# TV Licence rip off - beware



## RaceGlazer (Jan 10, 2007)

I've not had a TV for months so when I got one at the weekend I decided (today) to buy a licence.

Its a complete racket.

1. Your licnce starts on the 1st of the month in which you take it out, so today, 29 March, I'd be paying from 1 March, a months worth of service I have not had.

2. The Direct Debits are taken for the 1st years licence over 5 months, but payments for the next years licence start immediately - so you pay £45 a month for 5 months and £12 thereafter. Apparently if you snuff it your executors can claim back the 6 months - hwo many times do they knwo that?

So I have cancelled my licence and will get one on 1st April. If they knock on my door between now and Thursday they'll get both barrels...

I loathe rip offs like this.


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## Bowden769 (Feb 21, 2011)

yes they are a rip off 

sorry to ask why have you not had a tv for months


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## big ben (Aug 25, 2009)

you just reminded me that i need a new tv licence in a month


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

heh heh , you just reminded mt that my car is 6yrs old today, I was worried that the tax (when I purchased it would be from March 1st) but it actually started a few days earlier.
I think my TV licence is the same though, near the end of October


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

Bowden769 said:


> yes they are a rip off
> 
> sorry to ask why have you not had a tv for months


With the tripe that was on TV I can easily see why, too many reality programmes, my TV viewing has on recently increased thanks to programmes like the chase :thumb:


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Not only that, you have to pay for a licence from the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/licencefee/ , yet i can easily live without the BBC and watch the other 100 odd channels i get from Sky and pay a fortune for each month.

But even if i chose not to watch any BBC channels, i still have to pay a TV licence.


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## [email protected] (Mar 5, 2007)

You need to be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record TV as it's being broadcast. This includes the use of devices such as a *computer, laptop, mobile phone* or DVD/video recorder.

so if you have iplayer you need a licence too


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## Richf (Apr 26, 2008)

Autobrite Detailer said:


> You need to be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record TV as it's being broadcast. This includes the use of devices such as a *computer, laptop, mobile phone* or DVD/video recorder.
> 
> so if you have iplayer you need a licence too


Pretty sure thats not true although the BBC would like it to be you dont legally need a licence to watch Iplayer


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

_"You need to be covered by a valid TV Licence if you watch or record TV as it's being broadcast. This includes the use of devices such as a computer, laptop, mobile phone or DVD/video recorder."_ - is from the Licensing website!


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## Andy. (Apr 11, 2010)

Your house TV licence covers you when your out & about watching TV on your mobile or ipad etc as long as its powering itself from the battery. However if you plug the charger into the wall to watch TV while chargeing your device away from your home then its regarded as installed & you do require a seperate license. 

Like thats going to happen. :lol:


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## RaceGlazer (Jan 10, 2007)

The reason I didn't have a TV is the same as why I didn't have a satnav, laptop, most kitchen appliances, much furniture etc. Plus, do I really need TV ? My kids insisted I did.


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

Good old rip off Britain you need a licence to watch a TV basically..... we live in the fecking dark ages!


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## Maggi200 (Aug 21, 2009)

I watch tv at other peoples, there are tv's in the house but I don't own one myself and won't have on in my bedroom. Got a monitor for the xbox which gets light use. I'd rather be out playing with my car 

I did hear that they were very expensive for the first few months


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Richf said:


> Pretty sure thats not true although the BBC would like it to be you dont legally need a licence to watch Iplayer


This is correct.... the iplayer does not need a TV licence, as it is not being watched as it is broadcast...

The licence is very clear on this...you only need one if you are watching the program as it is being shown on TV.....



> Watching TV on the internet You need to be covered by a licence if you watch TV online at the same time as it's being broadcast on conventional TV in the UK or the Channel Islands.


The iplayer does not play things at the same time as the TV channel, so it is NOT needed



> *You don't need a licence if you don't use any of these devices to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV - for example, if you use your TV only to watch DVDs or play video games, or you only watch programmes on your computer after they have been shown on TV.* If this is the case, please let us know, as this helps us to keep our database up to date and means you won't receive the standard letters we send to unlicensed addresses.


I haven't had a licence for years now, as I don't need one, this has been checked and agreed by the licence people...

:thumb:


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## gally (May 25, 2008)

Can someone find the thread where the guy tried to charge the ballif people for entering his home. He refused to pay for a tv licence and eventually they left him alone.


