Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Original poster

TV Licence - aaahhhh, just got caught, what do I do?

43 replies

Humpdebump · 09/02/2009 23:36

Ok, I am no angel and have avoided letters requesting me to pay this years tv licence. I have always paid it on time by Direct Debit but times have been v hard of late, I dont have a job, have x2 DS & DP works at badly paid job with recently reduced hours. In a nut shell - there were more important bills to pay first - gas, electric etc. Ironically we received our back dated housing benefit payment today, we had been waiting for this to start paying back our landlord, friends and overdue bills.
Anyway......tv licence man calls at door, I answered it eagerly expecting DS's birthday presents, face to face with Mr Licence who said to me ' I am from TV Licence and have come to arrange a Direct Debit'. I (very naively) thought, 'great, maybe we can come to some arrangement where we can start paying it off at like a fiver a month'. He filled in lots of details then I quickly got suspicious when he hurridly pointed out the legal schpeel (..anything you say might be used against you in a court of law). By this time I had said that we had a tv and I couldnt afford the payments on the licence just yet as we were skint ! DOH!
He went on that I could be prosecuted because I had admitted to watching a tv without a licence at which point I burst into floods of tears . But I couldnt help it, I NEVER cry, but so much has gone on recently and it was just too much.
TV Licence man said that its not up to him and the court decides who they will prosecute and fine could be reduced. Could even only be half price !! Oh what a relief...only 500 quid! WTF!!
Now I am quite scared, I know its only money but we really dont have any spare to pay off a fine. I have been trawling the internet for a few hours to find out what our fine will be and if there is any way to pay in installments without having to go to bloody prison!
Anyone have any experience of dealing with this and what the average fine for poor people is?
If my other half buys a licence does would make a difference as its not him that is being prosecuted?
I am so gutted this has happened. Am v. and worried. Cant believe this has effected me so much, I usually dont give a toss (hmm, maybe thats why I am in a mess now!)

OP posts:
pageturner · 11/02/2009 17:45

Well, yes, we are a nice court . But it is not acceptable for any court to rubber stamp these things. Of course, if people don't turn up, and you don't have any means info, then you can't do anything but assume the higher earning amount and set your fine accordingly. And it will be at the punitive end. But if someone turns up and demonstrates hardship, they'll get a better result. There is nothing more irritating than someone who just can't be arsed to turn up. That sort of attitude to the justice system demands harsh handling!

And obviously, my advice is based on a first time offender (as the OP indicates she is). If you're a prolific non-payer then you might just as well not turn up because they've thrown the book at you anyway. (Actually, that's not true: it is always better to turn up IME).

FAQinglovely · 11/02/2009 17:47

well my info is just based on the figures that TVL get back from the courts as to how much the fines have been for etc.

So my source can only say from the overall picutre across the UK for prosecutions and fines - and if you live in the SE you're more like to be prosecuted whether it's a first time "offence" or not

midlandsmumof4 · 11/02/2009 23:41

The TV licence is the one thing that most of us disagree with paying but I'm surprised at the number of people who don't pay because 'they have more important bills to think of'. National Debtline advise it should be treated as a 'priority' payment/debt along with mortgage, rent, council tax and utilities etc. as possible courses of action for non payment can be a fine, distraint or even imprisonment .

nappyaddict · 11/02/2009 23:52

My friend works for the tv licesne people. If you pay within something like 14 or 28 days they don't prosecute.

Ivykaty44 · 11/02/2009 23:52

take a look at woonkey world

FAQinglovely · 11/02/2009 23:57

actually just reading the OP again - he was talking slightly out of his bum, he was correct that he doesn't decide who to prosecute, but TVL decides which ones to send to court and which to keep chasing

Ivykaty44 · 11/02/2009 23:57

why not just watch tv on your pc? Then you dont have to have a licence - as the IP will not give the TV licencing the details on your accounts - as it is against data protection and would be illegal And without the IP information on your account the TV licencing can not prove you have been watching BBC and therefore cant prove anything to actually take you to court.

nappyaddict · 12/02/2009 00:05

They say you are meant to have one to watch TV on laptop but i don't see how they can prove it either. If someone came round would they be allowed to check your history to see if you have been using iplayer or whatever?

