Why the F should I tell BBC every year that I don’t watch TV ?

[LadyGillingham]

Why can’t they upgrade their subscriptions/licencing model like Netflix etc ?

If you look at BBC corporation’s ownership, majority stakeholders are private Ltd companies and individuals. Why the f are they entitled to demand subscription fees from me for services I don’t use!

The language in the emails is quite strong, I’m sure a lot of senior citizens just pay to not get into trouble. That’s extortion!

Huh?

if you don’t have a license you just bin the letter

You don’t “tell” the bbc you don’t need a license

Yes you do. I received my email yesterday asking if I still didn’t need a tv licence.

But NO action required UNLESS you needed one!

Im sure the declaration used to last a few years. Now we get the letter year. People actually paying must be dropping a lot.

If you ignore the it’s been a year letter they start sending a new one every month with the wording getting stronger all so you go online and still click I don’t need one.

You absolutely do.

It stops you getting hounded by them. If you don't, then you get red warning letters through the post.

We have had two letters this year that we must update our do we need one or not. Inaction led to the second letter.

Ah yes, the constant letters warning me I'll be fined £1000 if I do actually need one🙄 well I don't so fuck off because I don't watch live TV. How many different ways can I put that across before you get it!😡

I'm actually in favour of the licence fee but this sort of behaviour does them no favours. They're going to end up without it and then they'll be screwed

I just laugh at them, the amount of times they’ve said someone is going to call around to check. 🙄

Yes it is. If you don’t go online and submit a declaration that you do not need a tv licence they send you threatening letters saying they are beginning an investigation into you which may involve unannounced home visits etc., and you can only stop this investigation by submitting a declaration. I think it’s outrageous, actually.

Their behaviour is disgusting in my opinion. So many older women I know that get scared and pay it and when I ask if they actually watch live TV or iPlayer it turns out that they don't. But the letters scare them into it. I understand that if you tell them every year then letters are less threatening but that's not the point. What gives them the right to behave like that!?

They sent letters last year saying "will you be in on the 25th of December?" They then pretended they'd be visiting the house. Big fat liars.

It is outrageous, but I just stick all the letters back in the post with ‘Return To Sender’ on them. At least that means Capital has to pay for getting them back 😂

It's the left that wants to keep the licence fee, Reform want to get rid of it.

That’s a really good idea.

I haven’t found this at all. I cancelled mine for the first time in June because there was nothing on iplayer we watched at that time. Had a notification email that I’d cancelled and then nothing else at all for the next 3 months. Started it up last week for celebrity traitors!

We had this thread a couple of weeks ago. I despise the BBC and their bullying threatening tactics. I no longer reply to those emails and bin the letters.
A little old lady like my mum however would be seriously stressed by those letters and a ball of anxiety over a threatened visit, she doesn't even have email!
They need to drag theirselves into the 21st century.
I once had one of their heavies try to force his way into my home when I was a a sleep deprived single parent with a baby, putting his foot in my door to stop me closing it.
I vowed there and then I'd never use their services and never have.
Now, I'd actually welcome a visit from one of those knuckle draggers because I would verbally destroy him (or just not answer the door depending on my mood that day 😂)

It is a charge per household. If it was collected alongside council tax by local authorities, I am sure each council could keep a record of those who don't need to pay that would not need to be updated. Would also save a lot in the cost of collection, which could be passed on in a reduced licence fee.

Your cancellation will have counted as your declaration. If you had left it a year the letters would have started coming demanding that you submit a new declaration.

Out of interest, who are these elderly women who never watch the BBC or other terrestrial channels? Most older people I know watch a lot of TV. My Mum doesn't have a smart TV so can't watch any streamed services, nor would she want to. The TV licence is money well spent for her as she finds quite a lot of interest to watch, which is fortunate now she is more or less housebound and very deaf, so can't listen to the radio.

Eh? Why is it any harder or more costly for the BBC itself to keep a record of who doesn’t have to pay?

So when they come for a “home visit” unannounced, you just tell them to fuck off. They have the power to do absolutely nothing.

Its long past time the Biased Broadcastkng Corporation became a subscription service.
In this day and age people should not be forced to pay for something they dont want and dont use. I keep telling DP to cancel the licence but he wont 😬

Okay, this is a good point. Nobody in our house watches BBC or iPlayer and I need to cut costs. I am literally paying this so I don’t get hounded but it sounds like I need to go online and submit the declaration and keep it up to date.