How some people deal with TV licensing

[Fon]

Completely wrong comparison. No one assumes that everyone has a shotgun at home, but it is assumed that almost everyone has a TV.

You dont have to have a licence if you own a TV?

Fon

[Bald Bouncer]

For people who don't have a TV/use in a way to need a licence they can be extremely aggressive, rude and constantly calling at all hours of the day, my brother has never owned a TV and never will but constantly gets harassed by these people so I can see why legitimate people get so annoyed and film it. He has written to them many times and tells them when they call but they still keep coming as do the letters.

I would also suggest these people are updated on the law about filming them, I do understand they are doing a job but it is not as black and white as it seems as you are presuming all these people are guilty of watching a TV without a licence and if you presume the opposite the attitude of them is far more understandable.

[rids]

I remember the old tv license vans that used to come down the road when i was younger. its only now that i realize that all the aerials and satellite dish on the probably did not do a thing and it was just a scare tactic and all it would have been is a man with a print out of who did not have a licence.
(pic not of the one i remember)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...tector_Van.jpg

[jaguar982]

You can own a tv but if it is capable of receiving a signal then you need a licence I dont know if that has changed

Jag

[Fon]

You can own a tv but if it is capable of receiving a signal then you need a licence I dont know if that has changed

Jag

You need a licence if you watch live or nearly live television. Thats it!

The rest is pure propaganda on their part.

Its the equivalent of me presuming that you have driven too fast, purely because you own a fast car.

Fon

[Geko]

Another point: Two years ago my father in law started checking the football results on ITV teletext. Three months later he has a telephone bill of £200. £140 of which was for his results checking. He couldn't read the small print and didn't think there would be a charge for using teletext. Also the BBC don't encourage gambling and debt by running late night (when people are pissed) gambling programs. In my opinion commercial TV channels are ripping people off in every way they can get away with it.
Some people probably loose enough money in a year to pay for their TV licence for the rest of their lives. (">

Irrelevent. Was is good for you, isn't good for everybody.

There is no choice. Give people the option - Watch BBC and pay the licence. Don't watch it, no need to pay it.

Although my point isn't about the quality of programming or the price. By issue is with their demand to enter your house to prove that you don't watch TV. I don't appreciate anyone demanding right of entry to my residence.

[{{909}}]

Fair enough some folks have a TV and dont watch live TV, but surely they can see the doubt it raises on them by refusing to let a tv scumbag in your house to check. Just let them in and get fucking over it! I wonder how many of these pillars of society would have the same response if the scumbag was 19 and female?
I have a vague recollection of a chap visiting us cos we had a black n white telly long after the majority had switched over to the miracle of colour, we let him in, he looked at the set, laughed and fucked off. The end. No need for youtube, a pisswank mobile phone video or the bill of rights.

[tombott]

Some of the people in the video are a little OTT, but I completely understand why they are doing this.
Learn your rights and stand up for them.
The reason so many of the TV License guys walk off when they see the camera is they know that they have NO rights to be there.
Just for the record I pay my TV license, but am constantly getting letters for non payment as our house used to be two properties.
They have been notified that it is now one, but it doesn't stop the letters, threats and demands from coming through.
I look forward to the day they set a foot on my land.

[liveseytowers]

You can have a TV just not watch live television programs, you can watch catch up tv all day without a licence, they can be as nice to you at the door as they want, the minute they get your name they still prosecute and I do believe there is a cash incentive for each property prosecuted, maybe ant3b can confirm this?

This is true, they do work on commission. You can have as many TV's as you like as long as you don't watch any live TV. iPlayer is fine but no live stuff. Pretty hard to prove really as everyone knows how to watch live TV on a PC. They need to take a statement from you before it goes to court which you need to sign. They need evidence that you are watching live TV or a confession from you, which is why they try and trick you by clever questioning to determine if you are watching live TV or not.

If you don't need a licence I don't see what the problem is in showing them your equipment. Once you've been confirmed as having no TV they put a mark on the database that stops letters and visits from being generated to your property.

[Bald Bouncer]

If you don't need a licence I don't see what the problem is in showing them your equipment. Once you've been confirmed as having no TV they put a mark on the database that stops letters and visits from being generated to your property.

