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?

That sounds awful

As an aside, I have a personal rule never to sign anything I haven't actioned myself. Street charity collectors, doorstep people collecting info on this or that, petition collectors out and about - NOTHING. I won't put my signature to anything that I don't know enough about. I usually am happy to chat but when it comes to adding a signature to something I just say "Thanks but I have a personal rule that I don't sign anything until I've read up on it properly. I'll have a look into (charity/petition/info) though".

I'm not saying you should have done that, just that it's a really useful rule of thumb to remember. It's the last line of defence before some bit of paper goes off gosh knows where and to whom, which you've personally signed your name to. I can always sign up for whatever charity at a later stage, it's not worth your peace of mind worrying if they were genuine or not, trying to blag your personal details.

I have a friend who is 85 - and quite a character! she doesn't have a tv and hasnt for a great many years. She has been bullied relentlessly by these idiots. It took her going to the press for it to stop. Even then she didn't receive a proper apology. And, yse, she found it very frightening.

I found out you pay slightly more paying a quarterly DD than monthly so I emailed them saying to change it. They said they couldn't as the account had another persons name on it and they needed their permission. I said the account was mine, had been for 15 years, and if they didn't change it I would cancel it and they'd get nothing. They changed it. They seem like arseholes.

I’s say the.BBC don’t give a flying fig how the licence fee is collected. Get on to the company’s Twitter and FB and complain about him. Then write a letter of complaint to the company. Don’t write to customer service but to a senior manage and ask them how you they feel if their parther/spouse was treated in such a high handed manner.

There is no benefit to answering any questions from tv licensing. If you are licensed you have little to worry about and if you are not they have to prove you are watching live tv etc and they need a court order to search your property (btw not advocating not having a license).

No idea why you were standing there answering his questions of which the responses will invariable be on the court summons.

STOP speaking to individuals that are on commission for the worse outcome for you. I actually think he is from capita becuase this is how they operate. See YouTube for video evidence.

TV licencing reps are known bully boys and you have my sympathy! I think there was a tv doc or certainly some news articles last year detailing this, and sadly it seems little has changed. I really would complain high up to Capitia.

And agree- council workers and etc can talk to you under "caution" but it's not a police caution & imo is done to intimidate in this instance.

Yes to complaining, go as high up as you can in Capita and Copy in the BBC too.
Add a few lines in like bullying vulnerable people, intimidation, and get them to revoke whatever caution they’ve given you in writing. Tell them they need to update you with the outcome of their investigation into their representatives aggressive behaviour. Good luck op, it sounds frightening for you.

How can someone who isn't the police caution you?

I am sorry you were treated in this manner, if you have a local fb page put a complaint on there. (I live in a village though)

Send a scanned copy of the paperwork to your MP so s/he can pursue this, which one of his/her team will do. Email addresses can be found on the govt website.

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
You should have controlled him by not answering any questions especially given he had found the licence.

Thankfully two people who were quoting for works to the flat turned up otherwise he would have entered the property
You mean you would have let him in. Seriously close the door.

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
Why would you sign anything? What's the benefit to you? Being frightened is exactly the reason not to sign anything.

I called TV licensing and they said once he knew I had a licence he should have stopped
You should be asking them to ensure that no court proceedings have been entered given you have a licence.

I’m so sorry OP
Capita is in charge of our HR plus wages and salaries (NHS Community trust)
They are not based anywhere our London offices and are so rude on the phone.
I dread having to interact with them.
💐💐

I kept getting letters from TV licencing telling me I needed to get one even though I had one so every time I got one I sent a complaint via the website. Eventually I got an email response telling me I could just ignore the letters and that I didn't need to respond to every one. I replied saying it must be annoying to constantly receive correspondence about the same thing I didn't get a response to that.

OP I hope you're OK and I'm sorry he was so nasty. Definitely complain to every applicable body and it may be worth contacting Watchdog or something like that to see if they'll investigate as it's awful enough that they did it to you but imagine if they did that sort of thing to someone more vulnerable, it could be quite damaging.

I looked up the caution thing. It's not a formal caution. They are just required to tell you your rights.

"Enquiry officers may interview an individual they suspect to have committed an offence under the Communications Act 2003 but only after they have cautioned that person (i.e. informed them of their legal rights, including that they have the right not to answer any of the questions). This is in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 or the Scottish criminal law.
An officer will make a written record of the interview and an individual has the right to refuse to sign the record or to ask for corrections to be made if they believe that it is not accurate."

How can someone who isn't the police caution you?
They are essentially just warning you that they are going to use your answers against you if they pursue a court order against you.
Saying they are "cautioning" you just makes it sound more official and that they have legal powers so people will be intimidated into answering.

