UK - The TV License Conspiracy

reply to post by Niall197


How about conspiracy to defraud?
Why does it take 10 times the amount of staff in comparison to other broadcasters, to show an event?

the answer is because the BBC is empire buiilding at our expense - why does it take over 400 BBC employees to cover the world cup, when other TV companies can do it with a lot less that 100?
Couldn't be because they are all having a 6 week jolly up at our expense could it?

Or how about the enforcement company, where they act like officers of the law to try and entrap you?

Or how about you quit whining, and take a look at the OP, without showing your lack of reading comprehension or trying to twist other members words to suit you agenda?

reply to post by budski


I've read the OP. There's nothing there you can't get off any old tuppeny ha'penny consumer forum.

Conspiracy to defraud ? Is that worse than just conspiracy ? Oh, there's nothing like even more grandiose claims to grab our attention. Have a star or three, why duntchya ?

Three clicks & I found the BBC accounts for the last ten years. It's an organisation founded by Royal Charter & subject to both Parliamentary & third party scrutiny. If you object to them sending 400 people overseas to cover a particular event then complain. Better still, how about you read up about what conspiracies actually are before you & others liberally throw that word about ?

Originally posted by budski
So it's not a tax as such, but the price to pay for having a national broadcaster

It is a tax. It was classified as such in 2006 by The Office Of National Statistics. Before that it was classified as a service charge.

Explaining the change the Office of National Statistics (ONS) says “in line with the definition of a tax, the licence fee is a compulsory payment which is not paid solely for access to BBC services… A licence is required to receive ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, satellite, cable

Select Committee on BBC Charter Review

Originally posted by LiveForever8
If you own a device that could be used to watch the BBC, you must pay the license.

You are incorrect and MrLizzard is right. You must have a license only if you intent to use your tv for the purposes of receiving a live broadcast. You do not need one simply because you own a tv. It is not an offence to use a tv to view recorded programmes.

What if I only use a TV to watch videos/DVDs/as a monitor for my games console? Do I still need a licence?

You do not need a TV Licence if you only use your TV to watch videos and DVDs or as a monitor for your games consol

TVLicensing FAQ

reply to post by Niall197


Or how about you get off your high horse, stop trying to preach and derail and get a clue about the BBC, their political masters, and their enforcement agency.

I don't pay my license fee to send hundreds of people on a jolly up, or to pay for scumbag thugs to try and entrap the elderly and those with learning difficulties - the walter mitty types who couldn't even get in the police force, they go and work for a company who will give them a badge so they can feel powerfull.

let me guess - you work for the scumbags, and that's why you're here having a good old whine - or maybe you're an "enforcement" agent, which makes this perverse stance and trolling even more silly.

reply to post by Niall197

"The only conspiracy I can see in this thread is between those freeloaders here who watch live television broadcasts & who are encouraging each other not to buy a tv licence. In effect I'm subsidising their non-compliance with my own payments having to be increased to take account of the shortfall in tv licence revenue. "quote.

Maybe if enough people refused to pay the over inflated TV license then it would be reduced, maybe even scrapped. Why can't the Beeb create revenue by showing adverts?
If everyone condoned and agreed with you there would never be any change as we would all simply comply with any rule or legislation no matter how corrupt or un fair it was.

Interesting thread... what strikes me as odd as that no one seems to question the greater issue... you are being extorted to pay for state-run television. Doesn't that strike anyone as odd. Why is there no free television or independent television? Do you not all understand the ramifications of having all of your programming provided by the state? I'm just sayin'...