FAQinglovely · 12/02/2009 00:07

you only need one if you're watching live TV - iplayer is fine. Not sure how they check on those ones.........I can find out if you like - not tonight don't want to wake him up now but will definitely speak to my "source" tomorrow

And you'd be amazed at the number of people who open the door on a Saturday afternoon, with the sounds of the footie blaring out declaring that they don't have a TV and would they like to come in ansee........ - no they're watching it live on the computer (some people are really crap at telling lies about it).

Ivykaty44 · 12/02/2009 18:25

nappyaddict - no to come into your home and do a search of your home and personel stuff they would need a search warrent. So they would need to go to the courts and give evidence that you were watching tv on your lap top, to collect the evidence they need to search your lap top... so a catch 22 for them. Then they need to prove that you were watching the tv on the lap top live - as it is only when the tv channel is watched live that they can prosecute - and you can always watch the tv program after it has been aired - which is legal.
So basicly they are stumped - as they cant get evidence, IP have already stated that they will not give out your information - as it is against data protection and in anycase they would need a warrent - so back to square one, how do they get a warrent without proof?

Come digital tv switch over in 2011 for my area - I doubt I will get a digital tv, as it would suit me better to get a laptop and then I will watch tv when I want to after it has been aired and only bother with the tv i really want to watch - probably 2-3 programs a week. Then I will not bother getting a tv licence as I will not have a tv to licence.

I will keep the tv I have with for the playstaion and dvd's - which is legal as it will not receive live tv as it is monalogue.

nappyaddict · 12/02/2009 20:46

I suppose they only way for them to prove it would be to catch you in the act watching live tv on it. You would have to make sure you turned it off every time you answered the door

jujumaman · 12/02/2009 20:54

I got caught for this admittedly nearly 20 years ago, when I was a student

My flatmate opened the door to the man (I was out) and genuinely didn't know if we had a licence or not. He said OK, find it and send us a copy asap.

After a sleepless night I paid the nextday sent them a photocopy, unable to hide the date which showed I'd bought it post visit. Never heard another thing.

It was a long time ago and technology was not what it is now so t may have been harder to trace our history, but as the others say at least if you buy one straight away the fine will be minimal.

cjb47 · 03/03/2009 21:30

i've had a court date come through today .on reading the statement signed by the tv doorman it says he saw the tv and was working he signed the statement but he never even came into my house so is his statement false would it make them look small if i called them to court ?

Rexyyy · 05/09/2018 21:27

I opened door to tv enquiring offiicer he told me to set up a payment plan and i did what will happen now he also filled in the enquire form what will happen now

Lostbeyondwords · 11/09/2018 11:43

Wait, I think I've missed the part where you said how long you've not paid for?

Regardless of when you were meant to start (assuming just non payment of current year), if you now pay, before court can be arranged, they won't take you to court. What would be the actual point? You've paid your bill, they'd be wasting time all round.

Same as with council tax, some like to pay all at once and some monthly. If you don't make a payment they'll want to know why and if you dodge them long enough you'll be told it'll go to court but if you then pay up, action stops. Just pay OP and it'll go away.

Spark666 · 15/09/2018 09:48

Did he actually see the tv? If not then tbere is no proof of anything, these officers ha e no rights to do anything. You could right them a letter take away access to your property unless they have a warrant. If you start paying it there should not be a problem.

Cerseilannisterinthesnow · 15/09/2018 19:55

If you have Facebook check out active resistance to the tv licence Page loads of good advice on there. I’d been paying for a licence when I didn’t actually need one as don’t watch live telly, only catch up itv and 4od, have Netflix and now tv and only watch the pre loaded movies/box sets/kids shows. I was able to inform tv licensing I no longer required a licence and it was all done and they check every 2 years that it hasn’t changed

hmmwhatatodo · 16/09/2018 15:35

How did you manage to bring up a 9 year old thread?!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page