1997 1.9TD Estate - A Tyre-ing question about handling

[CitroJim]

I've better things to do with my time than sit staring at a CRT in the corner of the room being fed intelligent-insulting BS

I go 'off-line' at around 6:30 and then gently wind down to bedtime by listening to music and reading...

Hence why it's a very rare occurrence to see me on here in the evenings

[ekjdm14]

I find I have little conversation with my colleagues 'cos I've not had a TV for years - & fighting off the TVLO is tiresome.

Simply either don't answer the door to them, or if you do get "caught out" just state "I do not receive or record broadcasts, and I now require you to leave the property." Failure to leave the property when asked is an offence and you would be within your rights to call the police if they continue to refuse, be warned some coppers will be on their side though.

Also, if you have a severe harassment problem with them you can write a letter to TVL/Capita withdrawing their implied right of access (the right that allows the postman & such people to enter your property and knock on your door)

[van ordinaire]

I'm seldom at home but, in any event, never answer the door to people I don't know, or whose status is recognised. I did once demand that an inspector left my premises, he said "but I'm from TVLO" but when I made it clear I wasn't impressed - he went off down the road hurling threats over his shoulder: pathetic!

It's not that I don't know what to do, it's just that the endless envelopes (no idea what's in them any more, as they're simply marked R-T-S - & put back in the post: exercising my right to refuse unsolicited mail) are tedious. I don't like their attitude, the assumption that everyone MUST have licence or, indeed, that they're allowed to have a data base of addresses that don't have licences!

Not sure that "I do not receive or record broadcasts" will work though, because my understanding is that you require a licence for anything "capable of receiving a TC signal" (so not sure where I stand with a computer, which is clearly capable but not enabled). Also, even in analogue days, not having a TV wasn't an acceptable reason for not having a licence, their form made no reason for that, to them inconceivable, possibility. Nor even that the property in unoccupied!

[Hell Razor5543]

If you have any equipment capable of receiving a TV signal (and now they added in Internet capability via the iPlayer) you are meant to pay a licence fee. Whether it can DISPLAY an image is irrelevant. If you have a video recorder but no screen you still have equipment capable of receiving the TV signal.

[CitroJim]

Yes, I see the BBC player thingy now comes up and asks if you have a license. I have so I say yes but I do wonder if you say you haven't. Does the player stop working or do you just get an electronic rollicking?

[ekjdm14]

Not sure on that one, my understanding is that an offence is only committed if you cause said equipment to actually do what it's capable of...

Otherwise that's akin to being liable for arrest/prosecution for murder if you own a sharp knife, simply because it's capable of being used as a murder weapon. The offence there only takes place when one actually causes said knife to kill someone... Or fining everyone who drives for speeding if their car is capable of breaking a speed limit...

Not sure on iPlayer but may have a go later, provided it's not illegal to pull the screen up and tell them you don't have a licence lol

[myglaren]

My daughter has no licence so she comes to my house and downloads iPlayer programs

[mickeymoon]

Yes, I see the BBC player thingy now comes up and asks if you have a license. I have so I say yes but I do wonder if you say you haven't. Does the player stop working or do you just get an electronic rollicking?

It tells you to bugger off and you can't play anything.

[elma]

Yes, I see the BBC player thingy now comes up and asks if you have a license. I have so I say yes but I do wonder if you say you haven't. Does the player stop working or do you just get an electronic rollicking?

It tells you to bugger off and you can't play anything.

The no button is a link to a page to buy a tv license.

iPlayer won't work unless you tell it you have one but does not check.

Theres 2 ways to deal with license people. First is write back to the BBC and say I don't have a tv. It's still allowed, I never have and don't want one.

Second ignore then and if they ever bother to send someone round tell them you don't watch tv and go away.

To the letter of the rules if you have any receiving equipment you pay. It doesn't seem to work like that though, you can opt out if you have a laptop like me but don't watch iplayer. Lots of people have a bit flatscreen nowadays and it's not connected to the tv network. I don't know anyone who's had trouble for it.

[mickeymoon]

The third way is to have a dusty old 14" portable in a corner under a pile of stuff clearly not used for aeons and when they come knocking invite them in and say "yes, I have a telly. There it is. Does it look like I use it?"

They then go away satisfied and you never hear from them again, and can watch the telly you have upstairs in your bedroom in peace ever after.

I am *not* the person who's put this to the test..

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[ekjdm14]

Not inviting them in or speaking to them at all is the best/safest course of action IMO. Speaking as a "retired" (I got bored of issuing the same advice over and again to people of limited intelligence who were more looking to save a few quid than genuinely disagreeing with the Licence Fee) admin for the former TV Licence Resistance group (currently Active Resistance to the TV Licence IIRC) the course of action I would always suggest whether one is legally licence free or "chancing it" would always be 'No Contract, No Contact'.

They can try all they like but will never successfully prosecute "the present occupier" and so long as any of their scare-tactic letters are addressed as such, you need not pay any attention to them nor answer the door to one of their hired goons.

[elma]

I don't worry about them too much. They wouldn't come down here and they'd speak to the dog anyway if they did. There's another much bigger dog coming to live here soon as well so non friends will probably give the place a wide berth.

[myglaren]

Although my TV hasn't been watched in well over a year I pay the licence fee anyway as having a BTTV subscription for my son's TV kind of gives the game away.

[daviemck2006]

If you only watch catch up tv or internet tv you do not need a licence. However watch even one programme as it is being broadcast whether on sky, or freeview and whether its bbc1 or dave or discovery or whatever then you need a licence. And tv licence officers have no right to come in to your home, prosecute you and cant tell ifbyou are watching live tv or not. So therfore i dont have sky, dont have freeview, dont have freesat, only an internet tv set top box with kodi installed. And there opens up another whole world of legalities etc lol.

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