A friend of mine had a visit from the TV licence people today, trouble is that he was watching TV at the time and didn't have a licence. He lives in student accomodation, but has a seperate contract for his room and the use of the communal areas. Was interviewed under caution, had to fill in a form and the person then left. He is buying a licence in the next few days. However he is worried that as the house has not had a licence since October, what are the chances of him being fined for this period?
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TV Licence problems
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Adamw5433
Member
Only speaking from experience.
My wife (before we were married) was cuaght without a TV licence, watching TV at the time. At two different address's.
She was given the under caution rubbish too.
First time she explained that her ex had ran off with all the bill details for everything to do with the house (the biggest reason I forked out to get her into another rented house), the guy took pitty and explained that she MUST aquire a TV licence.
Second time, same situation.
This time she couldn't use the same excuse, so she admitted to viewing without licence.
She said she had tried (she hadn't) to apply for a licence but did not have a bank account and couldn't pay for one.
(apparently the licence is for the address not the person, hence why she wasn't given grief over the previous time)
So she was told that she has to get a licence, she again stated the lack of a bank account.
The licence guy put her on a pay per week card that can be payed at any 'pay point' it was a minimum of £5.27 a week.
So problem solved.
We don't have a TV or licence now we are married and live together.
Just computer monitors that CANNOT recieved transmissions, we've already had a visit fron TV licencing and after a number of arguementative talks.
I invited the inspector to try and get a TV Transmission on the monitors, he refused at first.
I stated that should this be taken to court (as i wouldn't pay a fine) i would use his refusal against him.
So he triend and couldn't get a transmission at all.
I decided it would be prudent to ask about recieving BBC Iplayer ect...
He said its not covered by the TV licence..... erm ok?
I'd think if your mate offered to pay via the 'pay as you go' / pay per week scheme i don't think there would be a problem.
If they ask for back pay from October, agrree to pay £1 per week back.
As long as he intends to settle the debt (if debt would apply) they can't take action against him.
Again its only from experience and may differ partly or completely from your friends situation.
Adam
My wife (before we were married) was cuaght without a TV licence, watching TV at the time. At two different address's.
She was given the under caution rubbish too.
First time she explained that her ex had ran off with all the bill details for everything to do with the house (the biggest reason I forked out to get her into another rented house), the guy took pitty and explained that she MUST aquire a TV licence.
Second time, same situation.
This time she couldn't use the same excuse, so she admitted to viewing without licence.
She said she had tried (she hadn't) to apply for a licence but did not have a bank account and couldn't pay for one.
(apparently the licence is for the address not the person, hence why she wasn't given grief over the previous time)
So she was told that she has to get a licence, she again stated the lack of a bank account.
The licence guy put her on a pay per week card that can be payed at any 'pay point' it was a minimum of £5.27 a week.
So problem solved.
We don't have a TV or licence now we are married and live together.
Just computer monitors that CANNOT recieved transmissions, we've already had a visit fron TV licencing and after a number of arguementative talks.
I invited the inspector to try and get a TV Transmission on the monitors, he refused at first.
I stated that should this be taken to court (as i wouldn't pay a fine) i would use his refusal against him.
So he triend and couldn't get a transmission at all.
I decided it would be prudent to ask about recieving BBC Iplayer ect...
He said its not covered by the TV licence..... erm ok?
I'd think if your mate offered to pay via the 'pay as you go' / pay per week scheme i don't think there would be a problem.
If they ask for back pay from October, agrree to pay £1 per week back.
As long as he intends to settle the debt (if debt would apply) they can't take action against him.
Again its only from experience and may differ partly or completely from your friends situation.
Adam
1) If your friend was receiving transmissions and the address did not have a licence he is liable. This does not apply to iPlayer and the like.
2) There is really no excuse. There are several ways to pay, and the TV is flooded with information films about how to and what the penalties could be.
3) A willingness to admit this could stand them in good stead, but might not. Arguing the toss rarely helps!
4) Though this has not yet been mentioned, any question about whether the licence fee is excessive, unjustified or anything else is just a red herring.
The only difference between this and fare evasion is that the TV authorities have made everything clear and simple.
2) There is really no excuse. There are several ways to pay, and the TV is flooded with information films about how to and what the penalties could be.
3) A willingness to admit this could stand them in good stead, but might not. Arguing the toss rarely helps!
4) Though this has not yet been mentioned, any question about whether the licence fee is excessive, unjustified or anything else is just a red herring.
The only difference between this and fare evasion is that the TV authorities have made everything clear and simple.
90019
Established Member
IIRC, it does apply if you're streaming live broadcast TV through iPlayer.
I remember a few major problems.
First time, I bought one for my room within my student flat on direct debit. They started double-billing me for the first six months, and I didn't notice, which led to me having to pay an overdraft charge. I then stopped payments after six months (having paid for a year) and they started pestering me immediately. No action taken, but a lot of paper wasted on annoying letters.
