To ask if you've cancelled your tv license...

[rollingdowntheslide]

Did anyone come round and demand to come in?

I've heard things before about burly tv license folk demanding to come in and see if you have a TV.

Which we do, but we don't watch much tv and barely use the bbc I player at the moment. Can't remember the last bbc program Qe watched. We'd obviously stop watching the bbc all together when we have no license.

It's due soon and I'm reluctant to pay out £150 odd quid on something we barely use and could easily cut out.

Where I live I can’t receive terrestrial TV. Hacks me off that I have to pay for some other platform/buy a smart tv/faff about with a laptop and wires to watch live tv or BBC but they still demand the licence fee.

Cancelled ages ago, haven't paid for years. They have no power. People are cottoning on.

Same as previous pp they have no power if they knock just say "I'm not interested in your subscription" and close the door.

If they come round, you don't need to let them in. They would need to get a court order to enter without your consent, and they will only get that if there is evidence suggesting you are fraudulently watching live TV/ iplayer., which there won't be if you aren't.

Dh did let a TV licence inspector in once and she was only there for 2 mins, polite, although she did try to catch him out "oh did you see the match last night?" "Do you like doctor who, did you see it on Saturday"....

@CheshireCat Yes, sorry, you do need a licence if you are streaming 'live' tv. They have no way of policing this tho!

I haven't had a TV licence in years, only had one of thr salesmen turn up at my old house, I said no thank you and shut the door.

"Yes, the licence money funds the BBC. However you need a license for any device capable of watching live TV. Including ITV, Channel 4, Dave, and Babestation."

Not true. I have a TV that's capable of watching live, but since I don't use it to watch live TV I don't need a license.

So much misinformation but many have been correct.

You only need a TV licence if you watch live TV, any live TV including foreign channels and/or use BBC I player.

You do not need a TV licence for anything else.

There are even some instances where you can use the iPlayer without a licence. I believe it's within the rules to use the iPlayer for the radio, and to watch S4C.

Knew I'd seen this somewhere - I've copied it below as it's behind the DT paywall.

The TV licence is firmly at the top of the news agenda again after the BBC announced plans this week to increase it by £4 a year to £154.50.

Currently costing £150.50 it is required by anyone who wants to watch live TV or catch up via BBC iPlayer and funds the programming created by the state broadcaster.

But a little-known loophole means students could be unwittingly putting themselves at risk of a £1,000 fine if they misunderstand the rules around licences.

The legislation allows students living away at university to be covered by their parent's home licence if they are watching live TV, or iPlayer, on “devices powered by their own battery”.

This rule is designed to allow those who want to watch live TV on-the-go on a laptop or tablet to do so without risk of prosecution, as long as they have paid for a licence covering their home address.

However, plugging in a laptop while using it to watch live TV could be the difference between complying with the law and breaking it.

The TV Licensing website offers guidance to students that says they will be covered so long as the device is not connected to an aerial or plugged into the mains. This leads to a bizarre scenario in which a student watching TV on their laptop is covered by their parents’ licence, but as soon as they plug it into the mains they are no longer covered.

A spokesman said: “The provision in the legislation (about equipment being powered by its own batteries) is the same provision which enables someone to be covered to watch television on any equipment used away from their address as long as they have a licence at home.

“This means you’re covered to watch TV on your phone or laptop for example, when you’re on the go. If you plug the equipment in, the provision no longer applies. This [is] due to the way in which TV Licensing legislation is drafted.”

You will need a TV licence if you intend to watch live programmes or BBC iPlayer while at university on a device that is plugged in. If you have a shared tenancy agreement one licence should cover the entire property, but if your tenancy agreement covers only your room you will need a licence of your own.

You can apply for a refund if you don’t need a licence for an entire year. The maximum fine for watching live TV without a TV licence is £1,000.

However you need a license for any device capable of watching live TV

So everyone with (for example) a Smartphone needs a licence? I don't think so.

I've just checked licensing web site, and there's nothing in the conditions that relates need to have a license to what equipment you own.

Cancelled about 3 years ago, had no problems. After a couple of years I think they send a declaration form to sign, which I would have binned but DH said better to do it. I would certainly not let anyone in if they ever came to the door. Glad not to be paying it, don't miss it and the few dramas I'm interested in come up on Netflix etc.

I filled in the declaration online to say I didn't need a licence. A few weeks later someone came to my door and asked if they could check my circumstances. Why would they have to demand entry? I invited them in and confirmed we didn't have access to live TV ( could show them we had no aerial ) They gave me a letter that I could show anyone who asked again in the next two years and said after that they may need to visit again.
Was very simple really, because I knew I was doing nothing wrong.

The licence money is for the BBC
You have to have one for any device that can receive BBC whether you you choose to watch it or not.

Nah, you have to actually watch live TV or the iPlayer. My car is capable of going over 30mph (over 70mph even, for that matter) but the police can't issue me with preemptive speeding fines just because I could break the law, I have to actually speed. Same thing really.

You only need a licence for your smart phone, or lap top, or Xbox for example, if you admit to an enquiry officer at your door that you watch live tv on it. And then agree to buy one.

Not had a licence for years, as don't watch live TV or iPlayer.

İt's never been a problem.

We cancelled ours. Oddly I like that the BBC exists and use the website a lot, but we don't watch any live tv. We used to watch iPlayer occasionally but obviously don't anymore. It was hard to justify paying the license fee just to use iPlayer maybe once per month.

We stick to Netflix and Prime now (although obviously we could watch other non-bbc catch-up services if we ever wanted to).

Have never had a problem with license inspectors or anything like that.

Cantrememberwhoiam thanks for clarifying, I thought that was the case.

DP always encourages me to pretend not to speak English with stuff like this .

killpop the man that came a couple of years back was absolutely fine, but some are aggressive wankers and they also get people to sign things to admit that they've been watching live TV when they haven't so not letting them in the first place is easier for a lot of people.

All I can think of now regarding the TV licence is the bloody Tommy Robinson debacle which is irritating me even further.

When I cancelled my TV license a big burly bloke came round and hammered on my door, demanding to know what the hell was I thinking.

I invited him in ,and one thing led to another. Next thing I know I was appointed controller of BBC2.

This is the email you in response to declaring you do not need one on their website few days later I got a letter saying if anything changes before hand let them know and otherwise they will send me a reminder in 2 years time.

IF someone did knock you treat them as any other stranger and say sorry no you can not come in.

They have no rights to enter and basically all they do is try to get you to say you watch television and can you sign this paper for me so I can fine you?

Best not to engage with them at all. :) dont worry, they will be used to people closing the door on them.

Let's say you use the TV to watch Netflix and Amazon, but never watch live TV. What would the officials do then? You need to prove that the TV is bluggged in a way that tv is not possible to watch?

A l9t of countries have moved to a media tax that is mandatory because people stopped paying the t.v. license and since whole tv concept is changing. I'm guessing this will come to the UK at some point to fund BBC

I don’t understand why people would happily pay for Netflix rather than the BBC.

Netflix also relies on buying most of their content from other providers, including BBC.

If we move to a situation where none of the broadcasters have any public service obligations then eventually we should expect much more limited and poorer quality programming.

I don’t understand why people would happily pay for Netflix rather than the BBC.
I preferred what was on my online subscriptions, different strokes.