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TV Licensing are ripping-off viewers by charging those that pay by quarterly Direct Debit a £5 premium on top of the £145.50 licence fee.
According to The Sun, who published the shocking revelations yesterday, the BBC benefits to the tune of £15 million a year by imposing the extra charge.
The article, which began on the header of the front page, begins:
"Three million hard up Brits are being forced to pay an extra £5 a year to watch telly - because they pay for their TV licence in instalments.
"The scandal is the latest to be highlighted in our Rip-Off Britain campaign."
It continued on page 11 as follows:
"The BBC is raking in an extra £15 million a year - by fleecing viewers who pay their TV licence quarterly.
"People without the cash to buy the £145.50 licence up front are stung with a £1.25 premium four times a year.
"It means 3 million budget conscious people hand the Beeb an extra £5 a year just to watch telly.
"And millionaires end up shelling out less for a licence than quarterly payers.
"The Sun today highlights the issue as part of our Rip-Off Britain campaign.
"Our own Del Girl tried to confront staff at TV Licensing's Bristol HQ to give them one of our Rip Offscars - for fleecing the needy. They refused it - so we posted it instead.
"A spokesman for TV Licensing last night said: "The TV licence fee and instalment payment options are a matter for the government."
The Sun also published a comment piece, which can be read in the image below:
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We have previously discussed the way monthly Direct Debit payments also penalise poorer TV licence payers.
3 comments:
Forgive my ignorance, but isn't it normal practice for a company to charge extra for people paying via Direct Debits? I know not all companies do it, but it isn't beyond the ordinary. When I had a licence a few years ago, I was paying by card on a fortnightly basis, so I didn't have to deal with Direct Debits.
Thanks for your comment. You may well be right, but as this story made the front page of The Sun we thought we'd mention it.
The real concern is when some one pays by monthly DD. In those circumstances they are forced to make double payments (about £24/mo) for the first 6 months, then the payment reverts to about £12/mo from then on. This arrangement means that the first licence is paid for within 6 months and the licence holder is effectively 6 months in credit for every payment after that.
Even though the licence holder is in credit by that stage, should they default on a DD payment then TV Licensing will set their dogs on them.
That really is criminal behaviour.
I really don't understand TV Licensing's payment system at all. :( I've heard that some people pay for a licence that only lasts 11 months, instead of 12, because of when the first payment is made. And then there's this variation of it. Does that company [Capita] really know what it's doing?! Or is it purely playing it by ear, trying to catch people unaware?!
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