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AIBU?

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Why am I still getting these letters ?!

81 replies

teletubbyy · 17/03/2026 15:19

I filled in the declaration form in December when we moved to our new home. I literally watch YouTube for the kids, bing or Miss Rachel etc and not the live stuff. And on the evening we watch Netflix or Disney+.
I think it’s terrible they use scare tactics. Should they not be leaving me alone since I’ve filled in the declaration form?! I have major anxiety and do not need to be worrying some blokes going to turn up on my doorstep demanding I let him in.

Why am I still getting these letters ?!
OP posts:
teletubbyy · 17/03/2026 18:04

Pemba · 17/03/2026 17:54

If you look on YouTube, videos by people like Chilli John Carne and Black belt barrister explain how to deal with these people if you get a visit.

You just say 'not interested thank you' or if you did fill in the 'No licence needed' declaration you could say 'I have filled in the declaration, goodbye' as a pp suggested. They have no right of entry, unless they go to court to get a warrant which is really rare.

The reason you shouldn't let them in is because they have been known to lie, and say that people admitted watching live TV. Some of them will do this because (it is believed) they get bonuses for each license sold, also for each prosecution. And they are basically sales people. So best not to engage, don't give them your name, engage in conversation and especially don't sign anything. They could add stuff above your signature later.

All this pre-supposes that you don't in fact watch or record live TV channels or use BBC iplayer. If you do you should get a licence obviously. But it's no good just thinking 'i have nothing to hide' if you are legally licence free, because a lot of them are out to trip people up.

Interesting. I know I could just let them in but I think, well why should I?! Why should I be intimidated in my own home, I’m autistic and freak out when my mom or friends come to visit, let alone having a total stranger turn up! The declaration should be enough.

OP posts:
BunnyLake · 17/03/2026 18:06

shellyleppard · 17/03/2026 16:58

@4wardlooking the last time I used the iPlayer was over a year ago. The inspector asked why I cancelled the licence and I explained it's not good value for money anymore. The TV mainly gets used by my sons for the playstation

You don’t owe these people any explanations.

Don’t let them in your house.

shellyleppard · 17/03/2026 18:09

@BunnyLake all sorted now

BunnyLake · 17/03/2026 18:09

teletubbyy · 17/03/2026 18:04

Interesting. I know I could just let them in but I think, well why should I?! Why should I be intimidated in my own home, I’m autistic and freak out when my mom or friends come to visit, let alone having a total stranger turn up! The declaration should be enough.

Don’t let them in! They have no right to enter without a warrant (and there’s no reason for them to have that). We don’t have Netflix knocking on the door demanding to know why we’re not subscribed to them. These people can just fuck off.

ProudAmberTurtle · 17/03/2026 18:12

I got one today saying the investigation had now reached its final stage and I would have to explain myself to an enforcement officer.

Given that I cancelled the licence fee in 2017 and they still haven't worked out my name - I'd like to know what's been going on in this investigation for the last nine years.

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 17/03/2026 18:19

The "no licence required" thing is just yet another sham, and nothing more than a tool they use to ascertain who, precisely, is living at an unlicenced property.

They send all mail to "the legal occupier" until such time someone responds and confirms the details of who, precisely, "the legal occupier" actually is. From then on they will harass the individual in no different a way to they harass all unlicensed addresses, but with the difference that now they have a specific, named individual, they will likely appear on the doorstep asking for that person by name and subjecting them to the "can I just come in to check..." crap.

Some people are lucky and the declaration seems to prevent the letters for a year or two, but far more are reporting that they never once saw hide nor hair of a Capita employee until shortly after they filled out the declaration.

As always, the best approach to communications from Capita, whether it's in the form of a letter or an appearance in person, is to completely ignore and rebuff any attempt at communication and correspondence from them whatsoever.

Do not acknowledge or respond to their mail fishing attempts, do not converse with them on the doorstep, do not identify yourself, and for god's sake don't entertain any request to enter your property unless they are presenting a warrant, which is vanishingly unlikely to happen if it's their first in-person attempt to gain access, because no Magistrate or Sheriff in the UK is going to issue a warrant simply because Capita suspect you might be watching TV.

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 17/03/2026 18:23

ProudAmberTurtle · 17/03/2026 18:12

I got one today saying the investigation had now reached its final stage and I would have to explain myself to an enforcement officer.

Given that I cancelled the licence fee in 2017 and they still haven't worked out my name - I'd like to know what's been going on in this investigation for the last nine years.

They have, down the years, claimed that they will be paying me a visit on no fewer than 10 separate and specific dates. Not once has anyone ever visited on these dates, and I'm now at the point where the antagonistic part of me is tempted to write to them asserting that if they do this again, I shall be invoicing them for the inconvenience and loss of earnings due to waiting in all day for a visit which never materialises.

I mainly WFH, so it's bullshit, but I'm not going to tell them that.

Strawdolly · 17/03/2026 18:30

It would be interesting to know how much the BBC spaffs up the wall chasing up all these dreadful non payers and if they make back how much they're spending.

I've never understood why I need a licence to watch channels that are fuck all to do with the BBC, what has it got to do with them if I'm watching live or not? Confused

Holdmybeermoment · 17/03/2026 18:31

@4wardlooking
No, she doesn’t. You do not need a license to own a TV. You only need a license if you watch any live TV on any channel or if you watch anything on BBC iplayer. If you don’t do those things then you do not need a license.

I don’t watch live TV on any channel or app. I only ever use my firetv stick. And I don’t have the iplayer app downloaded because I don’t watch anything on BBC. So I don’t pay for a license.

