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Tv licence enforcement officers.

Outkastmike

You know Quasimodo predicted all of this
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Do they actually exist ?
Just had a letter through the letterbox in our rental property saying we are getting a visit.

Im not overly fussed as the previous tenant has gone and the house is empty awaiting a full re-paint and clean.

Im more curious to know how they gain entry to your property if they dont serve you with a search warrant etc....

Im assuming its just scare tactics to get you to buy a license?

20240314_184333~2.webp
 
Do they actually exist ?

Yes, but they aren't 'officers'. They have no legal powers and are in fact nothing but high pressure salesmen.

Just had a letter through the letterbox in our rental property saying we are getting a visit.

Capita (an unpleasant private company that operates on behalf of the BBC. 'TV Licensing' doesn't actually exist - it's a trading name), sends out millions of these threatograms every year. I have had over a hundred.

They have no legal standing. The layout and pseudo-legal jargon is designed to frighten the unwary.

Im more curious to know how they gain entry to your property if they dont serve you with a search warrant etc....

They (the visiting salemen are known as 'goons'), have no power of entry whatsoever. Search Warrants are so rare that they need not be a matter of concern.

Im assuming its just scare tactics to get you to buy a license?

Yes.

Goons are on commission. They often threaten householders and have been known to forge confessions, so when faced with one (note that they may hide their identity or pretend to be survey monkeys, utility salesmen etc), there is the Golden Rule ...

Say Nothing.
Sign Nothing.
Shut the door.
 
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Do they actually exist ?
Just had a letter through the letterbox in our rental property saying we are getting a visit.

Im not overly fussed as the previous tenant has gone and the house is empty awaiting a full re-paint and clean.

Im more curious to know how they gain entry to your property if they dont serve you with a search warrant etc....

Im assuming its just scare tactics to get you to buy a license?

View attachment 434559
Must be serious it has a red stamp on it!
 
The TV Licencing Goons have no legal right of entry to your property despite what they may say.

They are only allowed to talk to you on your doorstep.

But if you choose not to open the door there is nothing that they can do.
 
All you need to know is they have no more rights than the deliveroo driver , they may come and act all official with their body armour on but they are just door to door sales men trying to sell you something which you might not need if you do not watch live tv broadcasts or use bbc iplayer.
This is even stated on the tv licensing website .
Just close the door if they turn up , which they probably won't.
 
When I first joined the Post Office in 1982, some of the guys used to do overtime attempting to collect TV Licence fees. They used to go around in a van with a lot of aerials stuck on the roof with TV Detector Van plastered all over it. All fake of course.
 
Here you go mate,

It's so sad and IMHO actually a scandle in some ways like the Post Office, that more and more are realising, that folks out there are bullied / co-erced / given misleading information, and worn down by these fake threats to keep the billions coming in to pay Jug ears / Overpaid "talant" and hanging on for life / don't rock the boat once funny 40 years ago types that now still try to be edgy on cringy "comedy" or "panel" shows.

That's when not paid a mint to be gadding about the World on trains, boats, planes or campers, walking dogs, or any other pointless cobblers to keep them coining in the licence fee payers cash for life.

(You may guess I am not a fan)

If you don't watch live TV you don't need a licence, end of!

Folks are slowly getting the message, but if you do searches the TV licencing sites are so vague and misleading, that many folks (including a long term mate) are still 100% convinced you need a licence just to have a friggin' TV in your house!

The "Enforcement Officer" will be some loser working on commision who's sole purpose is to convince you to give him money.

They have zero legal powers as explained here, do exactly as this guy says, do not engage, do not argue, I don't normally do "bloke on the internet" links but all he says is100% correct, and a dissection of the missleading and actual threatening / worrying letters they bang out, expressly designed to have the effect yours did.

DEALING WITH YOUR LETTER EXPLAINED;


ATB, ED
 
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I'd love to scrap my licence as we don't watch much live tv
But you can see our 65" tv from the moon when it's on 🤣 so I couldn't deny having one 😣
 
I love the way it says

will you be in on 22nd march 2024

it may be 22nd march 2024 or another day

just go sit in the house and wait for them forever :ROFLMAO:
 
Yes just scare tactics, and no doubt one of many ever-increasingly threatening letters you will likely receive.
Don’t pay them any mind, treat them all with complete indifference.

You are under no legal obligation to respond to them in any way, just the same as you are under no legal obligation to interact with anyone who visits the property enquiring about your tv licence. Let them state who they are, do not interact just promptly but politely close the door in their face.
 
It's not about watching live TV, it's about watching BBC only. You can send them a letter (you can find template online easily) and they should leave you alone for a while. It's not an offence to be watching ITV, Netflix, Prime etc etc

If they turn up with some paperwork asking you to sign to confirm they attended, tell them kindly to shove it up their ****. Never sign anything! They will say whatever they want, which will often be lies to threaten you into paying. If they do turn up, start recording the interaction with your phone, they will see this and be slightly more cautious in their attitude. Capita agents are bully tactic salesmen that have no legal powers.
 
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