Questioned under caution by TV licensing guy - I have a TV licence

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TV licensing guy turned up on doorstep and was very aggressive. I was so frightened I just answered his questions.

We'd moved very recently and have a TV licence, just hadn't notifiied TVL. I checked with them and that's no problem. The guy found the licence but then didn't seem able to control himself and began to ask me questions and fill in what I now realise was a caution sheet. Thankfully two people who were quoting for works to the flat turned up otherwise he would have entered the property. He asked me all kinds of personal questions in front of them. I know it sounds pathetic but I was just so frightened and confused by the whole thing, I signed the sheet of paper which I didn't even know was a caution sheet. I called TV licensing and they said once he knew I had a licence he should have stopped.

I reported him to the Police and they were shocked I'd been questioned under caution when I'd committed no offence. I was in tears. I also feel such a fool for not having understood what was going on and allowing myself to be intimidated.

I read up on it afterwards and discovered that BBC outsource this to Capita. The DG of the BBC ordered an investigation into their tactics last year. But it looks as though they are still operating in same way and they actually target vulnerable people. I've always been a supporter of the BBC but this experience has shocked me. Should the BBC really be allowed to outsource to Capita knowing how they operate?

I'm not an expert in this, but are therefore actually licensed at this address? In reality, I would hope there would be leeway when you eventually proved that you had just moved

You're right, he was standing at the door of an unlicensed address. I had similar when I moved and I just gave the old address, she found it on her handheld thingy she was carrying and transferred it over. Job done. No threats, no hassle. Just understanding it had been the last thing on my to-do list, had been over-looked but that we had been paying it all along. In the OP's case, it is clear her rep was able to find out she had been paying all along so that should have been the end of it.

I'd leave my DP if he spoke to me as half as bad as that. There's no way I'd take it from a jumped up shit head. Threatening me on "MY door step.

Even if this person had what seemed to be official id, if you gave him any form of bank details or numbers please contact your bank asap. Sounds more like a doorstep scam. 'official' id or not.
Good you contacted the police.

That's so awful. TV Licensing are so intimidating and aggressive - last time we moved I notified them and STILL got loads of letters and 3 visits saying that we didn't have a licence at the new address - I phoned them after the first letter and they said not to worry as at the time (this was over 10 years ago) their system sometimes didn't update. All the harassment stopped when I renewed at our new address.

Doesn't matter if she hadn't paid her TV license she shouldn't have some prick on her front door acting like he has any power over her. He doesn't and it's never OK to start shouting at people in their homes. I bet they target the elderly too.

Anything handled by Crapita will be appalling.

It sounds more like a scam to me too

There's an email scam doing the rounds about TV licences that I hope everyone's aware of.

They have no powers ,you don't have to speak to them , even if they ask to come in you can refuse

It could still have been a scam OP even with the form. Did he show ID?

For anyone else reading this thread NEVER answer the door, just shout from an upstairs window (assuming a house) and ask to see ID before answering any doors.

I would totally sympathise if you don't want to escalate, but would you consider contacting a newspaper's Consumer Page?
When I read these columns, I notice how often complete obduracy melts away in the glare of unfavourable publicity.
The police are already aware of the situation, and you have to witnesses.
But if you don't want to put yourself out there, I can see why. It sounds really awful, and it might be better for you to just concentrate on taking care of yourself.

Thank you, I can agree with anyone who thinks I over-reacted in my fear, but I just haven't any experience of being shouted at like that, it was shock that froze me. He did calm down a bit once the other people arrived, at which point he started going through the charge sheet questions. He did find the licence on his handheld thing before that. So I don't know why he went ahead putting me under caution. It doesn't make any sense.

I don't have a TV Licence* and it's because of their threatening letters and stuff like this that I won't engage with TV Licensing in any way whatsoever.

• don't have a TV, make sure all device use is permitted as licence-free

At one point in the 80s/90s, I was getting so much hassle from TV licensing for not having a TV licence that I was considering getting a B&W one as the cheapest option to stop the harassment.

I didn't have a TV - I'd never had one as we didn't for much of my childhood and even when I did stay in places with one subtitling wasn't common so there wasn't much point. But, I was so fed-up of the threatening letters, and even, "We missed you" cards through the door while I was out at work that buying a cheap licence for something I didn't have seriously crossed my mind.

If you can bear it, report the incident to Capita.

You don't have to answer any questions and you don't have to let them in - they have no powers, they're basically salesmen on commission and rely on bullying and intimidation to get people to get people to buy a licence.

They are known for being intimidating, there have been loads of complaints about them. It's horrible. You have my sympathy.

The bit about this that’s jumping out is the ‘under caution’ bit because outside of a police interview it’s totally meaningless. Did he use the term OP? If he did he was either lying or scamming you. If you saw it on a piece of paper he was definitely scamming you, because the only other way he could have an official piece of paper mentioning under caution would be if he WAS a police officer. If it’s something you’ve concluded for yourself you’ve misunderstood something. Caution as an official category is literally only used by the police. You have NOT been interviewed under caution.

As others have said, the company immediately responsible is Capita. If you call them to complain you'll probably be fobbed off. I'd be tempted to write directly to the CEO:

www.ceoemail.com/s.php?id=ceo-9520

@onalongsabbatical you can be interviewed under caution by a number of professionals including TV licensing and some council workers, for offences such as flying tipping, it doesn’t have to be a Police Officer

onalongsabbatical - TV licence people "caution" you as in warn you. They use that wording deliberately as it sounds like a police caution so is more intimidating.

In future just shut the door on them, They really have no powers other than fantasies.

"
For anyone else reading this thread NEVER answer the door, just shout from an upstairs window (assuming a house) and ask to see ID before answering any doors."
That is madness.

Make a complaint!
An official one

Please do not be imtimidated by that bunch of wallies they are a quite dearraged lot anyway, so we've found of the few dealings we've had with them over time!

Another Capitia firm?, just add in an r after the c and that about sums them up! Persue it with the police if you can and serve them wankers right! This pratt was well out of order!

In future don't open the door to anyone unless you know beforehand who they are and want them in your house.
No one can insist in entering your property unless they have a search warrant. Someone I know had loads of hassle with the T.V licensing and never even had a t.v. They were demanding to come in a search the property, but they cant without a warrant.

You need to complain OP and I'd do it on their Facebook/twitter page as well as in writing.

I stand corrected. But I still think that 'caution' in this case has no legal weight whereas 'under caution' in a police interview does. And I think OP thinks that she's been legally interviewed under caution as if by the police whereas she's been at worst scammed or at best intimidated by someone with no legal powers.

Sorry if I've misled you OP.