Mofette 1, TV Licensing 0

[mofette]

Just had a fight with a TV licensing man at the door.

Hello, I'm from... I'm from... these *shows me a card thing*
Oh, we were just talking about you guys last night, we are writing you a letter as we don't use the televisions for anything other than watching DVDs and playing computer games.
OK well I need to come in to check on that.
Do you have a warrant?
No
Then I can't let you in, sorry.
We will get one.
Ok
Can I take your name?
No, I won't give out my name
So shall I put you down as non-compliant?
Yes, goodbye.


The thing is, we're not doing anything wrong. We ARE only using them to play computer games, and I would have shown him in, only there is a freeview box on top of the TV in the kitchen, which has never worked because the house aerial is too old. I didn't want him to see that and get grounds to sue us in court.

They won't get a warrant, because he hasn't got reasonable doubt to think that we may be watching a broadcast signal. I could do what this man is doing and let them harass me with letters, but I think that now would be a good time to write that letter that we were talking about...

Comments

[maviscruet.livejournal.com]

Yeah, get the letter to them.

I sent them the letter and have never had a visitor....

[mofette.livejournal.com]

how long has that been if you don't mind me asking?

[maviscruet.livejournal.com]

First time round - a year I think.

This time round - 3 or so months?

(I re got a TV licence when I got a lodger a while back but after he moved I just kept it out of force of habit until I went "hang on a minute...")

[medusa.livejournal.com]

I used to get so much hassle from them during the years when I was all pretentious and didn't even own a television. They didn't seem to be able to understand the concept of someone just not wanting to watch television at all and there were lots of snide letters between us.

Oh happy days. I read so much when I didn't have a television. I would go back to it only the atheist has just come in and asked if we can buy a 40" Samsung for Christmas. Er...

[mofette.livejournal.com]

See, next year when we have our house together, we will be getting sky and a huge TV, but even when we tried watching in this house, we can't get a signal. I've wasted loads of money buying aerials and it's made no difference.

I don't watch terrestrial, so yeah I don't think people get it that we don't.

[medusa.livejournal.com]

I don't watch terrestrial television unless there is a really, really good reason for it such as awful costume dramas or Midsomer Murders. I can't do that whole soaps and game shows thing though as I find them boring. Not that Living TV is an improvement but hey. ;)

[mofette.livejournal.com]

Living TV used to have Maury, which I love and Bravo has my favourite Racist, Dog The Bounty Hunter.

[medusa.livejournal.com]

Heh, I tried to watch that a couple of times but couldn't work out if it was real or not!

Er, Dog The Bounty Hunter that is.

[misterfallen.livejournal.com]

He's apparently a real bounty hunter. He's currently in trouble with Mexico over kidnapping Andrew Luster (someone famous's heir who's up on a rape charge).

[mofette.livejournal.com]

those charges were dropped.

[misterfallen.livejournal.com]

The rape charges, or the aggravated kidnapping ones against Chapman?

[mofette.livejournal.com]

The rapist was already convicted, the kidnap charges were dropped

[starofpersia.livejournal.com]

England has an NHK man too? I'm sorry.

[mofette.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, I forgot about all that in Japan. Glad I never had to deal with that one!

[japancleve.livejournal.com]

sounds scary!

[big-daz.livejournal.com]

My boss has never had a telly in the 25 years she's been living with her husband, and therefore doesn't need a licence. The Licensing gestapo won't leave her alone though- they think that everyone these days has a telly, so she must be hiding one in the house. I believe she's been summoned to court over it, so I don't know how they're going to prove that she's been watching tv without a licence when she's never owned one in the first place.

Also, when I got my first house 18 years ago, being Mr Skint I only had a b&w telly for the first 4 months and had a b&w licence accordingly. It didn't stop me getting letters saying "are you sure you've only got a b&w telly?". Tw@ts.

[lostlorelei.livejournal.com]

I'm pondering cancelling mine as at the moment i have a non working tv I can't watch but pay every month *cry* that said, probably a grey area as not sure if someone who is less technically inept could probably get the tv hooked up, bah!

[7rin.livejournal.com]

You sure about that link? <g>

As for TVhelL, IIRC, it doesn't matter whether you USE the gogglebox sat in the corner for watching TV, if you have equipment capable of receiving a signal, then it's possible to end up with a fine for no licence if you haven't got one. If, as you say, it's impossible to get a signal however, you might get away with it, but it may end up a case of paying an expert to come in and verify that.

[mofette.livejournal.com]

link is this :)

http://www.bbctvlicence.com/ whoops

[7rin.livejournal.com]

Interesting site. I'll go back to reading it some more and update my knowledge.

Thank you. :)

[invisdave.livejournal.com]

If you do send them a letter informing them you don't use the television make sure you send it by special delivery, they totally ignored the first letter I sent so I resent it with a bit about any further correspondence from them and I'll be taking them to court over it and since then I had one somewhat sheepish letter basically saying 'well okay but we might send someone round to check sometime'.

[misterfallen.livejournal.com]

Oh, they sent my dad's girlfriend threatening letters for years, even after she pointed out several times that she didn't actually own a television...

[minigoth.livejournal.com]

You should've eaten it.

[mofette.livejournal.com]

yeah but if you don't manage it all in one go, you've got a plug hanging out of your mouth, and then what happens when it comes out of the other end?

[minigoth.livejournal.com]

I dunno, they never did show that bit.