In today's post we respond to an email received from one of our readers.
Our reader writes:
Dear TV Licensing Blog,
The other day I was visited by an officer from the TV Licensing Authority, who came to see why I didn't have a TV licence. I've not watched any TV since they turned off the analogue signal a few years ago. They've visited before, but I've always been at work when they called. I told him that I didn't watch TV, but he was very insistent on coming in to check. He told me that the only way they would stop sending me letters was if I let him in to see that I don't have a working TV set. I had just about been persuaded into letting him in when the phone went, so I made my excuses at the door. He said "In that case I'll put you down as a refuser. We'll be back" so I'm worried about what might happen next. Please advise me.
Chantelle
TV Licensing Blog replies:
Dear Chantelle,
Thank you for taking the time to get in touch
From what you've said, you do not legally need a TV licence and therefore have no business with TV Licensing. That being the case, you should not be overly concerned about any veiled threats from their miscreant employees.
TV Licensing has previously employed thieves, liars and even rapists, so you should never voluntarily allow them access to your home. Despite their bluster and innuendo, TV Licensing goons have no more rights, or legal authority, than any other visitor to your home. The doorstep really is the best place for them.
In future we recommend that you passively film any TV Licensing goons that visit your home.
The TV Licensing Authority, as you described them, is actually the BBC. TV Licensing
is a trading name used by companies contracted by the BBC to administer
the collection of TV licence fees and enforcement of the TV licensing system. Capita Business Services Ltd is the TV Licensing operations contractor, who employed the salesman that visited your home. An officer he certainly was not.
We hope that addresses your question.
Peter
If you have any questions you would like answered on the TV Licensing Blog, please email us with the words "Reader Letter" in the subject line. Our email address is in the sidebar. As mentioned on the About page, we can't guarantee to respond to every email but will try our best.
1 comment:
The letters will keep coming but once the 'officers' cotton on that's there's no commission to be made at Chantelle's address, I doubt if they'll keep visiting.
I've had dozens of their standard mailings (containing the usual rubbish about 'carrying out an investigation into your address') over the years but no visits now for several years.
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