv license holders 🤔😱

I would guess the rule about not plugging in a device is meant to cover portable televisions rather than tablets and is probably about as likely to be enforced as the law that said you couldn't copy music you'd bought. I don't think anyone has been prosecuted for copying their own vinyl to tape or a CD to mp3.

Or to be safe turn your mains electricity off for the duration of their visit

Ah yes. Clearly the proportionate response.

You still need a licence.

We can't even get TV reception as our TV is in the basement so never watch it but we still have a licence because technically we have a TV

Heron, that's a lie. I'm sorry someone had you believe that.

I am dismayed at the prevalence of unquestioning deference to the fucking BBC

Heron you really don’t need one, you should cancel it.

recombu.com/digital/article/how-to-save-not-paying-tv-licence

I'm just wondering why I was taken to court if all of the above is true?

Why don't people get that it is not OWNING a TV that makes you liable to pay for a licence? You can use one for watching streaming services like Netflix, and catchup from other TV providers than the BBC (like All 4, ITV Hub) and of course for playing DVDs/Blu Rays, gaming etc. Many people now do this. What you cannot do is watch or record live TV as it is broadcast, on any channel. Or use BBC iPlayer.

So to put it the other way round, you could have no TV but regularly watch live TV on your tablet, phone or laptop. In this case you should be paying for a licence.

It's not about the physical TV set.

thegrinchreaper well you haven't given us any details of your case, so
hard to say why. But it is known that sometimes TV licence 'inspectors' will lie, and unfortunately magistrates are more inclined to be on their side. Best not to engage with them really.

I did, but it got lost amongst the other posts I think.
I informed myself with the knowledge which is abundant on here, knew I didn't require a license, knew I didn't have to let anyone in, engage or even confirm by name but that can't stop mail being delivered, and it's a good job it was because one day I opened a court summons, not a bogus one, with a court date. Obviously I didn't have to attend but the case would've been heard in my absence, so I paid, plus legal fees.

We had them turn up at a building site demanding we pay.....,,errrr common sense tells you no house no TV!!!

So the case was heard in your absense? All you had to do was turn up and say "I don't connect to tv channels with anything in my house, and I've very carefully abided by the law."

I did. I wrote a letter saying almost exactly that and signed it.

No,you have to turn up.

You have been seriously mis-sold, got to the CAB

The letter said I could either plead guilty or not guilty either in person or in a letter.
This was a few years ago, but they can take me to court again before they get any more money out of me.

they are sales people nothing more

You will only get taken to court if you engage with them.
Absolutely do not entertain them or engage with them in any way.
Selassi is correct, they are sales people, but some of them act like they are police officers.
I even had one reading me out the arrest thing!