TV Licensing Visit: An End to the Harassment?

What do you think?!

The latest encounter captured on YouTube starts with a TV Licensing visiting officer, pictured above, presumptiously saying: "So what do you want to do about paying your TV licence?" The legally licence free occupier quickly replies that he has no need for a licence and has informed TV Licensing of that fact on several occasions. The occupier volunteers the extra information that he has a TV set on the premises, which is only used to watch DVDs and therefore he has no legal need for a TV licence.

Unfazed the baldy-headed goon tries to needle his way further inside with the gambit: "Do you want me to check it (the TV set) and if you get no TV programmes then I'm fine with that?" The occupier admirably stands his ground and tells the Capita employed commission sniffing bloodhound that he is not welcome inside to check. The occupier then tells the goon that he does not need the stress and inconvenience of TV Licensing's continued attention and removes their implied right of access to his property. The goon dishonestly suggests that occupier's instruction is not valid unless he contacts TV Licensing directly. This is incorrect. It is perfectly legally valid for the occupier of any property to remove TV Licensing's implied right of access by simply telling one of their representatives face to face.

In the second half of the video the occupier, who we now learn is called Darren, calls TV Licensing's helpline to reiterate his instruction that they are not welcome on his property. TV Licensing call centre operator Rebecca dishonestly tells Darren that she can not action his request without his full name. Sensing Darren is a potentially awkward "customer" she puts him on hold and seeks advice elsewhere. She comes back on the line and suggests that a TV Licensing employee will need to visit the address to confirm his instruction. This is again bollocks because if they were to do so, as the instruction has already been legally given, they would be trespassing. Again she seeks advice from elsewhere and Darren is transferred to a second TV Licensing call centre operator called Zesh who assures him that his request has been processed and will be confirmed by letter.

The entire video can be viewed here.

A few closing words of advice for any legally licence free person in similar circumstances:

• A TV licence is only required for properties where equipment is installed or used to receive or record live broadcast TV programmes. Anyone not using equipment in those circumstances does not need a licence, despite any pretence to the contrary by TV Licensing.
• People are under no legal obligation whatsoever to communicate or cooperate with TV Licensing. The BBC has previously confirmed to us that TV Licensing has employed criminals who cannot be trusted. Our advice is to ignore their letters and immediately close the door on their visiting salesmen.
• TV Licensing has no legal rights to enter a person's property save for the most exceptional of circumstances in which they have a warrant. Because they're such a dishonest bunch they will often pretend to have more powers than they actually do. Just remember that it's all bluff to scare people into paying for a licence they probably don't need. Every licence sold earns commission for the visiting officer, which tends to skew their interpretation of the truth.