I never pay for a TV license in any property ive ever been in, regardless of what weird letters i get sent updating it. And i urge everyone else DO NOT PAY YOUR TV LICENSE

I'm surprised to see that the UK still has TV viewers' licensing because it's a far too 'dodgable' form of taxation. There must be a significant percentage of the population there still falling victim to the scare tactics just like we had here in Oz up till the 70s when it was dropped altogether. I still vividly recall the scary adds starring Frank Thring (they obviously didn't work well enough) and the viral rumors of 'detector vans' etc etc

My first house had the TV antenna in the ceiling, not on the roof in plain sight, to hopefully avoid an inspector calling to see if the license was up to date. It got worse when introduction of colour transmission spurred suggestions of higher license fees for those with colour receivers and the arguments over that are what led to the licensing scheme being dropped altogether (together with the cost of administering it). I guess black helicopters were more costly back in those days

We're still paying for the ABC's operation as a public broadcaster through taxes though but it's somewhat harder to avoid it now (and it's fairer as well with everyone paying their share so individual costs are FAR less).

Originally posted by kozmo
Interesting thread... what strikes me as odd as that no one seems to question the greater issue... you are being extorted to pay for state-run television. Doesn't that strike anyone as odd. Why is there no free television or independent television? Do you not all understand the ramifications of having all of your programming provided by the state? I'm just sayin'...

It strikes me as odd that you assume we only have state sponsored BBC to watch.
We also have ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and all the US crap in the form of SKY.
None of which are state sponsored.

Originally posted by Niall197

Originally posted by NonKonphormist

Originally posted by Niall197
This thread's better suited for the Money Savings Expert Forum rather than here.

The amount of flags and reply's seem to suggest that this thread is indeed in the corrct place.
If it upsets you I suggest you don't follow this thread and maybe get some counselling.

I agree that the British TV liciencing is a conspiracy to defraud the British public out of money, or get criminal records for not complying.

A conspiracy ? I thought a conspiracy was an arrangement between two parties to break the law at some point in the future. Perhaps they've changed the definition of what a conspiracy was since I was at school ? I see people here throw that word around without caution, they've no idea what the hell the word means & just tag it onto everything & anything with which they disagree, much you like you've done.

The law requires those who watch live tv in the United Kingdom to buy a tv licence. It's only if you fail to do so, by your own choice, that you get a criminal record.

The only conspiracy I can see in this thread is between those freeloaders here who watch live television broadcasts & who are encouraging each other not to buy a tv licence. In effect I'm subsidising their non-compliance with my own payments having to be increased to take account of the shortfall in tv licence revenue.

Yeah, freeloaders, I said that ... and mean it.

In my opinion, the British Broadcasting Corporation and successive British governments have conspired against the British people to extort money out of them by menace,( ie the threat of debt collection agencies abusing you in your own home and a criminal record).
As for freeloaders, being forced to pay for shows that I've already paid for, more than once in alot of cases, is a scam.
Being forced to pay for the government's main propaganda tool is embarrassing to say the least.
In a so-called free democratic country, we should be given the choice to opt out, and as long as we are forced to participate, some of us will continue to suspect that there is indeed a conspiracy of sorts going on behind the scenes.
Now, if you genuinely believe that re-runs of "last of the Summer wine" and biased news reports are really worth the money extorted out of you, then go for it.
But don't get on your high horse and critisise those of us that don't share your enthusiasm for being taken for a mug.
Like I said before, if you don't think this thread is valid, don't participate.

In the 14 years I have had my own flats I have never once had a TV license, I do not watch television, I have even gone as far as removing the tuner out of several TV's I have owned.

It doesn't stop the letters, it goes from "The present occupier" until I contact them and tell them I don't need one, it then becomes "Mr Anthony Hooper" until an enforcement officer visits to check, then I get one letter a week addressed to "The current legal occupier". If I was a hippy I would be complaining about the trees!

Yes, I have a TV, I play on the Xbox on it, I also use it as a secondary monitor for the PC to watch catch up TV or play files the Xbox doesn't support (and Blu-ray). I even have a TV card in my PC for transferring VHS/Hi8 (although that doesn't matter now as it's an analogue card and that signals been shut off).

The BBC should get its funding from advertisements like all the other channels. Theres never anything good on anyway, except maybe shameless, but thats C4 and you can watch it on 4OD.

The one that makes me laugh is it states that if you are blind then you may be eligable for up to 40% off the license fee if you want to "watch" television.

