BBC wants to come round and inspect friend's house because he doesn't have a TV. Are they allowed?

[LittleBella]

Anyone know? Do they have to take him to court or can they demand to do this without a court order?

you mean the tv licensing authority?

do you mean they think he has a tv and no licence?

not sure if they have statutory right of entry - google it

They can ask to check and its up to him to let them in, I think..Have a look on the tv licensing website. Why doesnt he just let them see he doesnt have a telly?

Why should he have to prove it? Legally the onus is on them to prove he is guilty, not for him to prove his innocence!

If I were him I'd tell them to sod off. Innocent until proven guilty and all that. It should be up to them to prove there's a case to answer. Although given our glorious government has created 3,000 new offences, they've probably reversed the burden of proof re. TV licences.

I lived without a TV for a while and faced an ever-increasing onslaught of rude, shrill, peremptory demands saying "pay up, you tax-dodging reprobate". They ignored my letters so I gave up answering them - nothing ever came of it.

I have no idea of the rules but ... undercovercat why should you let these people into your house if you have done nothing wrong .. we dont live in a police state..

op why does the licencing authority think he has a telly anyway .. have they detected the signal, be informed of a telly sale to this address

i think if you get any sort of device like a wii then your address is passed on to the tv licence authority

but i agree if he doesnt have one ignore them

they can come and sit outside with a detector van and listen fo themselves if they wish

Looks as if they need a warrant, unless he's happy to let them in without one.

Oh yes they can turn up on the door step - and when they see there is no tv they go away. If there is a tv then they fine you.

Apparently the tv licencing are above the courts and can enter your home. What happens if you dont open the door and there is one man stood outside I dont know.

My dad had a visit from a very very nervous man and dad just waved him into the livving room he entered sheepishly and never searched or looked anywhere else. Dad was polite and kind to him - it is his job after all and not his rules.

They have not been back and have stopped sending threatening letters

Terry Wogan and Bruce Forsyth do this to earn overtime.

They assume every house has a telly. We have been renovating another house thats uninhabitable.
We have had umpteen letters from the tv licensing authority, more and more menacing as time went on.
In the end he let them in to look and made sure the inspector 'accidentally' brushed against all sorts of dirty dusty tools and building equiment

Dad also sent this letter

Dear Sir/madam,

You keep sending me letters saying that you are going to visit and inspect my property for a tv. I have on several occasions got excited about the prospect of a visit, got tea and biscuits in, but all in vain as you never do call. I would really enjoy a visit as I dont have a tv and enjoy instead some stimulating conversation.

your sadly

Mr Bloggs

This letter did actually produce a none standard reply

Ok, I have to tell you what my dad did, cos it's hilarious!
He hasn't had a TV license for 12 years, and they turned up one morning demanding to inspect the property. So my dad said that he has small children eating their breakfast naked in the sittingroom and so they couldn't come in. Then just generally implied that if they wanted to come in it must be because they're paedos!!!
So they went, and haven't been back since. (that was about 3 months ago)
My dad's youngest is now 19!

I dont have a telly myself and dont see the issue in waving a man and straight back out of my tellyless room, as opposed to a confrontation about it on the doorstep.

I think he just feels indignant that these people are allowed to make a nuisance of themself and harrass him because he doesn't have a TV.

Will advise him that it's probably less hassle to let them in, then thye might stop sending him bits of paper that he has to spend time and energy filling in and sending back...

I emailed then and they have stopped wasting paper, they have said they may visit to clarify.

They do come and visit - they then put a stop to the letters for 12 months, it actually can end up for longer though.

Some older people have through fear brought a tv licence when they havn't even got a tv and dont need a licence - this type of threatening letter system and you are guilty until we visit you is rather horrid.

Quote harrasment laws (two peices of evidence needed - so only two or more letters and it may well stop)

frasersmummy - they'll think he has a TV because they have a database of every address in the country (even ones that only have the foundations built ) and match that to all the addresses that do have licences - the rest get letters, unless they've had a visit and someone has actually been let into the property and see that there's no TV

But word of warning, if one arrives on your doorstep and you let them in - don't hurridly remove the TV from the stand and hide it away - the tell tale dust around the edge, and the wires left at the back is quite a give away (and yes it does actually happen!!!)

IIRC a tv licence has to be purchased if there is no tv but a mobile or other equipment that enables you o watxch TV or something like that

it's not the BBC, it's the Tv Licensing Authority

Is this your friend?

if he watches TV progs then he has a way to recieve a TV signal and that is what your license is for - recieving a TV signal, be it online or on a mobile or whatever

So, they've finally stopped pretending they know just by driving up and down the street in a converted ice-cream van with a few aeriels stuck out the top.

end of an era.

LOL ay Ivy Katy's dads letter!!

They have a new advertising campaign
" Its in the Database"

Well, BRING IT ON i say!

, I have a licence and still get increasingly sinister letters from them and when they call (and I wish they would get a shift on)..and see my HUGE TV (through the window as they have no right to enter unless invited),..and sue me, I shall legitimately claim the costs of defending the action and shall tell them ...

" It is in the Database and if you bothered to look in your flippin database or had a half decent Database with correct post codes or had a person rather than a computooter(DS word)sending me a rainforest worth of letters you would see that you are wrong,..and you have spent far too much money bullying me (and hundreds of others) so SORT YOURSELVES OUT!

Than I shall appear on watchdawg as oppressed consumer or start a campaign for tellyless or licenced telly owning women on the edge to kick back against the authorities.

Oh hurrah!

LP - problem is that many people put down fake addresses when they buy a TV from a dealer - even if there's a license already registered with an address they have no way of knowing if it's house with rooms being let out individually. Also a lot of people forget to renew their licence and/or transfer to their new address when they move.