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## Andy. (Apr 11, 2010)

Have a read at this.

Quote taken from the link below.

TV licensing spokesman: "Most abide by the law, but we can confirm people have been prosecuted and fined for watching TV illegally on devices other than TV sets."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8313770/BBC-wont-pursue-iPad-TV-licence-cheats.html

.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Andy. said:


> Have a read at this.
> 
> Quote taken from the link below.
> 
> ...


If you are watching a show that is not on at the same time as being shown as the TV then there are no issues....

:thumb:


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## Culainn (Sep 2, 2009)

This may seem odd but I have a policy of not answering the door to anyone. 

I dont think anything positive can come of answering the door to someone. They will undoubtedly be looking for something I do not want to give them. 

i.e. money (charity, begging, scams)
information (survey, questionnaire)
votes (politicians, local council)
beliefs (religious recruiters like mormons etc.)

The only occasion I answer the door is if some bangs on it (it may seem rather simplistic but someone banging on the door I regard as being someone in need of help). Someone looking for help for an accident is unlikely to politely ring the doorbell or gently knock on the door. 

This may seem ignorant and rude but I try not to interfere in other peoples lives and hope that they respect my wishes that they not interfere in mine. I am aware that no man is an island and I do pay all my taxes, donate to charity as well as helping out at a local sports club but my home is important to me and I don't like people intruding on it.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Culainn said:


> This may seem odd but I have a policy of not answering the door to anyone.
> 
> I dont think anything positive can come of answering the door to someone. They will undoubtedly be looking for something I do not want to give them.


It's not odd.... I think it was just last year that the story broke about the guy that was killed in his own home after opening the door to answer it for a pizza that he never ordered....

There was a thread on here at the time, and it got the usual oh that's terrible, etc etc...

All I thought was, why the f**k would you answer the door in the middle of the night for a pizza you didn't order, you deserve all you get for being so stupid....

I got abused as usual! :lol:

I will choose to answer the door or not, same way I do with the phone, and people on the street... there is no rule that says you must open your door 

:thumb:


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## kh904 (Dec 18, 2006)

gally said:


> Can someone find the thread where the guy tried to charge the ballif people for entering his home. He refused to pay for a tv licence and eventually they left him alone.


Not sure what thread that wa, but i'd suggest everyone have a look at lawful rebellion & www.tpuc.org

http://www.tpuc.org/content/tv-licensing-i-have-never-paid-plus-won-co


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## dominic84 (Jan 27, 2007)

> This may seem odd but I have a policy of not answering the door to anyone.
> 
> I dont think anything positive can come of answering the door to someone. They will undoubtedly be looking for something I do not want to give them.


Good call, that made me laugh though the way you put it lol. What happens if your mates come round? :lol:

I hate having to pay for a licence to watch live TV - it is a total rip off.


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## Ninja59 (Feb 17, 2009)

tbh as a student i have ran into this bunch more times than the sun...total wa*kers unless you understand them and eventually they will stop hassling you. they even threatened us with court because we had not replied :lol: you do not have to have TV you know...we do at home but tbh with the advent of most stuff now i find it stupid.


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## Culainn (Sep 2, 2009)

dominic84 said:


> Good call, that made me laugh though the way you put it lol. What happens if your mates come round? :lol:
> 
> I hate having to pay for a licence to watch live TV - it is a total rip off.


:lol: My mates all know to ring before they call. :thumb: I hate people calling unannounced, even mates. I used get a fair slagging down the pub from people who've called unannounced only to have to leave again because I didnt answer the door but everybody knows now to ring before calling around. Its all about boundaries really I guess, I've set mine and my mates know what they are.

On the tv licence debate, i stopped paying mine two years ago after RTE announced they were paying some of their presenting staff in excess of €900,000 a year each while failing to produce any indigenous tv programmes for Irish kids.


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## Black Magic Detail (Aug 17, 2010)

check out JOHN HARRIS (free man ) there is legal wording in the licence that means you have to say ,yes i was wathching tv , the inpectors report of you owning a tv alone are not enough for a conviction without your confesion of watching the tv .john harris explanes it better than me


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## chrisw87 (Feb 6, 2011)

I'm supremely tired and a little fuzzy in the head, but this is the first I have ever heard of a TV licence :S whatever happened to free-to-air tv :S ? *thanks Australia for not being THAT psycho*


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