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Original poster

TV LICENCE PAYMENTS IN ADVANCE ARE NOT NECESSARY

45 replies

jappa1 · 29/12/2017 13:47

If I die today, that means the tv licencing people have 6 months of my money and I will never get it back, can you imagine if a thousand people die today who are paying their tv licence the same way? Tv Licensing people will have thousands of pounds of 'our' money. so as of now I am not paying £21.00 a month for my tv licence, I do not want to pay for next years licence so I am going to just pay £12.50 a month, so they will just owe me £3. My licence is still getting paid for and I will not be in arrears nor will I be in debt, and I will also still be legal for having a tv licence so basically can they take me to court for non payment??? What about people on benefits? they can't afford this much money coming out of their benefits. Hope you can understand my ramblings, it sounded right in my head lol

OP posts:
Greenshoots1 · 29/12/2017 13:49

you can reclaim if you pay in advance and don't use it

Ta1kinPeace · 29/12/2017 15:04

How do you mean "payments in advance"
I pay 1/12 of the bill each month - so its pay as you go.

Akire · 29/12/2017 15:07

If you don’t alredy have one though you can’t pay per month- like any other bill or contract. They make you pay more for first 6m then you start paying for the next 6 months. Unless you want to pay it all up front there isn’t much choice.

pastabest · 29/12/2017 15:08

eh?

well most people just pay £12.50 a month if they don't want to pay a lump sum. Its not a secret.

glow1984 · 29/12/2017 15:10

When you first get one, you have to pay for a year within 6 months

I’m really surprised at how few people know this.

guiltynetter · 29/12/2017 15:12

when i first took my tv license out 5 years ago this really annoyed me, i didn’t want to pay in advance for my next one. i don’t think i had a choice in the end...however as time has gone on the payments have dropped to something like £10-£11 a month.

Ta1kinPeace · 29/12/2017 15:13

I’m really surprised at how few people know this.
Probably because I've been paying by direct debit for 30 years

BonjourMeDarlin · 29/12/2017 15:14

I just don’t pay it at all.

Danglingmod · 29/12/2017 15:17

Yep, you pay six months advance when you first take one out. So, 25 years ago in my case.

Never occurred to me before that you probably don't get it back when you die! And I'm pretty financially savvy...

MargotMoon · 29/12/2017 15:27

Yeah the only way to get around it is to cancel your payment when you have bought your full licence after 6 months and then wait 6 months and buy a full licence upfront, which not many people can afford to do

TheChineseChicken · 29/12/2017 15:50

Doesn't this apply to anything paid for in advance?

Thermalsaregood · 29/12/2017 16:06

I was annoyed by this too so pay a full year instead. So yes I pay for 12 months in the first month of the year it's valid, so don't spread payments over the year, but I don't pay the six months ahead of the date that I'd even need a licence in subsequent years.

Margotmoon, that is a good idea but I can't be bothered with the faff.

Tv licence is the only DD I have ever seen work this way and I think it's really cheeky.

EmilyfromLondon · 29/12/2017 23:44

If you're dead, you're not going to care. You'll be too busy about them nicking your organs because you never got round to opting out

SandyDenny · 29/12/2017 23:47

Are you joking emily? Organ donantion is opt in and of course if you're dead you aren't worrying about anything.

BeulahBattleaxe · 29/12/2017 23:55

I think they're swines for this and to be honest it disgusts me. You're effectively paying for six months extra that you'll never get back. I paid quarterly for this reason. You pay slightly more but it's less than 6 months.

I haven't had a tv licence for almost ten years. Don't legally require it so don't waste the money. Netflix selection is getting quite slim but even when I had sky I spent more time flicking than watching.

Snowman41 · 30/12/2017 00:05

If I die today, that means the tv licencing people have 6 months of my money and I will never get it back,

That's not true though, it can be claimed back and will be part of your estate the same as any other monies when you die

SouthWestmom · 30/12/2017 00:53

It made me laugh Emily

EmilyfromLondon · 30/12/2017 07:37

Organ donantion is opt in
Not for long

Original poster
jappa1 · 30/12/2017 10:08

I just find it all really funny now, it's gone from a tv licence to organ donating. If you think about it you are basically buying a tv licence for about three channels, all the others are free, and it's a lot of money to pay for a couple of channels. Nobody has to pay extra for their tv licence as when they have paid the first 6 months then basically they have paid for a whole licence and therefore it is better to pay by instalments. I have always had a tv but sometimes it has not been me as the licence holder therefore every time I have purchased one I have been classed as a 'new customer'. I am also aware (as with lots of other people) that it is no big secret as to which way you pay your licence. I don't have sky as its a waste of money, I have a Roku stick, so I am really paying for a couple of channels what are live tv

OP posts:
runningoutofjuice · 30/12/2017 11:00

How many people would actually be affected though? Someone living alone needs to die in their first year of having a TV licence. And even then it can be claimed back. And don't we pay for things like gas, electricity, BT in advance? So not just TV licence. One of those things that I can't see would be that important on the death of a loved one.

mumof2sarah · 30/12/2017 11:10

I paid 6 months for my first one then I pay 12.50 monthly now x

Snowman41 · 30/12/2017 11:16

have always had a tv but sometimes it has not been me as the licence holder therefore every time I have purchased one I have been classed as a 'new customer

Most of your post is just waffle but this part stand out for me. Of course you are a new customer if you didn't hold the previous license for your property.

megletthesecond · 30/12/2017 11:21

It's not a lot to pay for BBC channels. There isn't much else on that I'm interested in. I watch loads of BBC2, bbc4 and news.

I've paid monthly by direct debit for well over ten years.

HeadDreamer · 30/12/2017 11:23

I just find it all really funny now, it's gone from a tv licence to organ donating. If you think about it you are basically buying a tv licence for about three channels, all the others are free, and it's a lot of money to pay for a couple of channels.😭

Is it really 3? I thought it is just BBC 1 and 2. It’s such a rip off at £12.50 a month. (And I thought it is more than that?)

AppleKatie · 30/12/2017 11:28

Of course it’s more than that!
It’s paying for every BBC channel and all the radio content and iPlayer and all the other online content.

I really don’t get the ‘angst’ about it. It’s a great value for money system,