Second time, I bought a licence for the communal room (meaning the kitchen) because I was the only one in the flat with a telly and there was an aerial point there. Of course, everyone else in the flat watched it, but nobody chipped in... :roll: Anyway, the licensing agency immediately started demanding that I get a licence for my room (where the telly wasn't). At first, I ignored it, then they started threatening to send an inspector round. I rang them to explain, and they backed off for a bit, but then started again. No inspector turned up, but I wonder what they would have done if they turned up to find nothing. An expensive waste of time. At least I paid by cheque this time.
There was a repeat performance the next year, for the same flat.
Finally, I tried to buy one for my room when I did my masters' (different type of flat). They assumed I was buying one for the whole house, and I just ignored it. There was no further action, and I was free to move the telly from room to room.
SO
How do they know which room it's in?
What if somebody borrows it for one night?
If they do an inspection and find that everything is in order (no television or anything else in the flat) do they charge you?
First time, I bought one for my room within my student flat on direct debit. They started double-billing me for the first six months, and I didn't notice, which led to me having to pay an overdraft charge. I then stopped payments after six months (having paid for a year) and they started pestering me immediately. No action taken, but a lot of paper wasted on annoying letters.
Second time, I bought a licence for the communal room (meaning the kitchen) because I was the only one in the flat with a telly and there was an aerial point there. Of course, everyone else in the flat watched it, but nobody chipped in... :roll: Anyway, the licensing agency immediately started demanding that I get a licence for my room (where the telly wasn't). At first, I ignored it, then they started threatening to send an inspector round. I rang them to explain, and they backed off for a bit, but then started again. No inspector turned up, but I wonder what they would have done if they turned up to find nothing. An expensive waste of time. At least I paid by cheque this time.
There was a repeat performance the next year, for the same flat.
Finally, I tried to buy one for my room when I did my masters' (different type of flat). They assumed I was buying one for the whole house, and I just ignored it. There was no further action, and I was free to move the telly from room to room.
SO
How do they know which room it's in?
What if somebody borrows it for one night?
If they do an inspection and find that everything is in order (no television or anything else in the flat) do they charge you?
Thats correct. If you use any media device (TV, PC, mp3 player etc) to view live content then yo do need a licence.
I am a believer in the fee but inspectors will be told to go away as they're often rude and intimidating. They can come back with a court order, which they almost certainly won't get if they want to come in to my house.
Sorry if that sounds arrogant. I don't want them in my house, full stop. Seeing what TV I have, computer equipment etc. Nothing illegal, I might add!
Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk
Sorry if that sounds arrogant. I don't want them in my house, full stop. Seeing what TV I have, computer equipment etc. Nothing illegal, I might add!
Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk
Having had the misfortune of living in student accommodation, I've had dealings with the TV licensing people. Sadly, guilt is assumed until innocence is proven when you are a student, and they go out their way to send you very threatening letters and routinely search your home for presence of a television (although this didn't happen in my case, I was told that someone would definitely be sent out; perhaps no-one was home at the time?). It's pretty disconcerting to have letters popping through your door with "YOU MAY BE PROSECUTED" written on the front, even when they have no evidence either way.
The law is absolutely bizarre, and is designed to inconvenience students. In my house with 4 people, one license covers everything; we can have as many TVs as we want in as many rooms as we want. In my student flat (with 5 people) we need an individual license each, plus one for the communal area; up to 6 licenses. It's almost no wonder that students don't pay it. I can only assume its a revenue earning exercise; make them pay for a ridiculous number of licenses, or fine them if they don't comply.
As for the OP; sorry, but he's been caught. It's the ones like your friend who give the rest of us a bad name, and it's probably the reason why we get harassed so much.
The law is absolutely bizarre, and is designed to inconvenience students. In my house with 4 people, one license covers everything; we can have as many TVs as we want in as many rooms as we want. In my student flat (with 5 people) we need an individual license each, plus one for the communal area; up to 6 licenses. It's almost no wonder that students don't pay it. I can only assume its a revenue earning exercise; make them pay for a ridiculous number of licenses, or fine them if they don't comply.
As for the OP; sorry, but he's been caught. It's the ones like your friend who give the rest of us a bad name, and it's probably the reason why we get harassed so much.
If you have a PC with an internet connection, doesn't that count as a television? It's certainly capable of receiving television broadcasts.
Wyvern
Established Member
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If you are watching after a transmission you dont.
If you are watching during the transmission you do.
So you are OK to watch last Sunday's Being Human, but not the News Channel. That is how I read the info on the BBC web site.
PS: Just copied this off my (electronic) TV lience:
If you are watching during the transmission you do.
So you are OK to watch last Sunday's Being Human, but not the News Channel. That is how I read the info on the BBC web site.
PS: Just copied this off my (electronic) TV lience:
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90019
Established Member
I'm currently staying in halls at Stirling, and we've been told by the porters that if the TV Licencing people turn up, they'll be politely told to sod off and not allowed access into the building.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I'm curious to know if/how they could prove you've been watching TV on a computer.
Your ISP would have a record.