The fine bits very real though, a friend of mine ended up with one for £700, he tried to tell the officer he didn't watch TV.....even though he had left it blaring when he answered the door

It would be interesting to hear from members in i,e., Germany, France, Norway or one of the other twenty six countries who have a licence fee, on how their country enforces payments.


The BBC does a fantastic job, let's not forget the World Service and BBC Arabic Television which unlike BBC World Wide are run on a non-profit non-commercial basis, often the only channels not dictated to by government, listeners abroad receive.


People over 75 don't have to pay, those in sheltered accomodation pay aprox £7.50 per annum whatever their age.

I agree in part about the way money is collected from non-payers, but imho it is a small price to pay for an organisation which does not have to toe the line to big business.

I knew someone who worked in a detector van.

I've lived in my current house for almost 3 years, and in amongst all the usual junk lying on the front door mat when we moved in was several "Current Occupier" letters from the TV Licensing people. Within the first month of us living here, we had filled out the direct debit form for the TV License and sent it off. Since then, every payment has been taken from the account, almost 3 years of TV Licensing payments, recorded on the bank statement.

They've never once sent us a license.

And we're still getting letters, with the same threats. They're going to send someone out. The police may be with them. If we're found to be using a tv, we could go to court and get a fine. Their records indicate that we still haven't paid for our TV License.

And every month, on the alloted day, they take their money out of the account as usual.

But nobody ever comes. I work from home most days, so I'm here, it's not like they're calling when nobody's in. 2 years ago they started authorising "Enforcement Officers" (doesn't that sound a little threatening?) to call round and read us our rights, and I don't know what else. Can they force their way into your house to verify that you don't have a television? Or would they take my word for it at the door that the TV's only for XBox, and it broke a couple of years ago, so the TV's actually sitting unplugged behind the sofa?

Yes, that's the kicker. I'm one of the mad ones. I don't even watch television, but I pay the license because I do watch a lot of iPlayer, and I think it's only right. I don't want advertising, I like that the BBC is different. I want to watch Doctor Who without ad breaks, without people trying to sell me things.

But still we get threatening letters, and still they take our money, and still they've not sent us out a license.

We've phoned them. We've told them what's happening, queried how this could have happened, why we are still getting these letters when all our payments have gone out on time.

They apologised profusely, said they'd correct the error, but nothing, no change, the money keeps going out, the letters keep coming in, and still nobody ever calls.

Then, in December, my partner asked me to get his folk's Christmas present since I'd be in town that day. They'd got an HD TV last year, so he asked me to grab an HD Freeview box for them. I went into Argos, used the kiosk (which my best friend actually helped develop), and it prompted me to enter my postcode.

Now I hate that. I hate the level of intrusion that exists in our modern world. I got asked in a shop once while buying a tshirt or something "We're checking to see how wide spread our customer base is, can we ask you for your postcode, please?". To which I replied "No, you cannot."

So, shortly after Christmas, I recieved a very different letter from the TV Licensing people. This once wasn't just black and red, they'd push the carpet out for another colour, and this one was emblazoned with big words in green, and tauntingly told me that Argos had informed them that I'd recently bought equipment from their store that required a tv license (narcs!). The tone and appearance of the letter certainly impressed upon me an air of "Ha-ha, we caught you!".

Except, my tv license has been paid for for almost 3 years. They take the payments just like they're meant to. But still we're being harassed by letters threatening with court action. I can't even buy a freeview box for my mother in law without them taunting me. If their records are so precise that they can send me a letter about my purchase in Argos within a month of buying it, then how come they haven't cottoned on to the fact that they've been taking money from us for nearly 3 years now?

And why hasn't anybody been out to my door to Enforce?

reply to post by budski


First off I agree , I think the license fee is part of the rich get richer and the poor get poorer culture that is prevailing in the UK atm, but they have a database /computer file that keeps everyone’s address in it and they can simple look and see who has paid and who hasn't ? Andrew Marr gets paid over £600.000 a year , paid for by the license fee ? £600.000 ??

