It's all in the database - or so they'd have you believe. In reality TV Licensing's computer records have proved far from reliable over recent weeks.
In November the Telegraph carried a story about Dr Nigel Knott, who had been persistently bombarded with TVL's intimidatory correspondence. Dr Knott, a dental surgeon, received no less than 90 of TVL's trademark 'threat-o-grams' claiming he didn't have a licence for his property.
The only snag was, being a respected pillar of the community, Dr Knott was correctly licensed all along. Despite Dr Knott's efforts to set the record straight TVL weren't having any of it. They eventually sent some knuckle draggers to hammer on the Knott family door and attempt to scare them into 'compliance'.
Dr Knott branded TVL "totally out of control", running a database "that's stuck in a feudal state" and is "concerned solely with assuming people are criminals". We couldn't disagree with a word of that.
In the end it transpired that good ole Lassy the database had cocked up, mistaking the Knott family residence for several properties instead of just one. That was TVL's justification for the excessive amount of hate mail they were sending. Unsurprisingly, their response completely glossed over the fact it's the content and not the volume of TVL letters that people find most objectionable.
Reading around the blogosphere is appears TVL has adopted a new tactic of public persecution - stealing from their bank accounts.
Martin Belam, a London-based internet consultant and writer, tells of how he dutifully paid for a TV licence on his return to the UK. It was only when he checked his bank statement that he realised TVL had taken twice what they were owed.
Of course TVL are making Mr Belam's refund less than straightforward. Despite acknowledging their error TVL expect him to complete a myriad of complicated paperwork to get his money back - money they were quite happy to lift from his account without batting an eyelid.
These are just two examples of how ineffective TVL's administrative processes are. If you know of any others please share them with us.
Together we can make 2009 the most uncomfortable year in the BBC and TV Licensing's history.
In November the Telegraph carried a story about Dr Nigel Knott, who had been persistently bombarded with TVL's intimidatory correspondence. Dr Knott, a dental surgeon, received no less than 90 of TVL's trademark 'threat-o-grams' claiming he didn't have a licence for his property.
The only snag was, being a respected pillar of the community, Dr Knott was correctly licensed all along. Despite Dr Knott's efforts to set the record straight TVL weren't having any of it. They eventually sent some knuckle draggers to hammer on the Knott family door and attempt to scare them into 'compliance'.
Dr Knott branded TVL "totally out of control", running a database "that's stuck in a feudal state" and is "concerned solely with assuming people are criminals". We couldn't disagree with a word of that.
In the end it transpired that good ole Lassy the database had cocked up, mistaking the Knott family residence for several properties instead of just one. That was TVL's justification for the excessive amount of hate mail they were sending. Unsurprisingly, their response completely glossed over the fact it's the content and not the volume of TVL letters that people find most objectionable.
Reading around the blogosphere is appears TVL has adopted a new tactic of public persecution - stealing from their bank accounts.
Martin Belam, a London-based internet consultant and writer, tells of how he dutifully paid for a TV licence on his return to the UK. It was only when he checked his bank statement that he realised TVL had taken twice what they were owed.
Of course TVL are making Mr Belam's refund less than straightforward. Despite acknowledging their error TVL expect him to complete a myriad of complicated paperwork to get his money back - money they were quite happy to lift from his account without batting an eyelid.
These are just two examples of how ineffective TVL's administrative processes are. If you know of any others please share them with us.
Together we can make 2009 the most uncomfortable year in the BBC and TV Licensing's history.
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