Three times now my brother has let them in to check and it does not stop the letters or them calling round, he is a lot more placid than I am and will often comply rather than make a fuss but even he is starting to tell them to fuck off when they call now as he has even tried sending recorded delivery letters to the TV licencing to no effect.

[Fon]

let a tv scumbag in your house to check. Just let them in and get fucking over it!

Iv always hated bullies, and the way that captia send out threatening, misleading mail, and then send bullies round to intimidate the elderly and single mothers etc makes me sick to the teeth. They have no right whatsoever to do it, but they rely on their properganda to create fear in the occupant, when in reality they are only salesman, visiting you to try and sell you a licence.

Why on earth would I bother to entertain them, when I have no legal obligation to? and I find their tactics fowl and appalling from a professional company that's being contracted by the Government.

Now maybe if they wrote to me nicely, and offered to pay for my time, I may change my view.

Fon

[JonEp]

I think those people got a little carried away with themselves when they decided to record a premeditated confrontation. Almost working themselves up to performing for their own camera.

I'm sure some of them must have cringed when they played it back and heard some of the rubbish they were spouting. Revoking implied rights of access etc shows they are spending too much time on the consumer action website.

It is far simpler and a lot less aggro for all concerned not to answer the front door in the first place. This removes confrontation and avoids you failing into any trap to provide evidence or data to the caller. This goes for debt collectors, TV licencing, bailiffs etc. They have a round of properties to visit don't make yours stand out by being an arse in the middle of your street. Nothing is achieved by it.

[Geko]

Iv always hated bullies, and the way that captia send out threatening, misleading mail, and then send bullies round to intimidate the elderly and single mothers etc makes me sick to the teeth. They have no right whatsoever to do it, but they rely on their properganda to create fear in the occupant, when in reality they are only salesman, visiting you to try and sell you a licence.

Why on earth would I bother to entertain them, when I have no legal obligation to? and I find their tactics fowl and appalling from a professional company that's being contracted by the Government.

Now maybe if they wrote to me nicely, and offered to pay for my time, I may change my view.

Fon

Completely agree.

[hoponbaby]

I get dozens of their letters at a time adressed to all the companies that use our address as their registered office. Still waiting for the promised visits though

[wadgey]

LOL @ 2:30 front gate and no fence.

Your right.

I bet most of the people behind the camera in the vid spend more in a month on fag's, drink/drugs than it cost's for a TV License

And do so whilst watching Jeremy Kyle.

[liveseytowers]

Only just watched this. The guy in the first video worked for an agency sub contracted by Capita and they ended up losing the contract to supply and train enforcement officers as a direct result of that video. A couple of the guys are regional managers as well so to get a visit from them it must have been a repeat visit. Can see why people get frustrated. Id def get rid of mine if it wasnt for the Mrs.

[burner1]

Lol @ 'Power to the people' bloke... probably been watching a rerun of Citizen Smith (which, incidently, you wouldn't need a TV licence for )

[emu]

why cant we have the option to pay the license if we want to watch the bbc channels and listen to them on the radio

me personally i could do without them and would like to save the money every year to pay for something else

[Argyll]

In this day and age it is assumed that everyone has, and watches TV. Therefore it should be up to the householder to prove they don't have one, which would mean letting TV licensing officials in to see for themselves. To refuse should automatically carry a charge of obstruction. (">

So if you didn't own a car should you still expect to be bombarded with letters to pay road tax? Why should anyone allow someone in their house to prove they don't have a TV. Isn't this an invasion of someone's privacy?

If people choose not to have a TV licence then personally I have no problem with it considering the pish they put on TV now and the way they handle it's finances (George Entwistle)

No one should have the right to enter your house if you haven't committed a criminal offence.

People should have the choice whether or not to watch BBC. Why can't they encrypt their channels and allow people to watch non BBC channels free of charge?

I watch very little TV. The only programmes I watch are The Living Dead, Boardwalk Empire, Homeland and the odd documentary on Sky. Neither are on BBC Yet I am forced to buy a BBC TV licence!!!!

It's like paying for next doors fuel for their Range Rover while I drive a Fiat. It doesn't make sense.

We're one of the very few countries that pay for a TV licence.

[Argyll]

One more thing these enforcement people work for a private firm called Capita. They work on a commission and are well known for preying on the weak and vulnerable such as single mothers and old people.