Originally posted by budski
reply to post by Niall197

 

Or how about you get off your high horse, stop trying to preach and derail and get a clue about the BBC, their political masters, and their enforcement agency.

I don't pay my license fee to send hundreds of people on a jolly up, or to pay for scumbag thugs to try and entrap the elderly and those with learning difficulties - the walter mitty types who couldn't even get in the police force, they go and work for a company who will give them a badge so they can feel powerfull.

let me guess - you work for the scumbags, and that's why you're here having a good old whine - or maybe you're an "enforcement" agent, which makes this perverse stance and trolling even more silly.

You STILL haven't demonstrated where the conspiracy to defraud lies in all this. We've no idea who the perpetrators are, what laws will be broken, who'll benefit, who'll lose out.

Unless you mean the tv licensing officers themselves are the conspiracists, or the boss of the company for which they work ... is that what you mean ?

Is that it ? The great sum total of this conspiracy to defraud are the blokes on minimum wage who chap on doors in all weathers ? No offence, but my nephew could cobble together a more credible conspiracy theory in his own school playground.

I haven't a clue where this conspiracy of yours is coming from, I suspect I'm not the only one. I await your next effort with undiluted anticipation, I'm on the edge of my seat here, you're making the Kennedy Assassination theories just pale into insignificance.

The only conspiracy to defraud here is the OP, which promises so much & delivers nothing. Still, have another star for your efforts.

Originally posted by CholmondleyWarner

Maybe if enough people refused to pay the over inflated TV license then it would be reduced, maybe even scrapped. Why can't the Beeb create revenue by showing adverts?
If everyone condoned and agreed with you there would never be any change as we would all simply comply with any rule or legislation no matter how corrupt or un fair it was.

It's bizarre that your own user name is that of a character on a BBC comedy show - yet you yourself advocate not buying a tv licence which funds the very shows from which you derive enjoyment.

Look, you're talking to the guy who didn't pay his Poll Tax. You're talking to the guy who's been arrested for lying down in the road in front of warhead convoys at the Clyde Submarine Base. If I'm going to nail myself to the cross again - and break the law - it's going to be for somewhat more loftier causes than the utter trivia that is the £12 a month tv licence.

£12. That's two packets of cigs. Some of you people need to recognise what's important.

reply to post by Niall197


here's the thing, I'm under no obligation to "prove" anything to you or anyone else, especially considering the petty sniping you've engaged in throughout this thread, starting on page 1.

A huge percentage of people in this country want to scrap the license fee, because of the corporate fraud that they engage in, and because of the underhand tactics their hired thugs engage in.

So feel free to move along - I have nothing to prove to you, and nothing further to say.

reply to post by budski

Im amazed at just how many people on this thread say they have dodged the license fee without any threats from the Beeb! I admit I'm astounded.... I get my reminder in the beginning of August and two weeks later they are already threatening me with court and saying that my home is now "under investigation!" I would love to have the backing and nerve to refuse to pay but I find it difficult enough paying £145- there's no way I could pay a fine of a £1,000 or more... So, call me a coward etc, but I meekly comply and cough up.
Whats needed is a mass refusal to pay like we did here in the UK with the poll tax.

reply to post by CholmondleyWarner


The only problem I've ever had, is when I have moved home - I had a license from my old address, but still got threatening letters, a visit from a hired thug, and all the usual intimidation, even though I had notified them of my change of address.

When the "enforcement" agent knocked on my door, I gave him no information, denied him entry, and told him I deal direct with the licensing authority rather than its hired monkeys.

It's time for this archaic law to be changed - why should we pay for some oxbridge graduates empire building ego trip?

The last guy who came to try get me to pay mine before they passed it onto a private bailiff compny told me that "If you have access to the BBC you have to pay, if you have a tv ariel but no tv you still have to pay and if you have the internet you still have to pay" of course I put him straight and they passed my debt on to a private collection compony, who i have even less if obligation to pay lol.

I wont pay my tv licence or any other govt bill that they cant force me to, until the banks and rich componys get raped with taxes like the rest of us.