Paying For TV Licence

helefra

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I'm trying to figure out a way not to pay for a TV Licence but keep getting told the same old stuff. Therefore I will put down a list of questions here and for those of you who have a good sense of knowledge on this, please respond. I don't watch much TV, if at all, and mostly watch DVDs or videos and/or visit the cinema to see a good blockbuster.

The changeover from analogue to digital will happen in my area in 2013. If I got rid of my set top digital box and would not be able to receive any TV, would this mean I would be exempt from having to pay the licence fee?

If the answer to the above is a resounding "no", then if I removed the receiving equipment for any broadcasting signal from both my TV and VCR, could I then be exempt from paying the licence fee?

If the answer to the above question is a resounding "no", then what would be the only solution to avoid paying a licence fee for something that I only watch now and again?

Thank you to those who answer these questions. :)
 
Unfortunately the tv liscence is just a tax by another name, no matter what they will find a way to extort the cash from you, if you had nothing but a pc in the house they would still do you, crazy.
 
Unfortunately the tv liscence is just a tax by another name, no matter what they will find a way to extort the cash from you, if you had nothing but a pc in the house they would still do you, crazy.

I understand what you say but I know of a woman who has disconnected her tv ariel and has not had a knock on the door from the tv people for over 3 years - yet she has equipment that can receive a signal!
 
You will, by your own admission be watching TV 'now and then,' you therefor are required to have a TV license.
 
OK Ive heard and experienced some real horror stories regarding TV licensing but the basics seem to be:

1. Every time you BUY something with a tuner, the store must pass your name/address to TV licensing, even if the item isnt for you. If you dont have a Licence, they will start to ask questions and start sending the heavies round (lol)

2. Point 1 means nothing in the basic scheme of things. You could buy 10 TVs, as long as you dont use them to pickup tv (no antenna input, not tuned to any station - however fuzzy the picture might be - just static on all channels), you dont need a licence. Youre also not going to be able to use Sky/freeview/freesat/cable as any tuned channel (however you get it) is not good.

3. You CAN stream fron BBC Iplayer etc, as long as its not a live stream.

4. If you dont go with a TV licence beware. For $ome rea$on, unlike say firearms licences for instance, they seem intent to constantly check the properties of anyone who decides not to get one, "just in case", plus they send you nice little reminders with extra windows in the envelope to tell anyone that you might be a bad person. If you can live with the hassle, its a good way of saving a fair bit of money.

Jas.
 
If your display panel and DVD player were incapable of receiving any TV signal and you did not have an alternative (sat or freeview) then I think you have a case for not paying a TV Licence.

After all, if you just watch DVDs on a PC you don't need a TV licence.

But watching any TV or even running equipment capable of receiving a TV signal would mean that A TV licence is required even if you didn't use it.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
TV Licence also covers Radio, so will you also have to get rid of anything that can recieve radio signals?
 
It has nothing to do with radio.

Yes, in that you don't need to buy a license to listen to BBC radio services.

However it is the quality of the radio channels (and the online services) that make me entirely happy to pay the fee.

Just a shame that so much of has been wasted on cretins like Jonathan Ross. Hopefully his salary will be invested in better things from now on :rolleyes:

In the OP's position I would disable any receiving equipment I had and ignore the letters from TV licensing. If you get dragged to court I'll provide you with an engineer's report confirming that you have no means of receiving live broadcasts (for a fee of £142.50) :)
 
It has nothing to do with radio.
£8 pm of your TV licence pays for TV and £2 pays for Radio:
piecharty2.gif



BBC - About the BBC - Licence fee
 
you USED to have to have a tv licence to listen to radio, i have no idea if that has changed or not.
 
I don't watch TV Channels at home and so no need to pay the licence.

I have notified them about the fact that I do not watch any channels at all at home, as I am watching everything I spend for the first 2 to 3 yrs.

Moved into my first new home in April 2008 and have been busy furnishing from scratch ever since, along with my AV purchases.

They have checked, and no signal ever coming from my TV.

Also they informed myself whilst on the phone, that as long as the signal isnt live then there's no need for license, on P.C. / Mobile.

I said to them' thank you for informing me and they thanked me for my honest call.

I also found out that 1 third of the population that are watching TV channels are not paying for the license........WOW! I thought' that's a large chunk of the UK public not paying for a service that they are using.

