I’m sure TV license has been discussed here before, usually my go to is to just shut the door and ignore their letters.

The new flat I have moved into was previously a business and I have received 2 letters, one saying there’s no record of the business having a television license and the next saying the business is under investigation and someone will be coming to investigate. Both letters addressed to “The manager or proprietor” so their details are clearly wrong.

The flat is purely residential now, but I am wondering can I still just tell them to sod off or do they have any additional rights because they think it’s a business.

I know I can contact them to tell them it’s not a business and I don’t need a tele license but as it stands they don’t have a record of my name at this flat and I’d like to keep it that way.

Thanks!

by Human_Bat1823

46 comments

  1. does the form on the other side have anything that tells them that there’s no business at that address ?

  2. Yes you can ignore it. I get one every couple of months, I get blue ones now.

  3. When I was receiving these I just used the link they provide and haven’t been bothered again years later.

    If you don’t want to do that, I suppose just wait and see if someone turns up and tell them instead.

  4. I’ve been ignoring their letters for at least 10 years now

  5. Just ignore them. If they ever do turn up at your door, refuse to let them in.

    Even if you do require a TV licence, you’re staggeringly unlikely to be prosecuted in Scotland for not having one. There are literally barely a handful of people prosecuted in Scotland each year for not having a TV licence. The Procurators Fiscal have better things to do with their time than serving as TV Licensing’s bagman.

  6. It doesn’t say someone ’will’ be coming to investigate, it says they ‘may’ be coming.

    They probably aren’t coming. If they do come,you don’t have to identify yourself to them.

  7. Ignore it. If the flat is registered as residential and no longer a business. There’s nothing they can do. And they don’t have a legal leg to stand on

  8. As long as you don’t need a licence (ie, you don’t watch any broadcast television or anything at all on iPlayer), yes, you can ignore.

    I’d they do come round don’t give them an inch. Sometimes they’ll lie and say they’re entitled to come in. They’re not.

  9. Ignore it. Cheeky bastards sent me one the other day saying they might visit on Christmas day.

  10. Just go to the website on the letter and tell them you don’t need one

  11. I don’t have a tv so I ignore them, it would be funny going to court though
    Your honour, I don’t have a tv. 🤣🤣

  13. IIRC The Tories outsourced TV licensing to Capita years ago, which is why they now go in quite hard with the threats. There’s not much they can do if you tell them to sod off though.

  14. Don’t respond. It’s highly unlikely they will show up. Their letter isn’t even addressed to you as such; it’s not a business and you are not the owner.

    They might persist in sending these but will eventually stop.

  15. I ignore the letters now, but that was because I was told to by a TV licencing call handler. They told me that it shows I have no live TV at the house but *should* this change I need to update them. Personally I think the letters are designed to put the shitters up you.

  18. If you don’t mind giving them your details, contact them and tell them there’s no business there.

    If you’d rather not, just ignore them. They’ll cycle through letters over and over (http://www.bbctvlicence.com/).

    If somebody does come to your door, just close the door on them.

    They can only enter if they have a search warrant from a sheriff, which would itself require evidence of reasonable suspicion that you’re actually watching TV without a licence, which they won’t have.

  19. Ignore it and if they turn up to your door, ignore the big security guy, he has even less power than the TV license goons. So not identify yourself and tell them their implied right of access has been revoked. Then you tell them directly to fuck off.

  20. The amount of times over the years I’ve had a “we’ll be visiting on this date, make sure you’re in” letter yet no one turns up.

    Just ignore it.

  21. After 8 years of ignoring letters I actually got a visit last week!

    And yesterday, I got another letter 🙃

  23. Ignore the letters and if they come to your door just ignore them, if you happen to open the door before realising who they are then do what I do and close the door on them right away, sometimes I say no or no thanks before closing the door while they’re trying to talk to me and it’s kinda funny. they’ll stop showing up eventually. I think technically these letters and the constant showing up at your door are harassment. I’ve heard cases of people threatening legal action action get them to stop but idk how real that is.

