Originally Posted by Dallas (Post 2739816)

My parents have not owned a TV for the past 20 years, they made their choice not to watch television, which is obviously their right to do so. They don't even own a computer, and their mobile phones are old style basic big button phones designed for the elderly, non android, non IOS.

The amount of threatening letters they received over the years from the TV licensing bullies was horrendous, not forgetting the knocks at the door.

You could say my parents were being bullied into buying a TV licence, even though they did not legally need one. The letters soon stopped after my father threatened to take legal action against them, play them at their own game was the only way to deal with this old outdated corporation. :mad:

You don’t actually need a TV licence to own or possess a TV, but if you use a TV to watch or record programmes as they are being shown on TV or live on an online service, or you download or watch BBC programmes on demand, use BBC iPlayer etc, then you do need a TV licence.

Originally Posted by mss (Post 2739818)

My experience is very different. When my father passed away the property was empty for about 18 months. We had a reminder for the TV licence and then a letter threatening action if we operated a TV without a licence. The letter also included a return section which allowed us to inform the licencing people why we did not need a licence. After we sent this back, no further letters.

Seems like quite a reasonable approach to me.

Originally Posted by Dallas (Post 2739851)

Was the house eventually sold? I suppose a TV licence was eventually purchased. This would have allow the licensing team to remove that household from the check list of non payers.

As far as I know the TV licensing still carry out checks on a six/twelve month basis, even after informing them a licence is not needed. Once an address/household continues not to have a TV licence registered for a number of years, when it once did, letters checks frequently arrive on a yearly basis followed by visits.

In my parents case, you would think after informing the TV licensing that they no longer need a TV licence, especially after the second officer visit, that would be the end of it, but no... Frequent checks are still made against the household because no TV licence is held against the address.

Originally Posted by mss (Post 2739853)

In my view a 12-month check is not unreasonable as in most cases the situation with regard to a TV licence is likely to change over a 6-12 month period.

Originally Posted by Dallas (Post 2739854)

Not in the form of horrid threatening letters, that's my point. :shrug:

Originally Posted by Nick Greg (Post 2739859)

Hasn't the TV licence checking thingy been contracted out from the BBC to a target driven private company?