Will TV Licensing stop bothering me ?

Question

After constant hounding by the fascist TV licensing Gestapo with their thinly veiled threats of "visits" and "consequences" for not possessing a TV license (not tuned, not connected to any antenna, cable or other receiving equipment) and if it ever gets used its for watching DVD's.

I am now writing back to tell them to stop harassing me and that their letters seem to breach the Malicious communications Act (as amended by Section 43 Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001) so the question is ....should I let them off or strike back with Legal Action and give them a taste of their own medicine?

Additional Details

You do not require to purchase a TV licence if you use your TV solely for:

Watching pre-recorded video (however, if you watch video recorded from a TV by someone else you may need a licence)
Computer gaming or as a computer monitor Monitoring a closed circuit TV or CCTV network.

A TV licence is required for the Reception not possession.

SKITTLES: From my letter:

The substantial amount of previous correspondence indicating “visits to the property” would I suggest abrogate Section 43 Part 2 “reasonable grounds” and subsequently given the gradual “threats” I would also suggest this would constitute a breach of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

In short I do not receive Television services by any means, and given that "The Licence is a payment for permission to receive any television programme service, as defined in Section 2(4) of the Broadcasting Act 1990, and not for services provided by the BBC." (Lord McIntosh of Haringey, House of Lords, 6th April 1998) I would certainly not further line the coffers of an organisation that has proved itself on every opportunity to denounce the very nation that funds its lavish organisation.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

ok so how do you watch dvds then dont you need a tv?if you admit watching dvds then you must have a tv on as well you cant win against them just get a licence like the rest of the uk

Answer 2

Legal action will be expensive, but you could quote your Act and hope that it will work. However I think you might have to prove that you cannot receive any televison at all on your set, or you HAVE to pay their extortionate rates.

Answer 3

The license is required to 'operate' a TV. So if you ever turn it on, you are required to license it. It doesn't matter that you never receive BBC broadcasts.

Answer 4

I thought if you owned digital equipment then it does need a television licence. The fact still remains you have a tv, not matter how you use it then you have to have one for it to leave you in piece.

Don't act tought with them since they can be quite mean and if they fine you for breaching their terms and conditions then they can give you a bill or pass your deat on to magistrates court. It's not worth getting into. :(

Answer 5

If you think you can make it stick and an attorney will take the case, sure, go for it.

The only thought I have on the other side is you should beware:

A bureaucracy is like an octopus,
it is an eight armed idiot.
And eventually it will get even.

Answer 6

you have a tv, you use it (even if it is to watch dvd's)then you need a licence.

Answer 7

Just let them know that you will do that if they don't stop sending you those letters keep evidence of that information and anymore letters from then on just ignore (unless they are obviously acknowledging receipt of you letter). Otherwise ignore them.

Had similar prob with BT debt collectors although i had already paid they still sent me all that crap so that's what i did.
Unfortunately big companies tend to lose track of what they are doing.

Answer 8

Definitely legal action....go get 'em sparky.
You do have the money to take on the government, don't you

Answer 9

I called them, they told me where to write the letter to.
Wrote in advising that somehow I manage to survive without watching adverts all afternoon and they sent me a nice letter back- still with the threat of something like "you must comply with our officers if we jump ya" bless 'em ;)

In fairness they then left me alone, until 12 months was up when they sent me a threat-free letter asking if i'd crumbled yet and bought a telly lol

Answer 10

I don't think taking action against them will work, it says in the Act:

(2) A person is not guilty of an offence by virtue of subsection (1)(a)(ii) above if he shows—

(a) that the threat was used to reinforce a demand which he believed he had reasonable grounds for making; and

(b) that he believed that the use of the threat was a proper means of reinforcing the demand.

It might be so that you need a license and so they are probably allowed to do that. I suppose that's what it depends on. And I'd say you need one.
Though I have to add I hope you end up on the better end in this one. TV Licenses should be lower.

Answer 11

Are you serious? Do you really have to have a license in the UK? Wow. If so I wouldn't mess with the big guys they can cause so many problems....and have infinite supplies of money for legal action. At least the do across the pond. Here, though they usually don't mess with the little guys...but will cause problems in other ways. Can you watch your DVD's on your computer? Does that need a license?

Answer 12

Yeah,
I'm sure you could sue them for harassment and win.

Let me get the facts here,
You have a TV but no licence.
Right - That's a good start to your case. Well done.

If you find a lawyer willing to take this on, give me his number.
I'll sue you for wasting my time reading this.

Answer 13

only when you purchase a license, or pay the "1,000.00 fine for not having a license.

I think the "I only use it to watch dvds/vidoes etc satalite cable etc" is well overused. If you read the small print you will find that any equpment that can receive terrestial broadcasts is liable for a license levy. Including pcs/Macs maybe. Don't know, don't own one.

In anwer to your question. totally your choice.

Source(s):

my infinate wisdom

Answer 14

Your answerers who say you need a licence to watch DVD's are wrong. All you need to do is ensure that the TV is not connected to an arial. If you do that they will not be able to do a thing.

Answer 15

You say that a license is for reception not possession of a TV but I'm not sure that's correct. Two separate households I know have no TV at all and so pay no TV license, but I think you may have to pay up. Just because you don't use your TV to get broadcasts at present does not mean that you won't in future. You can always watch DVDs on your PC instead.

Answer 16

A friend of mine is having a very similar problem. My friend gets free DVD rentals from work so watches films, the flat has no TV socket and the TV gets no signal. Yet still they get harassed about TV licences. It's disgusting.
They say "We will catch you when you watch it" but my friend just does not watch it so they will not be caught.

Personally I think the TV licence is a good thing BUT only if you watch TV! I have one because I love to see Doctor Who and David Attenborough shows. But if these 2 things were not on I would get rid of my antenna too!

Anyway I think you letter should work as it is clear and shows that you know the law. They should (unless they are stupid) think twice before messing with you.

Answer 17

The tv is classed as receiving equipment whether you use it to receive programmes or not

Answer 18

So far as the law is concerned you only have to own equipment that is capable of receiving television. It does not matter a hoot if it has an aerial or is even in an area that has no signal. So long as the receiving equipment can receive a signal, even if that signal is only capable of being received in another location, you are liable. It seems like fantasy land, but that is what the law says.
I have no television, and my computer cannot receive broadcasts, and yet I still get the same harassment you get. I did think that, after a 2 year long exchange of letters, I had heard the last of them, when I heard nothing further from them for 6 months, only to answer a knock on my door a couple of weeks ago to find a lady there who asked "We need to know if you now have a television?" I answered "No", but fully expect it to start all over again. Still...............it keeps me occupied, as I,obviously, have little else to do other than write to them!
As to your thought that you might find a court willing to back your own opinion that they might be in breach of any law, I wish you luck, and hope that you have extremely deep pockets, because they can (they have the finance) and will (they cannot afford a precedent to be established) take any case you present to every court in the land, up to and including the House of Lords.

Answer 19

i have a way, but not going to risk it on here, forwarning them.

Answer 20

Just pay up - Greedy Gordon needs your money to give to Africa or some other bottomless money eating pit.

Answer 21

That just totally freaks me out that you would have to have a license to watch TV!! What is the reasoning behind it?

Answer 22

They closed the loop hole once you turn tele on its classed has being able to receive bbc.I feel the same as you,i pay for sky &
stupid license & I do not watch bbc.They should make teles that cannot get bbc thenwe could tell them to get stuffed.