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This blog is to highlight the unjust persecution of legitimate non-TV users at the hands of TV Licensing. These people do not require a licence and are entitled to live without the unnecessary stress and inconvenience caused by TV Licensing's correspondence and employees.

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Thursday, 22 September 2022

Look Who's Back: Teesside TV Licensing Goon

Look who it is, still pounding the beat for Crapita TV Licensing on Teesside - it's veteran goon Neal Nevison.

The stresses of the job really are showing on poor old Neal now, his thatch looking decidedly greyer than on previous occasions.

This latest video shows him calling at a (presumably) unlicensed property and doing the old "are you the occupier?" and "I can't tell you who I am until I know who you are" comedy routine.

Given the title of this video, it would appear that the interaction took place somewhere in Middlesbrough on 1st September 2022 (a Thursday).

The TV Licensing Visiting Procedures require goons to leave a property the moment they are asked to. To his credit, Nevison does that on this occasion. He is also a lot less vocal than he has been previously.

If a TV Licensing goon calls at your property remember these important facts:

  • A TV licence is only required for those properties where equipment is used to receive TV programme services (e.g. programmes broadcast on normal TV channels, which are available to other people at the same time). Additionally, from 1st September 2016, a TV licence is required for those properties where equipment is used to receive BBC on-demand services via the iPlayer. 
  • Anyone who does not require a TV licence is under no legal obligation to co-operate with TV Licensing. We recommend they ignore TV Licensing completely.
  • TV Licensing goons have no automatic right of entry and must leave immediately if the occupier tells them to. If they become aggressive or refuse to leave then call the police.
  • TV Licensing rules require goons to show ID at the start of every visit and on request. In practice this happens very rarely - indeed you can see that Nevison point blank refuses to identify himself when asked.
  • It is perfectly legal to film TV Licensing goons that visit your property. The goon does not need to consent to being filmed. The goon can't legally prevent the occupier from filming. Experience shows that TV Licensing goons often tell lies, whereas the camera generally doesn't. 
  • TV Licensing goons are commission-driven salespeople, which often skews their interpretation of the law. In reality they have no more legal rights than any other visitor to your property.
  • It is perfectly legal to film TV Licensing goons in a public place.
  • It is perfectly legal to upload video footage of TV Licensing goons to the web.
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