Living in halls in first year, every room received around 4 letters over the course of the year. This even included rooms for cleaning storage and electrical stuff. Same has happened every year since. Must waste a huge amount of money on postage and the letters themselves.
He has just paid the TV licence covering up until the end of June. Time will tell if he gets any further punishment. I still don't know why he let the person in, could have told him 'no' and closed the door.
He has just paid the TV licence covering up until the end of June. Time will tell if he gets any further punishment. I still don't know why he let the person in, could have told him 'no' and closed the door.
Thats because they wont know which rooms are the store rooms and such like. Every room in Student halls has to have its own TV license IIRC. And im not sure if a shared house has to have one per room(if separately numbered and thus addressed) or just one to cover the house
kentuckytony
Member
Sorry to chime in, but glad I live in the USA.
Broadcast TV is free. But of course you have to pay for cable or satellite hookups.
But no licenses in any case.
How much is one o' those licenses? This whole situation sounds complicated.
Now when I lived in Margate back in the early 1950s, only our neighbor accross the street had a TV. We all went over to watch. (Probably not much on at the time) Did they have licenses way back then?
Broadcast TV is free. But of course you have to pay for cable or satellite hookups.
But no licenses in any case.
How much is one o' those licenses? This whole situation sounds complicated.
Now when I lived in Margate back in the early 1950s, only our neighbor accross the street had a TV. We all went over to watch. (Probably not much on at the time) Did they have licenses way back then?
A colour TV Licence costs £145.50 and a black and white TV Licence costs £49.00 and I think is valid for about a year or so.
I don't really have too much of a problem with the idea of a license (in part because I like a lot of what the BBC produce and not having to have adverts on the BBC). My problem comes from the scare tactics and guilty till proven innocent way they treat students certainly, but from reading their website it looks like that's just the way they do business. That I have a problem with. Quite a significant one.
I don't really have too much of a problem with the idea of a license (in part because I like a lot of what the BBC produce and not having to have adverts on the BBC). My problem comes from the scare tactics and guilty till proven innocent way they treat students certainly, but from reading their website it looks like that's just the way they do business. That I have a problem with. Quite a significant one.
I've had horrendous letters from TV licensing. We moved house and informed them we had a license. They send a letter asking why we didn't ahve a license. We rang up and explained we did and gave them all the details again. They sent our license renewal to our old address. We rang up again to change the details. Then we got a very threatening letter from them. We wrote them one back saying that if they did not update their records and stop sending them we'd be consulting a solicitor about the harrassment - we got an apology.
Both my parents have had to sort out the affairs of thir parents when they've died. Despite being told there is no-one living at a property due to a death they still send out thier letters which can be quite upsettting.
90019
Established Member
I have no issues with the licence itself, as it funds the BBC, and I like having channels with no adverts interrupting programs on them - something I hate about American TV. But, as mentioned, the scare tactics used can be pretty appalling at times.
Especially as ITV / Channel 4 / Channel 5 have just been allowed to have 12 minutes of adverts instead of 7 in each hour. Assuming they can find enough advertisers.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Yes they did - you'd have had to have had a radio or a TV licence. And it'd have been a neighbour in Margate
90019
Established Member
The adverts is one of the main reasons I don't really watch stuff on the commercial channels (Plus I don't really watch TV anyway).
These rooms have been the same since the block was built in the 60s, so I'm sure they could have asked someone from the university about which ones are accommodation and which ones aren't!
For halls each room has to have a licence, however in a shared house one person can buy it and it covers the whole house apparently.
For shared houses, it all depends if you have locks on the rooms. If not, then you need one licence to cover the house, if they do you need seperate licences. Student halls room have locks, thus the multiple licences. Your parent's house (probably) doesn't, thus they only need the one.
If you have a separate tenancy agreement for your room then you need a licence.
Ivo
Established Member
We received a threatening letter about a month or so ago from TV licensing, and as soon as we received I know something was up. Bearing in mind we had been living here for four months by then, it was addressed to a previous tenant!
No-one else would get away with that. In this country, I'm glad to say that innocence must be assumed until guilt is proven. Sadly, the TV Licensing people seem to operate a slightly different way, and its not acceptable. I reckon you could quite easily challenge this if you had enough power to do so.
I do actually know some students who got themselves very worked up when they started getting envelopes addressed to them with the words YOU MAY BE PROSECUTED written along the top. It's wholly unacceptable.
I agree that the wording is not acceptable but they have every right to use it, watching TV without a licence is a criminal offence.
Probably, but I don't have the time/money and to be honest I'm not sure I could be bothered to fight it out. I suspect that's same for many people.
Perhaps, my problem is the very first letter I received rather than informing me along the lines of "You need to buy a TV licence it's a legal requirement if you watch TV live" was more "Failure to buy a TV license will lead to prosecution" before going to give me the procedure including how the court day would play out! That was the first letter I got from them. If that's not a form of intimidation then I don't know what is. I also got the letter me123 referred to as well with lovely red lettering. I don't think any organisation has the right to treat people like that from the get go.
When I was in USA there were so many adverts on the TV it was pretty much unwatchable.
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