In today's post we respond to an email received from one of our readers.
It has been more than a year since we last published a reader letter, despite receiving several of them every week.
Our reader Monica, who lives on the outskirts of Sheffield, has some concerns about the tactics of a TV Licensing goon that visited her correctly unlicensed property.
Our reader Monica, who lives on the outskirts of Sheffield, has some concerns about the tactics of a TV Licensing goon that visited her correctly unlicensed property.
Our reader writes:
Dear TV Licensing Blog,
I apologise if you have already written about this, but I couldn't see anything obvious on your website.
I live in a semi-detached house in the Burngreave area of Sheffield. I don't need a TV licence, because I never watch anything apart from Netflix and YouTube videos. I work long hours so I'm rarely at home during the day, but yesterday I had taken the day off to attend a hospital appointment.
I am always very wary of unexpected callers, so don't answer the door unless I'm expecting a visit or delivery. I was in the front bedroom when I heard a knock at the door, so I took a look outside. I could see an middle aged man with a leather document folder and PDA type thing in his hand. I am pretty sure he was a TV licence goon, because I'd had a letter a couple of weeks earlier warning they were going to visit.
After rattling on the door a few more times the man turned around and continued down the garden path. Just as he was about to leave he noticed my next door neighbour taking in the bin. The pair engaged in conversation for a few moments and I could see the goon pointing briefly at my front door.
I am worried that the goon might have asked my neighbour for information about my property. That neighbour lives in the semi- attached to my house, so I'm worried that he might have said he could hear the television or something like that. I am not on good terms with the neighbour, so am not in a position to ask him about the conversation.
If the neighbour has given information to TV Licensing, what can I expect to happen next?
Thanks for your help.
Monica
TV Licensing Blog replies:
Dear Monica,
Thank you for getting in touch with the TV Licensing Blog.
It sounds like you are aware of the rules already, but for the benefit of anyone else we'll quickly recap on the key points. A TV licence is needed for any property where equipment is installed or used to receive TV programmes at the same time, or virtually the same time, as they are broadcast to other members of the general public. Additionally, from 1st September 2016, a TV licence is required for any property where equipment is used to watch or download any BBC on-demand programme via the BBC iPlayer platform.
As a viewer of only Netflix and YouTube, you are correct that you do not legally require a TV licence. Anyone in that situation is under no legal obligation to TV Licensing - they do not need to assist TV Licensing in any way at all, or respond to TV Licensing visits or correspondence. We strongly discourage anyone in your situation from engaging with TV Licensing.
Given your description of events it is unlikely that the TV Licensing goon would have obtained any meaningful information from your neighbour. Even if your neighbour did say he could hear (what he thought was) a TV set, that in no way proves that the TV set was being used for a licensable purpose.
It is also worth mentioning that TV Licensing rules forbid goons from questioning people unrelated to the property they are visiting, although we are aware of situations where this rule has been broken in the past. It would also be a breach of data protection legislation if a TV Licensing goon were to inform an unrelated third party about your personal circumstances.
In all likelihood TV Licensing will continue to make enquiries into the licensable status of your property. Remember that you are under no obligation at all to assist TV Licensing.
Please be sure to tell your friends about the TV Licensing Blog.
Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
Peter
I apologise if you have already written about this, but I couldn't see anything obvious on your website.
I live in a semi-detached house in the Burngreave area of Sheffield. I don't need a TV licence, because I never watch anything apart from Netflix and YouTube videos. I work long hours so I'm rarely at home during the day, but yesterday I had taken the day off to attend a hospital appointment.
I am always very wary of unexpected callers, so don't answer the door unless I'm expecting a visit or delivery. I was in the front bedroom when I heard a knock at the door, so I took a look outside. I could see an middle aged man with a leather document folder and PDA type thing in his hand. I am pretty sure he was a TV licence goon, because I'd had a letter a couple of weeks earlier warning they were going to visit.
After rattling on the door a few more times the man turned around and continued down the garden path. Just as he was about to leave he noticed my next door neighbour taking in the bin. The pair engaged in conversation for a few moments and I could see the goon pointing briefly at my front door.
I am worried that the goon might have asked my neighbour for information about my property. That neighbour lives in the semi- attached to my house, so I'm worried that he might have said he could hear the television or something like that. I am not on good terms with the neighbour, so am not in a position to ask him about the conversation.
If the neighbour has given information to TV Licensing, what can I expect to happen next?
Thanks for your help.
Monica
TV Licensing Blog replies:
Dear Monica,
Thank you for getting in touch with the TV Licensing Blog.
It sounds like you are aware of the rules already, but for the benefit of anyone else we'll quickly recap on the key points. A TV licence is needed for any property where equipment is installed or used to receive TV programmes at the same time, or virtually the same time, as they are broadcast to other members of the general public. Additionally, from 1st September 2016, a TV licence is required for any property where equipment is used to watch or download any BBC on-demand programme via the BBC iPlayer platform.
As a viewer of only Netflix and YouTube, you are correct that you do not legally require a TV licence. Anyone in that situation is under no legal obligation to TV Licensing - they do not need to assist TV Licensing in any way at all, or respond to TV Licensing visits or correspondence. We strongly discourage anyone in your situation from engaging with TV Licensing.
Given your description of events it is unlikely that the TV Licensing goon would have obtained any meaningful information from your neighbour. Even if your neighbour did say he could hear (what he thought was) a TV set, that in no way proves that the TV set was being used for a licensable purpose.
It is also worth mentioning that TV Licensing rules forbid goons from questioning people unrelated to the property they are visiting, although we are aware of situations where this rule has been broken in the past. It would also be a breach of data protection legislation if a TV Licensing goon were to inform an unrelated third party about your personal circumstances.
In all likelihood TV Licensing will continue to make enquiries into the licensable status of your property. Remember that you are under no obligation at all to assist TV Licensing.
Please be sure to tell your friends about the TV Licensing Blog.
Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
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.
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Clown goons cannot use hearsay evidence in court. The court would not admit it. They have to produce a signed witness statement taken under very particular conditions. Just ignore them. Eventually, once they realise there's no commission in it for them, they give up. I haven't seen a Clown Goon for many years now.
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