TV Licensing.

[leigh47]

I run a small one man business from an industrial unit. I keep receiving (from TV Licensing) correspondence demanding that I either buy a licence or inform them that I DO NOT HAVE a TV. This seems to me to imply that because I don't have a licence, I must have a TV without a licence, and therefore I am breaking the law. ( I DO NOT HAVE A TV !!)
My question is:- Is there a law saying that I MUST inform them that I DO NOT HAVE A TV. ?
Surely it is my responsability if I HAVE A TV , to buy a licence or commit a crime and not buy a licence. There are lots of things I DON'T have but don't have to inform people of the fact.

[Nosha123]

I guess the onus is on you to complete the form and return it stating you do not own a TV set...
The other license we must pay for is Road License - and the onus is again ont he car owner to advise them if the car is not on the road (SORN).
So why dont you just fill the form in and return it to them.... They have asked you to after all

[ChuckFickens]

They don't believe you if you do inform them you have no TV and will just keep pestering you.

They seem to think that every premises in the country must have a TV (they also get really upset if a computer is used to watch on demand TV on the internet, the people that knock on the doors think a license is required for this, I had to show one bloke the section on their website that sates I don't need a license and then told him "most people are required to know their own job, I take it you don't bother!)

[Old_Geezer]

Yes they annoy me like that too. They seem too thick to remember what I have already told them for more than a short while, and persecute using their threatening letters. I just bin their threats now-a-days. Must be like living with the Stasi in your country. Some official bodies seem to know nothing but how to insinuate, threaten, and bully, yet they are supposed to be public servants!

[Old_Geezer]

It has recently been changed such that, IF you own a car, THEN you have to say when it is not on the road. That is a big enough cheek on it's own. Don't know how they dare put the emphasis on those they are supposed to serve like that. But comparing to this case, you don't have to tell them you don't own a car, and then keep on telling them again and again and again because presumably they think everyone is as crooked as themselves. High time authorities re-read their brief, to serve the public, not pester them.

[smart1]

I understand your point - but just tell 'em you don't have a TV - simples ;0)

[Canary42]

There is no law saying you must tell them you don't have a TV, but until you do the beggars will keep pestering you. Many years ago they used to be considerably more threatening (e.g. large red letters on outside of the envelope threatening court action etc.) but it got them into trouble so they have backed off a bit.

[DrFilth]

well i have had large red letters on the outside of mine , so some things must still be the same.
if you write to them they will want to search your premises then they leave you alone for 4 or 5 weeks then want to search them again. after 3 or 4 times they will leave you alone for 2 years and 11 months then you will get another letter.
best not to talk to them.

[DrFilth]

if any of you are on facebook why not join

http://www.facebook.c...p.php?gid=28406901260

[jadyn]

No, there is no law stating that you have to inform them that you do not have a TV.

I work for a local authority and one council house on our books has been converted into a housing estate office. There is no TV set on the premises. TV licencing began sending letters to the previous tenant, who was deceased. Despite the local authority writing to TV Licencing on official documentation, the letters have continued to arrive every two weeks over the past 18 months.

The letters do seem to accept that the previous occupier was deceased as they were addressed to "The Present Occupier". However, they are now more threatening in tone and warn of impending court action if a licence is not bought. It also seems that TV Licencing staff "are in the area" at least once a month - a likely story.

If they're not prepared to listen to a local authority, then I'm afraid you stand no chance. Consequently the letters are best ignored.

[buildersmate]

Ditto the above comments.
A relative of mine, who was over 75 and lived alone, died.
Over 75s are exempt from needing a licence, however, within a month, the TV Licence people had somehow latched onto this and sent the standard, threatening 'Present Owner' letter.
As executor, I advised them that the house was empty and unoccupied (so no licence needed). They replied that they would take that onboard but reserved the right to pester with reminder letters periodically. Which they duly did.
I just ignored them.

[DrFilth]

We have a database of almost 30 million licensed and unlicensed addresses. This tells us if your address has a TV Licence.
Enforcement officers All our enforcement officers have access to this database. This means they can check if you have a valid licence or not.

If you inform us that you do not watch television, enforcement officers may still visit you to confirm this.

Hand-held detection devices Enforcement officers may use a hand-held detection device to measure both the direction and the strength of a TV signal. This makes it easy for us to locate TV receiving equipment in even the hardest-to-reach places.
Detector vans We also have a fleet of detector vans that can detect the use of TV receiving equipment at specifically targeted addresses within 20 seconds.



if they have a hand-held detection device why do they need to search my house.

[Daisho]

I've always wondered whether these detector vans or hand held detectors actually exist, I mean what output does a TV give which is detectable in that way?

[Gladeian]

Ignore all their threats - if you dont have a tv let them send their enforcement officers et al around to see you - have they a warrant to enter the premises ?? No? Then away to get one and all the attendant aggro to them to get it. Make them waste their time on a lost cause.

[AlBags]

When they try to catch you out, they park in normal cars around the corner .. or along the road, and look in first if they can.
If you have no TV or display, they will probably try to catch you out by asking about your mobile phone ... a PC, etc, etc.
Basically they are ar*eholes.

If they wrote or called and were making an appointment, I might have a different attitude to them. I put them firmly in the "Bin Inspector" category

[Bedsit-Bob]

Nosha123 says "I guess the onus is on you to complete the form and return it stating you do not own a TV set..."

No it's not.

Nosha123 says "and the onus is again on the car owner to advise them if the car is not on the road (SORN)."

The difference here is that leigh47 is not a TV owner.

Someone who isn't a car owner, isn't required to declare SORN on a non-existent car.

[Bedsit-Bob]

smart1 says "but just tell 'em you don't have a TV - simples ;0)"

If only it were "simples".