tv license caution

[licenseissue]

Hello all,

Just wanted to ask for some help with a tv licensing issue...

I was visited by a tv licensing officer today asking if there is a license at this property. He said the property has not been licensed for a while and thats why he is here. he asked for people who lived at the property before, as they were not paying the license fee.

I had only moved to the property in september and connected a tv last night after moving it from my previous address (where my family has a tv license). after receiving a bt vision box last week.

The man inspected the tv and set up. i could only get one channel since i dont have an aerial installed on the roof as yet and connected an indoor antena.

he noted all of this down in the record of interview/caution form and asked me for payment details for the license. I was going to get the license on wednesday (payday) but i was informed I can set up a quaterly direct debit so we proceeded with that.

I asked for confirmation that i will not be liable for the previous persons omissions and aked what is my position with tv licenseing authority now. I was informed that I maybe prosecuted for not having a tv license.

Bearing in mind that I have moved in 2 months ago and managed to get a tv into the house only yesterday evening, could I kindly ask what is my position with regard to the law?

I do not have a tenancy but live in mothers house.

Many thanks for any comments.

[Sapphire]

Re: tv license caution

Hiya

I'm not sure how you stand re the licence I'm sure someone else will be able to help with that bit, but I can advise that we pay our licence monthly by direct debt, its roughly £11 and a few pennies. Just give them a ring and they will set it up for you.

[veilside01702]

Re: tv license caution

set up the direct debit today online.......
As they visited you today....
if you pay today can they then prosecute you for no license today???
Just an idea as long as they don't record the time you paid and got the license...
You could always tell them that the other half bought it and you didn't know when they came round??

[P.Pilcher]

Re: tv license caution

Please remember that it is not an offence to own a T.V. - the offense is in using it to watch or play back from a recorder broadcast T.V. programmes. Thus if you had just acquired the set, and the license official did not observe you actually using the set to watch broadcast (or recorded broadcast) programmes, you HAVE NOT committed an offense. Indeed if you had delayed obtaining your licemse until a more convenient time and not used your telly in the interim (difficult without an aerial) then, again an offense has not been committed.
This official merely threatened and thus scared you in taking out an immediate direct debit. This is their usual ploy which depends on your ignorance of the law.

P.P.

[Luminol]

Re: tv license caution

Okay, I worked for TV Licensing for 6 years as a Customer Service Manager (yes a joke I know!), If you have a TV in the property which is capable of receiving a Signal, you can be prosecuted for not having a TV License, the only acceptable scenario is if you can prove that the set is incapable of recieving a signal i.e. some people said that they only used them to watch DVD's etc and a TV could be modified so that it was only fit for this purpose.

You could still be prosecuted, it is in your favor that you have set up a payment plan.

Just for the record, I don't agree or support the TV License and with what I know about the set up, I think the whole thing is a shambles.

Lumi

[P.Pilcher]

Re: tv license caution

O.K. that is the opinion of an ex-T.V. licensing Customer services person who will be relying on his training provided by the T.V. licensing authority. If you read the actual act of parliament (google T.V. licensing act) you will read, as I just did - again, that the offence occurrs when you install AND USE television receiving apparatus. If it isn't installed (no required external aerial) and you were not using it, then no offense has been committed.
The T.V. licensing authority wish to maximise their receipts and if slightly misinterpreting the act to do this helps then they will do so.
It is understandable that T.V. (or ex-TV) licensing officials will rely on their training - which they have no reason to question in order to advise potential offenders, regrettably the management of the T.V. licensing authority are hell bent on raising as much money as they possibly can. This may be due to their bonus structure. If they were fair and honourable, then maybe we wouldn't hate them as much!

P.P.

[charitynjw]

Re: tv license caution

Television licences

[P.Pilcher]

Re: tv license caution

Yes - the CAB have read the act as well!

P.P.