TV Licence- AIBU?

[Namechange10002468]

Name change as I'm sharing some personal financial background here.

OK- so in October last year we really had to tighten our belt due to DH redundancy. We basically cut everything that wasn't absolute necessity. We could only afford to keep one TV based/entertainment thing and decided to keep Netflix at 5.99/month over TV licence which was £13.25/month and at the time we hadn't watched anything live or on BBC iplayer for 5 months.
We are now thankfully in a slightly better place with finances- although nowhere near where we used to be- and would like to renew our licence so DCs can have Cbeebies and also so DH can watch all the football. We logged on expecting to be able just renew and go back to paying the £13/month. Except the website refuses to allow us to renew on any payment option other than a £159 annual payment.
AIBU to think that, considering so many people since Covid have found themselves in financially difficult times, it is really unfair of the BBC/TV licencsing people not to be offering affordable payment options for those wishing to purchase a license? I actually feel so angry. We do not have £159 to give up front and to be able to do so would mean other bills going unpaid, less food in the shopping for the next couple of months or going into a overdraft that charges interest.
Interested to know others' thoughts on this because right now I want to fire off a stinking complaint to them.

I love paying my TV licence, it's so much better value than any other service, all of which are 95% trash

@Demelza82

I love paying my TV licence, it's so much better value than any other service, all of which are 95% trash

In your opinion.

@Demelza82

I love paying my TV licence, it's so much better value than any other service, all of which are 95% trash

Surely that's a matter of opinion though? It's a bit daft to say with certainty that 95% of the content on services like Netflix, disney + and amazon prime are trash. You might think that but for the vast majority these services offer much better value for money than the BBC.

@ilovesooty

the enforcement team (Capita) tar all non payers with the same brush and assume that everyone is using the services and not paying and it isn’t the case

@GreenCrayon
100% agree that in my opinion the streaming services are better value but It’s personal choice isn’t it, it’s good the people that do like the content and watch LIVE broadcast pay for it and I am happy to see that.
It’s the people using the services and not paying that are being subsidised by those people and that’s just wrong and as said upthread, makes like difficult for those that choose to opt-out legally.

[quote SappysCurry]@ilovesooty

the enforcement team (Capita) tar all non payers with the same brush and assume that everyone is using the services and not paying and it isn’t the case[/quote]
BBC/TVL state as much:-

"TV Licensing works on the assumption that every UK household requires a Licence"

[quote SappysCurry]@GreenCrayon
100% agree that in my opinion the streaming services are better value but It’s personal choice isn’t it, it’s good the people that do like the content and watch LIVE broadcast pay for it and I am happy to see that.
It’s the people using the services and not paying that are being subsidised by those people and that’s just wrong and as said upthread, makes like difficult for those that choose to opt-out legally.[/quote]
Yet the vast majority of those who say they don't require a licence, actually don't.

"If you tell us you don't need a TV Licence, we will stop sending you letters. We may confirm this with a visit. We do this because we've found that when we visit and make contact, one in six people* who say they don’t need a licence actually do need one."

So 5 in 6 are telling the truth.

It’s the people using the services and not paying that are being subsidised by those people and that’s just wrong and as said upthread, makes like difficult for those that choose to opt-out legally.

But those people are in the minority and yet they treat everyone as though they are trying to game the system.

If it wasn’t for a minority using the services for free then perhaps they’d stop hassling everyone ….

I must admit, I don't know why people object to paying. I think it's very reasonable. I'd pay £13 a month just for Radio 3 and Radio 4 alone, I think they're fantastic

But not everyone does. I honestly don't watch any BBC programmes or listen to their radio stations so why should I pay them. I'm happy to pay Sky but only pay them for channels I actually watch. I wouldn't dream of paying for the kids channel or sport because I'll never watch them.