So the bottom line is' if you are not watching then you do not need to pay AND THAT IS A FACT GUYS......YOU CAN TRUST ME ON THIS:lease:
 
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I also found out that 1 third of the population that are watching TV channels are not paying for the license........WOW! I thought' that's a large chunk of the UK public not paying for a service that they are using.

...and as usual, those of us who do pay for a license are subsidising those who don't as well as funding the work carried out on chasing people who welch, so pay-up you tight-wads ! would you expect to access the internet off the back of your neighbour's ISP feed ?
 
I don't watch TV Channels at home and so no need to pay the licence.

I have notified them about the fact that I do not watch any channels at all at home, as I am watching everything I spend for the first 2 to 3 yrs.

Moved into my first new home in April 2008 and have been busy furnishing from scratch ever since, along with my AV purchases.

They have checked, and no signal ever coming from my TV.

Also they informed myself whilst on the phone, that as long as the signal isnt live then there's no need for license, on P.C. / Mobile.

I said to them' thank you for informing me and they thanked me for my honest call.

I also found out that 1 third of the population that are watching TV channels are not paying for the license........WOW! I thought' that's a large chunk of the UK public not paying for a service that they are using.

So the bottom line is if you are not watching then you do not need to pay AND THAT IS A FACT GUYS......YOU CAN TRUST ME ON THIS:lease:

Thanks for this information, it is something that I think I will definitely look into. I have used the internet to watch programmes, not live programmes as that is when you do need a licence, but those programmes that have been pre-recorded and you can watch any time.

At least being honest with the TV licensing people seems like a good idea rather than just completely stop paying and then they get suspicious. Maybe others should follow this routine too if they no longer watch TV and should let the company know.
 
Dear, oh dear me,

Not having a TV licence has no, repeat no effect on ones use of radio.
You do not need a TV licence to listen to radio channels.
If anyone has told you different, they were pulling your leg!!

not quite, you used to need a license for radio but it was changed when they reworded requirement for a licence from from owning equipment that can receive a tv picture to watching or recording a live broadcast in any format incl pc

its simple if you watch or record any live tv pay for the license

if you never watch or record live tv (and that includes iplayer etc) then you do not need one

if you watch and dont pay then you deserve the £1000 fine and a crim record for tacking the **** out of those that do pay
 
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3. You CAN stream fron BBC Iplayer etc, as long as its not a live stream.

I can't understand how you allowed to watch BBC Iplayer, which has pretty much all of the beebs tv content, without a licence?

where 61p per month from every licence....
pays for the BBC website, one of the most trusted and popular sites in the UK, as well as the hugely popular iPlayer, which is making it even easier to watch and listen.

Where is the logic? :confused:
 
... So the bottom line is if you are not watching then you do not need to pay AND THAT IS A FACT GUYS......YOU CAN TRUST ME ON THIS:lease:
Not literally true, unfortunately. You only don't need a license if you are incapable of watching live TV, not if you are simply not watching. If you have any gadget with a TV tuner, including a dongle for a PC, with any kind of aerial in the house, or if you only use satellite or cable, then you must have a license. The only exception, as others have said, is streamed pre-broadcast items such as iPlayer, and tbh I don't see that lasting for much longer.
 
It annoys me the fact im expected to buy a Tv Licence as i never watch anything on BBC and my missis doesn't, so its annoying that where forced into paying so much for a service we don't want :thumbsdow

Why when TV is all digital signal now cant they just go and make it a pay per view channel surely its time to let people who want BBC channels pay for them and people who don't like myself not pay :rolleyes:
 
If you want to watch TV but don't want to pay the TV Licence

EMIGRATE!!!!!
 
Why does this old chestnut keep coming round

You can have 20 TV's, 30 Video recorders and 15 freeview box's in your house all with TV tuners, and 50 ariels on your roof.

If you any not watching live (or virtually live) TV then you don't need a licence.
 
It annoys me the fact im expected to buy a Tv Licence as i never watch anything on BBC and my missis doesn't, so its annoying that where forced into paying so much for a service we don't want :thumbsdow

Why when TV is all digital signal now cant they just go and make it a pay per view channel surely its time to let people who want BBC channels pay for them and people who don't like myself not pay :rolleyes:

Reason they don't is now, not enough people would pay for the type of TV progs the BBC make to get them enough money.

They would probably make plenty from some comedy shows and sit com type stuff as it's popular with the masses, but costume drama costs a bomb and there's no chav money appeal in that
 

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