I just got a TV license reminder for my derelict barn!!!!

[Katymac]

I won't be paying it

I have no tv and the licence people are at me constantly with threats to take me to court etc. They've even been round with heavies before!

TV licence people are Stalinist bullies. Grr. Had nasty experiences with them when I didn't have a TV. And when I bought a TV for someone else.

When we moved I phoned to chenge my TV licence over from my old house to the new one (new build) and had to use the automated service. A few months later I recieved a threatening letter, saying I had no TV licence and they would be taking me to court!! I did manage to sort it out, but apparently the automated service wasn't working properably the week I used it

lol - I don't blame you Katy.

McEdam - I'm so glad that you think that my DH is a "stalinist bulliy" .

SGK - that letter is the same for anyone - whether it's a "licence request" (ie someone has called up and asked for a form to fill in at ome), a "non-renewal", "new tenant".....and they're not really particularly threatening letters!

I lived in a hall of residence at university and we used to receive a licence reminder regularly for all of the rooms on our corridor, including the shower room, the toilets, the laundry room and the cleaners' cupboard, each of which had their own door numbers (every door was numbered whether a bedroom or not). They really don't have a clue!

They threaten everyone as standard which is totally unacceptable. I got a letter threatening to take me to court over an empty unfurnished flat that we had just bought. I rang them and complained and they just wouldnt believe there was no one living there! I told them to take me to court and see what happened.

We moved recently, and the MQ we moved into was empty for about 3 months before we moved in. There were 6 letters from TV licencing unopend, delivered to "the occupant". i called to notify them of change of address, and I got a visit 2 weeks ago from them. They said
"we did write and tell you that we would visit". When I pointed out that A) I had moved
B) Phoned and told them and
C) Showed them a bank statement with the tv licence direct debit on they left.

However, this visit was approximately 10 weeks after I had moved, and 9 weeks after I had phoned to notify them.

I do think their tactics leave a lot to be desired, and although it does annoy me that some people don't pay their licence, sending "mildly threatning" letters to peoole when they move, and to keep sending them can cause some distress, especially to elderly people

you'll have been visited because (as standard) once an address is in the system as not having a licence (and ALL addresses are in the system........any new builds once the postcode is known are given to TVL) a letter is sent out to the address - and then "visits" sent to the licensing officers/enforcement officers.

If someone visits the address and no-one answers the door then there's a code which they put on their bit they return to TVL offices - and it goes through the cycle again. Obvously unless it's VERY obvious it can be difficult to know if it's a case of nobody at home/no-one living there.

As for the halls of residence - if every room is numbered until someone visits they won't know that some of them are toilets etc......THAT instance is probably the HoR fault for numbering each one and then telling TVL that there are "x" number of rooms.....

They don't send letters every time you move. What they DO recognise though is that if someone that has a licence has moved out of the address that you're moving to - then it will automatically get sent a letter saying there's no licence. Of course because the system happens in 'cycles' this can mean that it overlaps with you calling to transfer your licence (and you'd be amazed how many people forget to transfer their licence when they move - DH does roughly one a day!).

How are they supposed to know who is living at an adress where there is no licence registered??? Unfortunatley the only way to make sure that all addresses are covered is to send letters to all of them, and follow up with a Sales Officer (or if you're bl**dy stubborn and rude to previous SO's you may get Enforcement Officers - who usually work in pairs).

Oh and another thing that could affect if you get "the heavies" or the "sales officer" is if there's been a reported incidence at the property you're at. Most of the current records go back to beginning of 2003.......so if in March that year a Sales Officer was attacked/threatened dangerously (like having knifes/guns waved in their faces) it will be on the system - and most of those visits then go to the Enforcement Officers who work in pairs for their own protection.

If you DO get a threatening visit......report them FGS - otherwise it gives the other 95% of them a bad name and they just end up getting treated worse.

For one of my house moves a few years ago I forgot to transfer my tv licence, was paying monthly by direct debit, but never got round to phoning them. (would always remember when in tesco, or at 3am, etc!)

Anyway. I got a knock on the door and there was a bloke there, insisted on coming in, said he was here because I don't have a tv licence, i said i do, he said you don't and it's a thousand pound fine. Wanted me to sign some sort of confession or other!! like a caution??? not sure what it was.

I explained that i did but, oops, had forgotten to give them my new address. He would NOT believe me and kept telling me what they do to people who don't have a tv licence. I told him to phone and get them to check my details (old house), which he did, reluctantly, of course that confirmed i was paying for a tv licence.

Then he lectured me about not updating my details.

It was his 'You Are A Liar' attitude that annoyed me!!! Walked into my home with a nasty attitude like he was dealing with scum.

MTP - you should have reported him.......stupid pr*ck - they're not all like that - honest! Well DH can't be that bad he's always coming home laden with gifts from relieved people that have got their licences sorted - everything from Polish Vodka to South American Delicacies .

And they DO follow complains up......DH got a text from his boss the other day - does he remember a visit in Jan 2006 , the woman was bathing her kids at the time........(she'd only just bothered to ring and complain LOL) - strangely DH didn't remember it....after all he does most of his visits later afternoon/early evening and consequently visits lots of houses were 2 children are being bathed by a woman at the time

mind you he was also wasting his own time (and money!) not ringing straight away to check - the time he spent being an idiot he could probably have done his next visit and got a sale LOL.

the hting i hate si that the ourts hev to collect unpaid fees
etc
hardly criminla is it
doing the governments enforcement work

the hting i hate si that the ourts hev to collect unpaid fees
etc
hardly criminla is it
doing the governments enforcement work

Coddy - if it didn't go to court - you'd just have the TVL people in court having beaten someone up to get the money out of the unpaying licence person

and Cod - it is criminal because the law says you have to have one if you own a TV - just like you need Tax and Insurance for your car and have to pay your Council Tax

noit coudl go to a civil court like most debts do

i havent paid mt tv liscence yet this year.

its a community one and our warden was off ill, it has been paid for by the warden dept, but not been collected yet from the tenants as our warden isnt back on site till mid sept. when she comes back we can pay it.