TV licensing and IPlayer

[Figmentofmyimagination]

We are renovating a tiny remote rural cottage, miles from the road. We didn’t used to have a TV licence there because there’s no TV. When it was raining hard last week, my DH, logged onto IPlayer, on his laptop plugged into the wall, and watched 2 series on BBC. He was on his own and he didn’t think about the licence issue. Within a week, I had an email demand giving the property address and saying we had broken our ‘don’t need a licence’ undertaking by watching TV on I player. We have a licence at our home. I checked the rules and it’s true that you must have a licence but only if you plug your laptop to a mains when watching I player - so I paid up. But it was a bit creepy to think that they were surveilling us to this extent. How do they know what you are doing? I suspect they were taking a punt that it must have been plugged in because he watched two series on the trot. It is an odd rule though and very easy to get around. I can’t help suspecting that they can’t actually tell whether your laptop is plugged into the wall and they just write bullying demands to try to intimidate people into paying up. There must be lots of people with no TV in their main homes who escape the licence by charging their device up first before watching.

They actually would not know who is watching iPlayer, it could be the next door neighbour borrowing it?
OP, did you get a letter or email? Your DH would have ticked that he had a license but he didn't. It's the same as students using their laptops at Uni to watch iPlayer. They need their own license.

OP are you absolutely sure the e-mail was legit? There are so many scam tv licensing emails now, I must get at least a couple every day.

Did you pay direct to the correct website rather than go through a link in the e-mail?

OP you are totally misreading the rule. Look again and you will see that it says quite clearly that:

—If this is a second home and you already have a TV license at your primary home, then you are covered by THAT TV license at this home as long as you don’t plug the device in.

BUT

— IF this is your primary home and you have no other TV license anywhere then you must have one to watch iplayer at your home, plugged in or not.

You must be covered by a TV license in order to watch iplayer. The rules simply explain what mobile device use is covered by a particular TV license. It does notexempt you from having a license at all.

Also — you are being tracked, constantly, everytime you use the Internet, not just by the BBC. It is unnerving when something happens to make us realize it, but most the time most people prefer to watch Fleabag anytime anywhere than protect our privacy. Me included sadly enough.

Oooops I totally missed the part where this isn’t your primary home and you already have a license there. That’ll teach me to not skim!

I used to be a tvl enforcement officer (hence my name change ), my understanding was that you only need 2 separate licenses for your main home and your 2nd home IF they are both being occupied at the same time. If only one home is being occupied at a time you do not need another licence. (Although corrupt enforcement officers will tell you otherwise! This does happen, managers turn a blind eye until it potentially turns into a complaint).

Cancel your 2nd licence. If you want extra peace of mind simply phone tvl whenever you stay in your other home and ask for your licence to be moved there. You can phone and move it back to your main residence when you return.

The letters people receive are not from tvl but a separate company and are usually generic letters which can be triggered by certain circumstances eg. A tenant moves out and informs tvl - this would trigger the beginning of monthly letters as it potentially will have new occupiers soon or a previous Tennant's no set claim runs out and as it is not renewed threatening letters accusing you of breaking the law are sent out monthly.