  24. Get that letter tae fuck. Never paid it. Never been fined or anything. I didn’t sign a contract saying I’ll pay the BBC every time I look at a fucking TV. When they join us in the 21st century and start charging a subscription fee for their services then I’ll consider paying them. I quite like BBC radio and podcasts.

  25. I just fill out the online form and do so again whenever they ask me to. Besides the odd email for me to reconfirm every few years, they leave me alone.

  26. Ignore it – these letters are meant to come across intimidating. There’s literally nothing they can do unless you come in to contact with them.

  27. Yep, ignore.

    Very unlikely anyone will ever visit (they never have for me) but if they do you refuse entry and don’t talk to them any further.

  28. Threatograms. Put them in the bin where they belong. Fuck the BBC.

  29. just ignore them… if they show up just tell them its no longer a business.

  30. yep and give the dogs at the door when they come as well

  31. “under investigation” but can’t even get the correct sort of tenancy the property is under.

    Tells you everything.

    I’m at the letter after this one, where I’m waiting for someone to show up tomorrow to pester me about why I don’t need one.

    I’ll not hold my breath that they’ll show up, otherwise their letters wouldn’t still be “the owner/occupier” and would be “Mr XXX” already. If they truly ever did investigate

    All they have is knowledge that this is an address and that on their system there is no TV license associated to it.

    They have no other information as far as I can figure out.

  33. In 9 years I’ve never given them a name, and for 9 years they’ve written to say they’ll be taking legal action and/or opening an investigation at least 15 times. They don’t know who i am, so there’s absolutely nothing they can do. If they come to your door, just close it, don’t enter into any conversation whatsoever. The only time that it’s their business what you do in your own home is when you make it so.

  34. Ignore.

    Doubt they’d ever show up. I reckon they wouldn’t bother unless it’s a pub since they tend to show a lot of live football.

  36. I now have ‘threatening letter fatigue’. They drop through my letter box and are immediately put in the bin.

  37. Step 1 – throw letter in bin

    Step 2 – never, EVER make contact with these cunts

    Step 3 – problem solved

  38. I’m going to go against the grain and say don’t just ignore it.

    Log on to the webpage and say you don’t need a license and they stop sending letters for 2-3 years. I just declare I don’t need one. Technically you don’t need to but it saves getting those threatening letters every couple of weeks.

    I actually did get someone at my door maybe about 10 years ago. I didn’t let them in and just said I didn’t have a TV. After that I declared on the webpage I didn’t need one and they never bothered me again.

  39. Never ever bothered with it, you get them at the door maybe every 100 years and in that case just 100% close it. They can’t do shit. I have family who have never paid it ever and they have lived in their houses for ages.

  40. Ignore it, yes. But easier to phone them, and they will take you off the list if, of course, you don’t have access to live TV or iPlayer.

  41. Honestly, I don’t ignore them, I actually go on the website and tell them that I don’t need one. They send a letter every other year and I always do this. They have never visited and I get way less letters from them.

    Funnily enough, I’ve read through what counts as requiring a telly license and I genuinely don’t need one haha

  42. Aww no, but how are the BBC going to pay off the victims of the many paedophiles they’ve employed if you’re not paying your TV license?!

  43. They keep sending me letters saying stuff like: are you going to be in on the 20th December? We may call round.
    Not once have they turned up – despite me doing a nice spread and putting the kettle on for them. God I’m lonely…

  44. Years ago I’d get slight anxiety at the thought of them turning up at my door.
    A few months ago I opened the door and the guy said he’s from the tv licensing.
    I just laughed and closed the door. I still get the odd letter.

  45. Honestly these dudes are off their ass insane. It’s part of an ACT which means they don’t have the right to enter your premises or investigate any of your devices without your explicit permission or a court order. If they come to the door tell them to leave if they refuse to do so, lock the door and tell them if they have a court order they can force entry and just film it. The will just leave. Its a government sanctioned scam designed to bully pensioners and other people who don’t know the law into giving them money they don’t deserve. A TV Polltax. F*CK OFF MATE.

  46. As an American I’m used to all manner of crazy shit as you might imagine. I mean, Trump is my president… Again.

    But licensing a TV? I paid taxes on it and watch unskippable ads on it, what more do you want?

Comments are closed.