Tv licence

[Knewmee]

My New Years resolution is to stop funding the bbc through my tv licence, because I think it has become an organisation that is now actively harmful to women.

This is partly because of its astonishingly unbalanced approach to the trans issue. But also because of the impact criminal proceedings, for unpaid licence fee, have on women who are already economically disadvantaged, and who face criminal proceedings and fines for what should be a civil debt.

(Also, my mother, almost 90, is continually harassed by threatening letters about not having a tv licence, and was recently visited by a young male enforcement agent who insisted on coming into her sitting room. She found the experience terrifying. She has never, in her life, owned a television. And at her age she’d presumably not have to pay for a licence anyway, so why they are terrorising her I have no idea.)

Penalising poor women and frightening the aged isn’t something I want to fund, hence the New Years resolution.

I wondered if anyone else who had given up their tv licence had any practical tips or things to avoid. Deleting iplayer, obviously, but any other apps? I’ll still have Prime and Netflix but my understanding is that so long as I don’t use iplayer, or watch any live TV through Prime or YouTube or any other source, I don’t need a licence.

Is there anything I can do to prove I do not watch live tv? That I genuinely don’t need a licence? Any advice appreciated!

You can still watch streaming content, so Youtube and prime should be fine to use.

you also need to delete the all4 and ITV apps from your smart TV as they can provide live broadcast for those channels and those also require a licence even though not bbc.

I thought there were plans to decriminalise the TV licence offence?

Young Person from Capita (TV Licensing) is on commission and gets a Brucey Bonus for every new licence they sell.

Doesn't matter how insistent they are, they are not allowed in without your permission.

you also need to delete the all4 and ITV apps from your smart TV as they can provide live broadcast for those channels and those also require a licence even though not bbc.

You don't have to do this, just be good and don't watch the live broadcast, just the catch up content.

I've not had a TV in my adult life (nor had I watched iPlayer since they changed the rules - I'm overly law abiding.)

Unfortunately the company that polices TV licensing will not, I'm afraid, believe that you don't have one. They will send threatening letters at regular intervals. If you inform them you don't need a licence, they'll leave you alone for about ten months or so, before starting up again.

You can write and withdraw their right to access your letterbox - I think this worked for my last address. Google for more info.

But yes, it's immensely unpleasant and unfair - I've had feet stuck in doors, men shouting through my letter box and a countless stream of letters over hte years. They do cycle through a pattern - escalating their 'investigation' with ever greater red capital letters. Eventually it reverts to the polite starting letters again.

I had my response ready should they have come to the door - they could come back with a policeman (they can supposedly do this but I think they need evidence, and a warrant.). Or they can go away, wouldn't let them in my house in a million years.

Never had a license as never watched live TV, and since they included iplayer haven’t watched that either. We’ve plenty on Netflix/ NowTV and prime, and we always watched catch up anyway due to shift work. I’ve never had them visit my house, get a letter every couple of years where I confirm we don’t require a license and that’s it. However, it is up to them to prove you require a license rather than you to prove you don’t, as far as I’m aware.

A TV is licensible if it is capable of receiving television broadcasts (tuned in) and installed (aeriel plugged in.)

They must prove that your TV meets both of these conditions, and they can't come in unless you let them.

If you get a Now TV stick and pay monthly you can get a whole load of sky content.

You can also download the Pluto TV app for free which streams it's own channels full of crap and stuff from channel 5.

Yes, I’ve told my mother they’re not able to insist on coming in. Trouble is, a very old and fragile person isn’t really able to be ‘rude’ (assertive) and say, no you can’t come in.

My understanding is they are looking into decriminalising. Presumably it’ll take years....during which more women will face proceedings. I suspect they are from a very vulnerable demographic.

If you put [[https://www.eu-landing.corp.pluto.tv/channels pluto tv] on when you have guests people will cycle through the channels and look at you like you are mad.

"Come back with a policeman" my arse.

Watching TV without a licence is still a crime, but to gain a search warrant they need evidence, and unless they spy you through the curtains, they don't have it.

If you put pluto tv on when you have guests people will cycle through the channels and look at you like you are mad.

A Roku Stick is NOW TV on steroids. Everything on Now TV, plus Amazon Prime, Google Play, France 24, CBS & NBC News, and all sorts of crazy Yank stuff.

I have a Roku, You get some of the weirdest stuff like 'Infochammel' on it, it's madness is a stick.

Now TV is far more mainstream and you tend to get a few months of free entertainment or sports packages when you by the stick.

"Come back with a policeman" my arse.

Yes, exactly my point. I imagine it's highly unlikely they could find a warrant.

I don’t need a license. I wrote to tell them a while ago and they’ve now started sending me letters again. I’m not going to keep repeatedly informing a company that I’m not doing something. They’ve threatened a visit in the new year - they won’t be coming in.

me too OP, BBC have really boiled my piss this year and I'm done, we have not watched broadcast telly all month and have not missed it

Unless the TV licence people come into your front garden and peek through the window, there's no way for them to know if you watch live TV or not. And you don't need to let them in unless of course they are accompanied by police who have a warrant.

oh and btw remember the vans with the big radar thing on top? That was a fake radar for scare-tactics.

I have a TV but it's only used for a games console so I don't pay the licence. I get a lot of very threatening-worded letters but I just shred them all

They are awful op. A long time ago they hassled us as DH had bought the TV but I had bought the licence and for some reason they couldn't marry us up - despite us living at the same address. All too difficult with separate surnames....

oh and btw remember the vans with the big radar thing on top? That was a fake radar for scare-tactics

Oh yes, the spinning roof racks according to an air traffic controller from the midlands.

Slightly surprised to see such a ringing endorsement of Boris policies.

He's considering both abolition of licence fee, and if that cannot be rapidly achieved, then the decriminalisation of non-payment (until it is)

Slightly surprised to see such a ringing endorsement of Boris policies.

Why?
1)The majority of the public voted for him
2)the fact that most people convicted of not paying the licence are women has repeatedly been discussed here.

After BBC radio 2 and Jeremy Vine today I will not be listening to any bbc broadcast. Haven’t watched the bbc since the Scottish referendum- I’m done.

I’ll keep paying for the tv license because I have a very sensitive young teenager who would have palpitations if he had to answer the door to them but once he moves out I’ll stop.

Remove their implied right to access your property when you cancel your licence.
By doing this, they can't knock on your door.
It's likely you will be told you have to write a letter, you don't, it can be done over the phone.
Tell them you expect a letter from them clarifying the removal of implied right to access.

You can actually threaten to bill them if you remove their right to access and they knock.