Why do I have to pay double for tv licence in the first year?

[fishhavefeelingstoo]

Ok, I know it's only for 6 months, but for me £25 a month is quite a lot. Plus I have read that it is nearly impossible to cancel once you've signed up.

I've also no idea about connecting an aerial, and I don't think I have an aerial cable. I live in a block of flats so presume there'll be an aerial??

Since separating from my husband I've not bothered because I just watched DVDs, but now I'd like to watch Strictly, but was shocked when I looked online to find I have to pay double each month for 6 months.

I'm sure tv licence is paid 6 months in advance and 6 in arrears?? Not 100% certain but I seem to remember being told that years ago.

Because you paying arrears and forward payment.
It will drop down after 6 months.

I guess that would explain it. Why can't the BBC just show adverts like the other networks and not charge us so much?! It seems a lot to me .. I'll probably only watch Strictly.

You aren’t paying double, you’re paying in advance. You still get the year for £150.

But why does it have to be like that? Who are they that they charge me for arrears??! I don't pay anything else in arrears (except rent)!

So in order to watch a handful of programmes I have to pay double every month...

I for one am glad the BBC don't have adverts on TV and radio. I get unreasonably irritated at having my viewing/listening interrupted by annoying adverts.

We recird everything on commercial channels so we can zip through the adverts.

If you buy a licence upfront, then you start making monthly payments 6 months later, these are £12 a month, and are towards the following years licence.

But I couldn't care less about adverts ... it's annoying that I have to pay for a tv licence even if I didn't want to watch bbc too....

It’s worth paying the licence fee just so they don’t snow adverts. Commercial television is unwatchable a lot of the time because you get an advert beak every 7.5 minutes.

It’s frustrating isn’t it? We’ve just paid this, got to the end of the plan and then a week later was sent another letter saying you’re next payment for your next license is due in 1 week. I just rang them and said I don’t want o pay in advance, I’m all paid up until 2019 so will not be paying anything else until then. They said that was fine, I think they just like to have as much money in the bank as possible. We also once were without a license for a whole 9 days because I hadn’t got my ass in gear. On day 9 there was a knock at the door and a man actually read my OH his rights (as police do - anything you do say may be given as evidence etc). I was astounded at the bullying tactics they used. And I agree, it’s a con to have to pay so much just to watch BBC and live TV,

As I'd struggle to pay £25 a month, I definitely can't pay £150 up front.

We also missed 2 weeks and got a bailiff letter for £12 😂 just ridiculous.

Personally I'd rather watch adverts than pay £25 a month. They're still advertising their own programmes anyway... I don't want to see that either.

Mary that's ridiculous and way over the top!

If that's how they work, I don't think I'll bother actually. Strictly isn't that important to me. CFs, who do they think they are?!

The only option would be to cancel it after 6 months and then start a new plan 6 months later. You can do this as you are licensed for the full year after you've paid the £150 over 6 months. But then you'd be in the same boat.

Or set up a quarterly plan and put £13 aside each month to pay the £38 every 3 months.

I personally appreciate being able to watch shows (albeit not very many that I actually watch) and to listen to the radio without adverts.

If you don't want to pay just don't watch any BBC content surely?

Nobody makes TV programmes for free, including the BBC. It's your choice whether to watch them. It's not being any more cheeky than Netflix asking you to pay £10 per month. If you don't like it just watch ITV Player or 4OD. You don't need a licence if you only watch those channels online: www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one

Just get a media box, only watch catch up (with the exception of iPlayer) and you don't need a TV license at all.

But the one thing I want to watch is on BBC and I can't watch it without a licence, even on catchup.

Margot I think there's a big difference between £10 a month and £25 ...

Because they are grabbing scumbags, I don't know any other service provider who charges like this, and when you cancel, strangely enough they can only refund in 'full quarters' - so they can keep hold of your money if you don't know this (well hidden) fact in their terms and conditions. Bastards.

I agree they are robbing bastards. No need to charge 6 months up front.

I paid 6 months at £25 or so a month then 6 months at £12 a month, then moved into a property that already had a tv licence so applied for a refund of the 6 months I had paid upfront and they wanted two bits of EVIDENCE to prove I was moving out? Er no just give me back my money you stealers.

Surely it means that everyone is in credit with them at all times?

The licence fee is a relic from a bygone era. It's also a stealth tax.

I don't value the BBC at all now. Though I have to say that I do use the recipes online. I sometimes switch to Radio 3 out of boredom when there's ads on Classic FM (though rare to find anything on i want to listen to mostly just flick back to ads rather than listen to godawful choir or lute music). I enjoy Have I Got News For You. And I'm now watching The Bodyguard because everybody's talking about it but thats the first time ive watched a bbc drama for ages.

In short i get way less out of it than my Netflix and Amazon prime subscriptions and would gladly give it up and not use the few things i mentioned above.

DH once signed up for a TV licence at work so that they could watch the World Cup as a one off. They are still chasing every single year for them to sign up to a TV licence again even though it's a commercial premises and they don't actually have a television.