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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to close the door in the tv licence man's face?

80 replies

Upwind · 22/05/2009 13:07

we moved house just before our DD was born a few months ago. I remember my DH saying he would sort out the tv licence transfer, but can't be certain that he actually did, and can't reach him at work today.

We live in a flat and our buzzer rang a few minutes ago. They man had a heavy foreign accent and refused to say why he was calling, but kept repeating "just open the door".

So I didn't let him in. But one of my neighbours must have because he started knocking on our door a few minutes later. I was feeding DD and assumed it was a novice salesman or wrong address so did not hurry to let them in. He kept knocking aggressively.

When I did open the door, I felt rattled. I did not think to ask for ID and was not offered any. I told him that my DH looks after the TV licence and would sort it out. He demanded my personal details very insistently. I closed the door in his face and now suspect that was a mistake Will obviously sort out licence today... but was I unreasonable?

OP posts:
FAQinglovely · 22/05/2009 13:11

no - he should have shown your his ID as soon as you opened the door.

Stigaloid · 22/05/2009 13:11

No you were not being unreasonable. Check to see if license has been paid (and remove aerial from TV in meantime as no tv license required for no tv working) and then complain - he must show ID and can not be so heavy handed. You must be quite rattled. Also you can transfer your tv license from your last place very easily so just phone up and do that and problem solved.

FAQinglovely · 22/05/2009 13:12

ring them up and report him - they'll know who it was as only he will have been given that visit to do -

DorotheaPlenticlew · 22/05/2009 13:13

Don't worry, YANBU.

tattifer · 22/05/2009 13:13

Not unreasonable at all.

Police advice would be Do not let a caller in if they are not known to you until you are satisfied with the validity of the identification being shown. If they flash an id card in your face. Say Sorry, couldn't quite read that (all this should be between the little gap left by the security chain on your door...) and they should let you have it to read.

Anyone from TV licensing would know to offer their ID without being asked.

MillyR · 22/05/2009 13:14

If you live in a block of flats or some other area with a shared door, I do not think that they can tell whether or not you have a tv from the outside of your house. But I don't know for sure.

BCNS · 22/05/2009 13:14

NOt at all. I would actually ring the licence people up and ask if all their door knockers act this way.. that you were very shaken up and he didn't show you his ID.

oh and then see whats going on with the licence thing while your on the phone.

pinkmagic1 · 22/05/2009 13:15

Not sure if there is such thing as a TV license man anymore actually, Isn't everything done by computer these days?. They automatically know if you have paid or not and send letters. I would call the TV license people and check his credibility.

onagar · 22/05/2009 13:15

I agree about reporting him. I think you may find he was a fake anyway. Make sure the licence IS paid first.

MillyR · 22/05/2009 13:15

I would ask your DP if he has received a letter about it. They would send reminder letters before just showing up.

solidgoldSneezeLikeApig · 22/05/2009 13:15

Yes, ring up and report him for intimidating behaviour (he's either new on the job or an arsehole) and then explain that you didn't know the license hadn't been sorted out and offer to pay on the spot over the phone.

5Foot5 · 22/05/2009 13:16

Agree with FAQ - report him. This sounds very unprofessional. Surely it is part of the basic training to have your ID ready to show and not wait to be asked for it? If not, it damn well ought to be!

EvenBetaDad · 22/05/2009 13:16

YANBU - they are not permtted to enter your home. I beleive they work for Capita on a contract and have no right to come in and check whether you have a TV or not. They work on a commission. They do not have any official authority. You do not have to answer their questions. They are not the police.

They came round our hosue 5 times to check when we moved. We used to keep the licence by the door just in case. You can pay online and once you have done they stop calling.

MissSunny · 22/05/2009 13:20

Message withdrawn

FAQinglovely · 22/05/2009 13:23

"Not sure if there is such thing as a TV license man anymore actually"

ermm yes there are - approx 1500 TV licensing officers, and then I'm not sure of numbers of Enforcement officers.

They get into trouble if someone rings up and reports them for agressive/unprofessional behaviour - and if it's repeated complaints about them then they can (and are) fired sometimes.

EvenBetaDad · 22/05/2009 13:25

MissSunny - you are right. There are no detector vans and neve rhave been. They catch people by basically getting them to admit it themselves that they have no licence. Some peole have not paid for a TV licence for years and just get away with it by refusing to let them in and refusing to answer questions.

I suspect TV licenes will be got rid of soon and BBC will become subscription only or advertiser funded apart from a basic public service broadcast channel.

Original poster
Upwind · 22/05/2009 13:26

Thanks for the replies! Makes me feel better. Quite right that it was not the police!

Just spoke to my DH - he thinks he transferred the licence (which is a direct debit in his name) but is not certain. He will verify this before I make my complaint.

I think the previous occupants here had their mail forwarded. I guess that any licence demands would have been in their name.

I wouldn't mind but we only got the TV connected last week. So I genuinely have not been breaking the law, but using the internet instead.

OP posts:
FAQinglovely · 22/05/2009 13:28

there ARE detector vans! Not many of them, and they're not used very often as they're not cost effective and they're only used in specific cases.

BitOfFun · 22/05/2009 13:29

Is that true, EBD? Interesting...

LissyGlitter · 22/05/2009 13:29

We have no TV, and a TV licensing man came round and harassed my housemate so much that she was actually scared to be in the house by herself! Of course I rang up and threatened legal action if they continued their harassment and they soon buggered off! Don't let anyone in your house without a search warrant and police. Particularly if you don't have a TV. Serves them right for assuming everyone has to live their lives exactly how they do! They can be really aggressive, and the excuse, when I rang up, was that 45% of people without licenses actually have a TV-I did point out that meant MOST people without a license don't have a tv, and they had no answer for that

FAQinglovely · 22/05/2009 13:31

"did point out that meant MOST people without a license don't have a tv, "

haha - do you know how wrong that is - DH would easily licence 20 people a day (out of 60 visits) that didn't have lincenses! And many of those visits would be empty houses or new builds (that were still building sites LOL)

MissSunny · 22/05/2009 13:35

Message withdrawn

Divvy · 22/05/2009 13:35

SCary for you.

I rememeber when I was alot younger putting my ariel in the freezer when the van came round once

MillyR · 22/05/2009 13:37

FAQ, I don't see how that is wrong then. 20 out of 60 visits is not most. Or am I misunderstanding?

LissyGlitter · 22/05/2009 13:40

I dunno, plenty of my mates don't use TVs, and quite a few have licenses just because some scary man came round their house and bullied and scared them into getting one for the unused and unconnected gaming only TV that they have! I considered this myself, it's only DP being so stubborn that stopped me!

It made me laugh that tv licensing wanted me to send a copy of the receipt I must have given whoever bought my TV-it didn't seem to figure that I had given it away! The amount of people who have offered to buy me a TV when they hear I don't have one is funny too!

Although I may get one soon, just because I'm moving to a town where I don't know anyone and I feel like I may need entertaining when I don't know people to invite round to chat to. Also, I'll not be in a shared house for the first time in years. And, I know I shouldn't care about what other people think, but people round there might be less "hippyish" and it might be normal to have a telly round there, instead of sitting up all night talking about politics, bumsex and books