To think TV licensing are complete bullies?

[dabbydeedoo]

I went online and said I didn't need a TV licence because I don't watch live TV (I don't). I then received a letter telling me someone would be round to check, and they could apply for a search warrant from the court if I didn't let them in.

Is it just me or is this absolutely ludicrous? We're in a pandemic and I have absolutely no intention of letting someone into my flat. And even if I did, what exactly are they going to do? I have a TV connected to my laptop that I use for watching streaming services and YouTube. Completely legal, but how on earth can they prove I don't watch TV on it?

It feels so bullying and scammy!

Unfortunately due to the huge number of people who don't pay, they have to be clear about what their powers are.

If you don't need a license, you have nothing to worry about.

YADNBU.

I’ve had some of them try and force entry to my home. I’ve told them to come back with a court order - none ever do.

It’s been years since I watched anything on BBC.

They just refuse to believe that anyone would not want to watch their precious channel

I haven't read the whole thread, but I have seen some confusion with some posts mis-stating when a license is required.

You need a TV license if you watch or record any TV channel (BBC, ITV, Sky, Dave, etc.). This includes foreign TV channels. You also need a TV license if you watch live content on a streaming service (YouTube, ITV Hub, Amazon Prime, etc.). You need a license if you watch or download content from iPlayer, regardless of whether the content is live. You do NOT need a TV license to watch YouTube or other streaming services (apart from iPlayer) provided you do not watch any live content.

If you do not have a license, TV licensing can get a warrant to enter your home and check. It is rare for them to do so - they get about 150 search warrants a year, mainly against people who have been abusive or violent. If they get a warrant, they will be accompanied by the police. TV licensing will not force their way into your home even if they have a warrant, but the police may do so if they deem it necessary.

Stating they could apply for a search warrant is not a threat, nor is it bullying. It is a statement of fact. Surely better that they warn you of this possibility than you find out when they turn up with the police and a warrant.

I could apply for a search warrant to search your property, too. Doesn't mean I'd get one. They are scary and intimidating, they have no right to enter your property without your permission, and you are not obliged to give them permission.

It's similar to a shop sending you a letter saying 'We believe you have stolen property from our shop in your house, and we can apply for a warrant to come in and search.'

It's empty words. Ignore them, put them straight in the recycling. If anybody shows up, tell them they're not coming in, and that's the end of it. They don't often show up though.

I still remember a TV inspector turning up to our halls of residence when we were first year students. We were 8 girls living together and we all chipped in to pay for a TV licence. The inspector came in and only asked to check my bedroom. He said TVs in bedrooms were not covered by the licence we had as we each had a lock on our bedroom door. I realise now it was BS. But I was 18, green behind the ears and he put the fear into me. What followed was a letter at Xmas time saying they intended to prosecute. I paid a £100 fine. That experience still scars me as I was so naive and, looking back, wonder why I let a strange man poke around my bedroom just because he was in a position of authority and he said he could.

We no longer pay for a TV licence. We don't use the services and we got rid of the aerial cable so the kids can't even switch it on accidentally. We don't watch BBC iPlayer either.

@dabbydeedoo

Can you believe that it was ever considered acceptable to literally lie about detector vans to bully people into paying? How was that legal?

TV detector van technology did exist, and back in the 60s/70s it was easier to detect due to the types of CRT TVs

There was little need for them though, as a list of addresses with or without licences in a street and the presence of aerials on roofs gave most of it away. Then easily confirmed by a glowing screen behind curtains

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_detector_van

[quote Shehasadiamondinthesky]Simple, follow the procedure and they will not bother you.

www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/telling-us-you-dont-need-a-tv-licence[/quote]
Oh, so naive.

@Elsalvador

I still remember a TV inspector turning up to our halls of residence when we were first year students. We were 8 girls living together and we all chipped in to pay for a TV licence. The inspector came in and only asked to check my bedroom. He said TVs in bedrooms were not covered by the licence we had as we each had a lock on our bedroom door. I realise now it was BS. But I was 18, green behind the ears and he put the fear into me. What followed was a letter at Xmas time saying they intended to prosecute. I paid a £100 fine. That experience still scars me as I was so naive and, looking back, wonder why I let a strange man poke around my bedroom just because he was in a position of authority and he said he could.

We no longer pay for a TV licence. We don't use the services and we got rid of the aerial cable so the kids can't even switch it on accidentally. We don't watch BBC iPlayer either.

I remember something similar when I lived in halls of residence in the 90,s we actually let them in the student flat and bedrooms ,things were different then ,nobody had the internet ,and they were very vague about their powers of entry

They're bloody nasty about it. They need to stick adverts on BBC and scrap it. They earn a bloody fortune, its hardly a non profit organisation.

YANB. I don’t watch BBC channels or use iPlayer but I keep paying the licence fee because I’ve heard about the bully tactics and am scared about what will happen if I do cancel. So basically I’m paying for something I don’t use

Never paid it in my life and never will

@prh47bridge

I haven't read the whole thread, but I have seen some confusion with some posts mis-stating when a license is required.