@GreenCrayon
Yep they do as Roberta quoted upthread they work on the assumption that all addresses need to pay their tax
They throw millions at Capita for that contract it's all wrong they should switch to a subscription service but they are fully aware their gravy train will crash if that happens

@SappysCurry

If it wasn’t for a minority using the services for free then perhaps they’d stop hassling everyone ….

Unfortunately I doubt it as they operate on the assumption you're lying when you say you don't need one. Even if the 1/6 didn't abuse the system didn't access it for free they would still believe the other 5/6 were lying.

@SappysCurry

If it wasn’t for a minority using the services for free then perhaps they’d stop hassling everyone ….

Do DVLA send monthly threat letters, to all people without a Driving Licence, because a minority are driving without a licence?

Do the police send monthly threat letters, to all people without a Firearm Certificate, because a minority possess guns without one?

Do the NRA send monthly threat letters, to all people without a Fishing Licence, because a minority go fishing without a licence?

@ROBERTA
Good point

I am Legally Licence Free but I do get regular letters have not had a visit yet though but have been promised

I will not engage

[quote SappysCurry]@ROBERTA
Good point

I am Legally Licence Free but I do get regular letters have not had a visit yet though but have been promised

I will not engage[/quote]
I was getting regular letters (133 so far), but they stopped a few months back.

I've also had over a dozen visits.

Suffice to say, the goons didn't get anything from me.

I think the licence fee has probably had its day because so few people now pay it. I have always had a licence, and consider it good value, but neither of my children do (early 20s).

What the future holds is less clear. Either the BBC will be privatised so that we can choose to subscribe or not, or it will be paid for out of general taxation. I suspect the latter.

@LizzieMacQueen

Do none of you watch Sewing Bee, line of duty, Have I got news for you or listen to radio 1,2,3 or 4, or any of the local BBC radio stations?

You're missing out. (IMHO)

I don’t watch any of those shoes and I don’t listen to any of those stations, as they’re tripe imo. I do listen to R6 however you don’t need a licence for the radio.

www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ102

Line of duty on Netflix

Whoever said upthread streaming services are 95% trash should know that Now TV which is sky’s subscription service has sky Atlantic HBO shows (amongst many others) which have won more awards in the last 20 years than any other network
So I personally disagree that it is 95% trash. I’d keep that stat for the BBC actually but change it to 99% trash as I have heard Line of `duty is good though when I saw a bit it just looked like the usual cliched drama to me with the same old faces in

This is the most un-Mumsnetty and un-middle class thread ever! No BBC sycophants in sight. Brilliant!

@sleepygnome

This is the most un-Mumsnetty and un-middle class thread ever! No BBC sycophants in sight. Brilliant!

🥰🥰🥰 There are one or two but at least they are happy and don’t mind paying the license fee (so 1950’s)

I don’t think the BBC have realised that the neighbours don’t have to crowd round the one Televison Set in the street to watch the queens coronation these days 😂

What the future holds is less clear. Either the BBC will be privatised so that we can choose to subscribe or not, or it will be paid for out of general taxation. I suspect the latter.

I agree on the latter point . How else will all the rich celebrity luvvies survive without their free money if the plebs no longer have to pay for the gravy train.

Look up tony hall and Alan yentobs pension pots
It is silly money - Millions

Sickening - snouts in the public trough

@SappysCurry

If it wasn’t for a minority using the services for free then perhaps they’d stop hassling everyone ….

A minority of people drive without a valid driving, I have yet to have the DVLA pester me to prove I am not driving illegally. Similarly, the police do not contact me repeatedly threatening me with prosecution if I don't prove I do not need to have a licence to own a gun.

Both these omissions would be far more serious than someone watching EastEnders without a licence. Not that I do, I loath soaps.

Agreed
That was covered upthread too

You couldn’t actually pay me enough to sit through an episode of east Enders
I’ve never seen even five minutes in my life, but the same as I know I don’t want to eat a live chickens head I feel the same about east Enders
Does anyone actually watch it these days ?