TV licence

I do have lots of objections to the BBC
the way they ask for money and waste it
that they over pay news presenters that keep giving us their personal opinions
they when they have nothing new to report they speculate
that they seem in awe of the 'elite' yet favour the left
that they provide obscure services often for tiny interest groups they they could charge the users for directly

but there are a few programmes I do watch and I do sometimes use radio 4 extra
so for £3 a week they are not that overpriced that I would go to the hassle of refusing to pay
because if they choose to they can enter your home without warning take all your computers & phones etc on the pretence of checking you have not watched live TV...any channel not even theirs..
then take weeks to return them having been through your hard drives and internet history as far back as they want.


if you do want to give up your licence you might find this informative

https://www.debtadvisorycentre.co.uk/blog/how-to-watch-tv-without-a-tv-license-0-4259-0

whatever you choices be sure you have first become 'informed'

 

I believe they can only enter your home with your permission. Although if you refuse they may be able to obtain a warrant. Not sure of the right for them to remove your property but it doesn't sound right. Where does that information come from?

With regard to the cost - it needs to compete in the world as it is now. Not 50 years ago. But I simply don't watch it at all so do not see any reason to pay.

 

On the one occasion they did visit me I did invite them in. After a few questions they declined to do so but before leaving requested I make the declaration online that I don't need a license.

I didn't...

 

In Ireland a TV licence will at some point be made to a Media license.
This means if you have a radio, TV or a smart media device larger than 7 inches you will have to have a license.
RTÉ is our main radio & TV broadcasting network that cannot compete with Netflix and equivalent services.

Smells like a desperate money grab.

 

I am reminded of an incident during the miners strike I was told about by some miners

In Bolsover as part of the harass the miners in all ways possible the BBC went into areas with high miner populations they went in with their TV Detector Vans and striking miners were being questioned and then prosecuted for not having TV licences .

The miners not being one for taking things lying down. Overturned one of these Detector Vans .. the sophisticated tracking and detecting equipment inside was revealed to be
filing cabinets..


they can not tell you who is watching what and when
What they can do is state whether or not you had a licence at the same time as you had equipment in your home that could be used to receive a TV transmission.

But in order to determine that ... they will take away anything electronic in your home that they consider might be used to receive live TV. Computers, laptops, tablets, Kindles, Kobos mobile phones etc How soon they would be returned to you is really a very up in air the question.

 

I quit TV around 15 years ago.

Every two years I have to declare to the TV licencing people that I stil don't need a TV licence (via their web site). 2 years comes around a lot quicker than one thinks!

I had someone come to the door once, ask to see my TV. I said I don't have a TV and I don't watch TV shows as it's just garbage for the mind. They huffed and puffed for a moment but I said I was busy and closed the door.

 

They cannot take anything away and they cannot look at a computer laptop iPad iPhone or any other device bar a TV and set top boxes etc like sky ones etc as simple as it is they can only look at a receiver and simple fact is computers and phones etc are not receivers.
they need a warrant that needs the police to come with them to enter your home forcibly and rarely get a warrant, also they conduct the search themselves not the police the police only stand to make sure you don’t block access.
If you get such a visit film them fully as they will hate it and will spend more time telling you not to than searching and been it’s your house you can film all you like as long as don’t obstruct them.
Also in the search it must be simply related only to items plugged in that could work if turned on though that still dosent prove you watch it unless it is on when they come in.
Searching dosent allow them to go through places that don’t relate to a tv receiver so if they decide to rifle through your panties draw then it is not allowed.

 

there is a lot of scare tactics and fallacy behind the tv license inspectors and there power and what they can do and it is very very limited even with a warrant as the warrant is very specific that they can only check receivers nothing more. And reality is if you are watching nothing when they enter then there nothing they can do anyway as simple as it is they must catch you with it on.
Like with most things it’s how they go about it that scares sone people into admitting and doing silly things that they have no need to do

 

I am from the US and never heard of a tv license. Sonif you receive over the air tv you have to pay a license fee. Makes no sense

 

You only need a licence if you watch live t.v. Or watch BBC iPlayer, anything else it's not required.
You don't have to let them in to your house, though they make out you do. I'm waiting for them to turn up at mine. Will simply be saying, I don't need a t.v. Licence, I have signed the declaration, good bye.

 

They do have a page where you can opt out.

https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/telling-us-you-dont-need-a-tv-licence

Whether or not this means they'll badger you after remains to be seen. I know a few people who have abandoned the license since they don't watch live TV or use iPlayer and they haven't moaned about harassment.
I think you probably would get angry letters of you just cancelled the direct debit but didn't fill in the declaration.

 

Take the ariel down from the roof if you have one... The only use for it is to receive live TV, so without it, there's one less reason for them to hassle you.

 

That used to be the case years ago. But now there are so many different ways to watch live tv without an ariel, it's not going to convince them.