UK TV License

[exogenesis]

Just recently seen you now need to 'sign in' to BBC iPlayer, no option.
I can see their reasons (e.g. getting all iPlayer users licensed).

Personally I don't want a BBC account, & don't want the 'connection' between my PC & TV.

So I've stopped watching iPlayer.

For years now I haven't been able to receive broadcast TV (arial cable snapped years ago, it's dangling around in the wind up near the ariel).

Don't think I'm going to miss much, since I don't think much of nearly all of the content these days.

So I think I don't need a license & have cancelled my direct-debit payment, I seem to have been paying monthly for some reason.

Does the law require me to inform TV licensing ?, I won't if I don't have to,
& I certainly don't want to be bothered by a 'inspection visit' which is apparently triggered by informing them.



BBC's take on this is:
https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/about/leg ... policy-AB9

Part 4 of the Communications Act 2003 makes it an offence to use or install TV receiving equipment to:

watch or record programmes as they’re being shown on TV or live on an online TV service, including programmes streamed over the internet and satellite programmes from outside the UK, or
watch or download BBC programmes on demand, including catch up TV, on BBC iPlayer without being covered by a TV Licence.

and
https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if- ... tv-licence

No TV? Not watching live TV on any channel, or BBC programmes on iPlayer? Empty property? You can let us know here.

You don’t need a TV Licence if you:

never watch or record programmes on any channel as they’re being shown on TV or live on an online TV service, and
never download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer – live, catch up or on demand.

This could be on any device, including a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box or DVD/VHS recorder.

Now I don't use/want/need the iPlayer/terrestial-broadcast services anyway,
since my usual TV usage is playing DVD/Bluray discs or Amazon Fire TV for box-sets etc.


£150/year is not a lot, & I might 'support' the BBC by getting a license later anyway,
but cancelling my license is sort of a protest about being forced to 'log in' to things.

To me it's clear I don't need a license,
do you reckon they'll agree ?

[red assassin]

If you're not watching iPlayer and not watching broadcast TV, you don't need a license. If they send inspectors round you're entirely within your rights to politely tell them to leave and close the door on them. (I didn't have a TV license for years, and had the heavies sent round to check on me once.)

[Alan Phipps]

I rather think it might be the other way around. I think you might be pestered by letter or visit if your residence's TV licence lapses and you didn't inform the licencing authority. At least if you tell them of your valid reasons for not having one, your address will be annotated as such on their records.

If you don't tell them and let the licence lapse and then later you bought in the UK (or imported) a TV/recorder etc (for whatever reasons) then that could cause the supplier to routinely report the purchase up the licencing chain and so trigger a licence enquiry for your address.

Of course even informing them now may not stop them flagging it for a review after a set period to see if the address occupation or viewing situation has changed.

The best way to clarify all this without setting the licencing dogs loose, I would think, is to have a chat with your local citizens' or consumer advice agencies.

[Ronald Sandoval]

look on you tube see what they do to get their poll tax
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZROUn6lTrA0

[red assassin]

I got regular threatening letters when I didn't have a license, despite having informed them I didn't need one. The visit from the enforcers happened after re-informing them I didn't need one after I'd been living here about a year (although it was also early afternoon on a weekday and a complete coincidence I was home at the time, so they might have come round at other times as well). I don't think it makes too much difference what you do or don't say to them.

[Antilogic]

I've got a decent amount of experience on this, so ill run down a few things. First though:

but cancelling my license is sort of a protest about being forced to 'log in' to things.

That is a really weird reason. I mean, I have my problems with the licensing fee, mostly around how outdated the model is, but this has to be at the bottom of the problem list. It's a perfectly reasonable and standard method of ensuring you have paid for the content you are accessing. I can't say I understand this at all.

Does the law require me to inform TV licensing ?

You should inform them at least once, like you would with any standard service you wish to cancel. There is a simple process on the website. Just select "I don't need one".

& I certainly don't want to be bothered by a 'inspection visit' which is apparently triggered by informing them.

Inspection visits are triggered by a number of things, but not that.

The best way to clarify all this without setting the licencing dogs loose, I would think, is to have a chat with your local citizens' or consumer advice agencies.

Overkill, all the information is available on the licensing website. It's not complex, it's just outdated and makes assumptions.

My experience is fun, because I seemed to have an error at some point with my data.

I cancelled and they said fine no problem, refunded me the rest of the years worth of payments. Yay.

Next year, I got a letter asking me to confirm again I wasn't using it. I did so. Fine.

Next year, another letter. This is annoying now. I don't have to keep telling Sky I don't want their service. But I filled it out (30 second process).

But I started getting letters from them, usual ones you would expect. I was peeved now, filled out the form again, no effect. So I just ignored them and have continued to do so.

I get a letter about once every 2 weeks from them (now dropped my name and switched to "Occupier of"). I got an inspection visit once, spoke with them over the intercom (2 min convo) and they said they would correct it. No change.

So, my recycling bin gets a letter delivered to it every 2 weeks. Oh well.

[exogenesis]

Well this is quite worrying,
didn't know there was such a ham-fisted response from BBC 'contractors' to try & bully you into 'complying'.