You need a TV license if you watch or record any TV channel (BBC, ITV, Sky, Dave, etc.). This includes foreign TV channels. You also need a TV license if you watch live content on a streaming service (YouTube, ITV Hub, Amazon Prime, etc.). You need a license if you watch or download content from iPlayer, regardless of whether the content is live. You do NOT need a TV license to watch YouTube or other streaming services (apart from iPlayer) provided you do not watch any live content.

If you do not have a license, TV licensing can get a warrant to enter your home and check. It is rare for them to do so - they get about 150 search warrants a year, mainly against people who have been abusive or violent. If they get a warrant, they will be accompanied by the police. TV licensing will not force their way into your home even if they have a warrant, but the police may do so if they deem it necessary.

Stating they could apply for a search warrant is not a threat, nor is it bullying. It is a statement of fact. Surely better that they warn you of this possibility than you find out when they turn up with the police and a warrant.

Surely the police have got better things to do with their time 🤔

Ignore them and their silly little letters. Cant belive that some people still fund the out of date bbc through the licence scam system.
Cancelled then years ago, thrie all correspondence on the bin.

The fact that poor women go to prison for not paying for the BBC to make TV programmes is absolutely disgraceful.

They may turn up at your door but just do not answer it. They have been to mine before, back in the old days when I did have a TV but no license and I just told them to piss off. They didn't bother coming back and they presumably had a way of knowing I had Sky.

I don't paying for the BBC as I do use it and do now have a license but they do take the piss with their demands.

@Wnikat

The fact that poor women go to prison for not paying for the BBC to make TV programmes is absolutely disgraceful.

They go to prison for not paying the fine ,however they must have admitted not paying the TV licence in the first place Just don't engage at all

@Wnikat

The fact that poor women go to prison for not paying for the BBC to make TV programmes is absolutely disgraceful.

Totally agree. Paying Gary linekars wages and producing programs like eastenders, I bet the board at the BBC can't believe people still fall for the guff they spout and cough up a licence fee

Maybe this is a daft question. Can someone explain why and how the BBC are entitled to this money?
If its about BBC content creators being paid fairly that's fine, but if I watch a show from ITV why would BBC creators be entitled to anything?

If I watched live sports or news on YouTube, amazon prime..and it's not being shown on a BBC channel, how are they entitled to any of that cash?

Wnikat
The fact that poor women go to prison for not paying for the BBC to make TV programmes is absolutely disgraceful.
They go to prison for not paying the fine ,however they must have admitted not paying the TV licence in the first place
Just don't engage at all

As of June last year there is no one in prison in England and Wales for non payment of fine for not having a TV licence.

I didn't have a TV for about 10 years and just watched Netflix etc, never anything live or on BBC. Despite repeatedly telling them this was the case, the letters continued ad infinitum. So tedious and such a waste of money and paper to continue to generate them!

I don't know, I can see it both ways.

And despite some grumbles about the BBC not providing the unbiased service we pay for (which I do agree with to an extent) it kind of is the best we've got and we would be worse off without it. Also they do, undeniably, make some good programmes, and this is how they fund it.

The above is, of course, a moot point if you don't actually watch any of it.

And I do agree that their method of communication is a bit shambolic. I have a license (it just renews every year and I've never cancelled it because although I don't want live tv I do occasionally use the BBC iplayer). For years now I get a paper license sent to me with a whole spiel about "switch to paperless! It's so easy! And no more paper licenses!" Well, I have, many times. Or attempted to, and they just ignore it and keep sending out the paper licenses plus further reminders to switch to paperless

Additionally, I pay for one license via DD, but I get two. Every year they send one addressed to me at my parents house (I moved out in 1999) and I have no idea why as i I don't recall ever registering for a tv license there as my parents would have paid it. So I have no idea why they are sending a license that nobody is paying for.

We don't have a licence and haven't done for a couple years, we don't need one.

Assuming they got a warrant and came into the house what good does that do them? How do they then prove we watch the things that need a licence?

I don't pay for a license. I use prime and netflix and occasionally Now TV. I tend to binge watch iplayer when I visit my nan's as it is covered by their license.

@SirenSays Maybe this is a daft question. Can someone explain why and how the BBC are entitled to this money?

Because, once upon a time, the BBC regulated the broadcast frequencies. They were the ones who sold, regulated and distributed the various frequencies for radio and TV stations. They also had a variety of tasks like maintaining weather buoys, shipping forecasts etc.

A lot of these things are now done by OFCOM.

The BBC is "entitled" to the money now because it is a "British Values Broadcaster". In short it's a state sponsored propaganda machine. The licence fee is appalling. The fact is the BBC represents terrible value for money. NowTV, Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ ALL are cheaper than the BBC, and all produce vastly more expensive output. At the end of the day the BBC is a classic government body run by bureaucrats who engage in empire building and the exercise of political machinations. No wonder it costs as much as Amazon and Netflix and Disney combined.