He did find the licence on his handheld thing ... So I don't know why he went ahead putting me under caution. It doesn't make any sense

It does if you consider that finding the licence showed him to be in the wrong. The sort of person attracted by such a job for such a company wouldn't have enjoyed that, and unfortunately you got the brunt of it

FWIW I had similar when I moved house and they messed up the notification already sent ... I laughed in his face, closed the door and ignored the barrage of knocking, thumping and shouting which followed

For me at least, the BBC losing its taxpayer funding can't come soon enough

I own a house that has been empty for over a year. The letters from the TV licensing people have gotten more and more severe over that time. I just ignore them.

I'm quite happy for them to send someone over to an empty house.

(genuine reasons for it being empty, and that should be changing soon, so please no comments about homelessness etc - it was not empty by choice, I can assure you)

I was relentlessly hassled by them when I stayed in my old council property. Zero issues at all when we moved to a private let in a much nicer area. I've since moved to a beautiful area but I'm in a HA property, and I've had numerous letters and visits. I laughed and slammed the door on the last fuckwad that showed up when he refused to believe I'd already called TVL and let them know I didn't need a licence. He kept hammering on the door, which made the dog go nuts, so I very calmly told him (through the door) that if he didn't go away, I'd open it and let the dog deal with him. The reality is she's a tiny wee thing who wouldn't harm a fly, but she's got the most amazing bark. She sounds like a raging fucking MONSTER when you're on the other side of the door and can't see her. Best TVL deterrent money can buy!

I haven't had a TV licence in well over a decade. We have TV's, but none are connected to aerials and we watch everything on Netflix and Prime via a Prime TV stick. No live TV at all. I never mind putting in a phone call to TVL to keep them updated (which I log - in detail), but my patience evaporates with them after that. As far as I'm concerned, I've done my bit and they can fuck right off.

Definitely take it further, OP. They should not be treating people this way - they have no right to bully or intimate anybody. Don't engage with them if they show up again. Tell them you've dealt with it and just close the door.

As an absolute rule, in all circumstances. "I'd like to ask you some questions" "And I do not wish to give you any answers". it can never make things better. It will never explain your side. If they think they have enough to arrest you or otherwise get officially legal, they can do so, and your answers will never stop that.

It's US law, but it's still good advice:

Oh yes- and Google Charles Moore tv licensing. He is a Spectator writer and used to frequently detail the ways TV Licencing tried to bully him & prove he was a liar... because he wouldn't pay the licence for a tv he didn't own!

No, it isn’t an overmatched reaction.
I haven’t had a tv for many years and at least every 6 months I have do deal with idiots like this. They attempt to excuse their rudeness and push ones with that old worn mantra IT’S THE LAW!

And come on, the bbc are not what they once were.
They produce very little by way of talent or writing and their news broadcasting is not unbiased.

Everyone involved is connected via some degree of elite backpatting or nepotism.
Surely this is obvious?

I wish they’d just privatise it, like they did with everything else.

I regularly receive letters stating that I am under criminal investigation because I don’t have a fucking tv.
At least the people on the phone;one are usually very benign and helpful. That’s one decent thing.

phone line this damn iPad.

You need to complain to Capita.

Also update your details with TVL now and put in a complaint to them.

It seems as though even though you have a valid licence this individual has interviewed you under caution and his line of questioning is going to try to make out either that you purchased it after the interview, or fine you on the premise that the premises were currently unlicensed even though you personally had a valid licence.
Appeal any fine you get.

We don't have a licence as we do not watch live TV and don't use Iplayer. We even queried this with the person at the door who told us no we didn't need one but to sign up to one just in case. 6 weeks later a fine appeared at the doorstep as by signing up it appeared we admitted we had needed one and were fined for not having it before. The lying representative even said this would ensure we wouldn't get a fine.

Sorry you had to go through that OP.

Anyone else reading DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR TO CRAPITA, EVER!

Don't blame the BBC for this. There is a statutory obligation to police licensing, and equally an obligation to take the lowest tender when subcontracting for this. Crapita have loads of government problems for this reason

OP exactly the same thing happened to me years ago. I was only 20 and had just moved in with a boyfriend who had lived in the property for a while so had taken care of all that before I lived there. TVL Cunt invited himself in (well done you for keeping your guy out) and stayed for an age as I made several international calls to boyfriend trying to sort it out, and he spent ages on the phone to some call centre looking for evidence of the license and repeatedly saying he could find nothing. In order to get rid of him I had to set up another direct debit. Once he'd left I had a message from boyfriend saying he'd accessed his online banking and the last DD had been taken out something like three days earlier. When I phoned the TV Licensing people they found the license within ten seconds, so I have no idea what was going on with whoever was on the phone to the cunt who barged into my house and took my bank details. I was SO angry with myself for letting him push me around like that, and I wrote a steaming letter to the TV Licensing people who sent me a cheque as compensation. Make sure you complain to them!