Think I might just let the license lapse & see what happens, cos from what I can see in those videos,
the response is the same anyway, even if I play 'fair' & let them know...

The advice from Alan seems 'gentlemanly' & reasonable, but from this I'm not expecting a reasonable response !

Thinking this situation needs addressing somehow,
wonder if I can trust myself not to get significantly 'involved' & worked up over this, if they do turn up at the door..

EDIT:


@Antilogic, maybe the trigger for visits is telling them ? :
https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/ss/Satell ... inary=true

4.2
In line with the obligations outlined above, TV Licensing reserves the right to visit
addresses which have claimed No Licence Needed. This is because, although the
majority of No Licence Needed claims received by TV Licensing are genuine, latest
figures show that almost one in six such addresses are found to need a licence when
TV Licensing makes contact with them.

[Antilogic]

wonder if I can trust myself not to get significantly 'involved' & worked up over this, if they do turn up at the door..

Continued confusion

This is all, frankly, trivial to manage. It's annoying because they have a arse-backwards way of dealing with it, but at worst case scenario a relaxed attitude of binning the odd letter and having a polite but firm 2 minute conversation if required should not be outside the realms of most people. Yes it needs to change, yes it's a silly system, but I do not understand how so many people all over the country get so worked up about it.

[exogenesis]

Well, it's all very well being willing to have to deal with this sort of thing,
but I don't see why people should have to...
(btw edited last post as well)

[Antilogic]

Well, it's all very well being willing to have to deal with this sort of thing,
but I don't see why people should have to...

Of course they shouldn't have to. That's not my point... It's that the somewhat panicked response to this from half the country every time they consider cancelling is... silly. It's a service. You cancel it. They want to send out salespeople, you tell em to bugger off the same as anyone else. It's bad, but it's not deserving of stress put to it.

[Ronald Sandoval]

my mother is 87 and they still send her letters asking for payment

[Alan Phipps]

I am also surprised by the treatment and anecdotes of some of the subsequent posters. That made me pause for thought about what I would do in their situations if I wanted to make a 'statement' action or was extremely stressed out over it.

Firstly I would still seek Citizens' Advice Bureau advice as that means that an independent accredited body has contemporary records of what is going on and the reasons for your actions (especially if taken as advised by the CAB).

Secondly I would enquire under the Data Protection and/or Freedom of Information Acts as to what data the licencing authority and its enforcement body held about myself and my address with the potential to seek mandated correction and redress if it proved to be incorrect or inappropriate despite information and requests that I had supplied.

Thirdly, and only if necessary, I would seek legal advice (under the Legal Aid or free consultation via the CAB schemes as necessary) to seek a restraint or desist order on the enforcement body should their communications or actions be inappropriate or constitute harassment.

Lastly there is always the option of a 'name and shame' article being entered via the local press or with the local welfare, council or MP. (I'm thinking mainly of the OAP situation there.)

OK, that all would seem overkill if I could instead just brush it off by ignoring it, but it might be more appropriate if I were getting stressed by it all.

[RegisterMe]

@Anti, how do you watch Dr Who?

[Antilogic]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Woman-Who-Fell ... B07HY5L551

Though I'm a couple episodes behind right now.

[Rapier]

Whilst the License Fee payment and enforcement is not managed by the BBC they are responsible for it, so you can complain to the BBC if there are problems: See https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms/ ... mework.pdf from page 24 - Section 4. I've found the BBC themselves to be quite good at sorting things out, though you need to go through the lower levels first.

[Ronald Sandoval]

Secondly I would enquire under the Data Protection and/or Freedom of Information Acts as to what data the licencing authority and its enforcement body held about myself and my address with the potential to seek mandated correction and redress if it proved to be incorrect or inappropriate despite information and requests that I had supplied.

so we know it is a poll tax they probably have acces to other info too but they can look at the electoral register and they know who pays and who dont they are your bbc big brother

[RegisterMe]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Woman-Who-Fell ... B07HY5L551

Though I'm a couple episodes behind right now.

Fairy snuff .

[Alan Phipps]

@ Ronald: The issue is not where they get their information, but what individual personal data is on *their* databases and spreadsheets that triggers them to contact or visit somebody repeatedly. If that is found to be unacceptably wrong or incomplete then I have the right to have that data corrected or removed and to seek redress where appropriate.

(Hypothetical example: My data entry on their work sheet for my address is annotated "Alan Phipps, stroppy beggar who claims exemption but won't allow entry to his premises. Keep pestering until he gives in and buys a licence anyway." - Obviously the only bit that I could really contest is the 'beggar' bit. )

[Antilogic]

The problem I have is: the OP isn't there yet. Not even close. The OP just needs to cancel their service and move on with their lives. That's it.

If they have problems later down the line, then sure, additional resources and services can be brought to bear. That they have instantly been jumped on with scare stories and advice to go to Citizens advice or even seek a lawyer... is.. It doesn't make any sense to me. I don't consider that when cancelling my internet or moving my electric bill.

[exogenesis]

Thing is I'd rather not have problems down the line,
you're right though, if things get sticky I guess I'll have to act if I have to.

We'll see, if I get some interesting YouTube videos I'll post