LatteLady · 17/03/2026 18:34

NippyNinjaCrab · 17/03/2026 17:09

You made me laugh so much there 🤣 I really want you to get a visit now!
Well I have a TV licence and now pay weekly, I have had 2 letters already saying my direct debit was cancelled and I have 10 days or I will have an enforcement visit. Wtaf. My payments are up to date, customer number and address is the same so somwthing went wrong with these idiots!

I suspect that the emails you have received are actual a scam... a couple of years ago I received them, although my DD was paid up.

4wardlooking · 17/03/2026 18:40

BunnyLake · 17/03/2026 18:03

That is not true. You can own a hundred tv sets it doesn’t mean you have to buy a licence. They’re basically just monitors. It’s what you watch on that monitor that counts.

Yes, so it would seem. I was corrected earlier 😀

ChickenBananaBanana · 17/03/2026 18:46

4wardlooking · 17/03/2026 16:24

If she uses a TV set whether she watches live or not, she does need one!

No she doesn't. Don't offer advice if you're gonna talk pure incorrect shite.

4wardlooking · 17/03/2026 18:57

ChickenBananaBanana · 17/03/2026 18:46

No she doesn't. Don't offer advice if you're gonna talk pure incorrect shite.

You’re late to the party. Your shite advice is not needed now.

Holdmybeermoment · 17/03/2026 19:00

4wardlooking · 17/03/2026 18:57

You’re late to the party. Your shite advice is not needed now.

You’re the only one on the thread giving shyie advice, and if you had read the comments before yours then you’d have known you were wrong before you posted. So it’s a bit cheeky to tell another poster off for repeating information in previous posts when you clearly posted without reading anything.

crunchycrunchers · 17/03/2026 19:05

OP, if you’ve filled in the declaration correctly, you should get an acknowledgement in the post. I do it every two years. It’s could be your declaration wasn’t received or submitted properly. Defo worth doing again.

The likeholhood of someone turning up is very slim and if they do, you don’t have to let them in. You just say you’ve filled in the declaration and that should be the end of that.

4wardlooking · 17/03/2026 19:05

Holdmybeermoment · 17/03/2026 19:00

You’re the only one on the thread giving shyie advice, and if you had read the comments before yours then you’d have known you were wrong before you posted. So it’s a bit cheeky to tell another poster off for repeating information in previous posts when you clearly posted without reading anything.

Who rattled your cage?

If you had read earlier posts and replies I clearly said I stood corrected and why I had made the error.

marcyhermit · 17/03/2026 19:08

Just ignore them, I've been getting them for 10 years and they've never actually come to the house.
They just cycle through being increasingly threatening and then go back to the first one again.
I put them straight in the recycling.

RodeoClown · 17/03/2026 19:16

My mum bought a house right before lockdown and ended up never moving in to it. She filled in the online form and the house was completely empty for two years. She was sent dozens of threatening letters from TV licensing. They said that they could see she had a TV and all sorts of bollocks. The language they use is so menacing.

It’s little wonder people think you have to have one because that’s what the inference is.

RottenApplesSpoilTheLot · 17/03/2026 20:24

4wardlooking · 17/03/2026 16:24

If she uses a TV set whether she watches live or not, she does need one!

edited as I see you've already corrected

NippyNinjaCrab · 17/03/2026 20:28

@LatteLady it iss actual letters not emails and definitely not a scam.

Pemba · 17/03/2026 20:29

Plus to use iplayer

catipuss · 17/03/2026 20:34

BillieWiper · 17/03/2026 15:35

I think just bin it. They're just trying to put the fear into people to make them pay. As if they can do anything.

I remember when they tried to say it was illegal not to get a smart meter. Yeah great way to introduce a concept. Basically criminalising people for not paying private companies for products or services we neither want nor need.

You may have to get a smart meter soon a lot of the old technology is not going to work any more soon. It doesn't cost anything and might actually save you money at least in the short term.

ChirpyAmberLion · 17/03/2026 21:23

I suggest those of you that clearly don’t understand TV licensing rules look up Black Belt Barrister who is a legally qualified chap who will tell you exactly where you stand and why the BBC keep sending these pathetic excuse of warning letters.

We do not watch live TV at all, have no BBC channels installed (yeah that is a thing), or any other live TV streaming for that matter.

We have been visited (by Capita who represent the BBC for licence avoidance) post our declaration. Polite chap and we were perfectly polite back, especially after explaining why we didn’t need one and he asked to come in and check/take a look and we politely told him not a chance.

BillieWiper · 18/03/2026 10:21

catipuss · 17/03/2026 20:34

You may have to get a smart meter soon a lot of the old technology is not going to work any more soon. It doesn't cost anything and might actually save you money at least in the short term.

Edited

Maybe but the fact they introduced it off the bat trying to lie that you'd be breaking the law by not taking their shitty product..
Makes me immediately not want one!

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 18/03/2026 14:26

BillieWiper · 18/03/2026 10:21

Maybe but the fact they introduced it off the bat trying to lie that you'd be breaking the law by not taking their shitty product..
Makes me immediately not want one!

I think you have the wrong end of the stick.

It's illegal to prevent access to your property for the purpose of maintaining your meters. They remain the property of the supplier, and they have legal obligations to read them, maintain them, and ensure they are safe and fit for purpose.

Many old mechanical meters are nearing the end of their lifecycles, and suppliers are legally bound to replace them at a certain point. If you refuse to permit this, you are preventing the supplier from meeting their legal obligations.

It's not about "being illegal to oppose smart meter installation", it's about the fact it's illegal to prevent the companies with legal obligations to access, maintain, and replace them where necessary.