cheesemonster2005 Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 TV Licence Dodgers Targeted Why do they still try to tell us this nonsense about TV detector vans? Who believes this rubbish? Also how the hell were 700 people caught without a licence when you are under no obligation to let the TV licence person into your house. When I was at Uni we just refused to let them enter and while they went to get a warrant we would hide the television or lend it to the neighbours. How does the island benefit from this clampdown. The article on the (as always, news free) IOM Newspaper website appears to be nothing more than a threat. Do you bother to buy a licence? I'd be happy tro buy a licence if the price was related to earnings (i.e. fairer) and if the BBC made an attempt to modernise and use commericals to reduce the burden on the licence fee payer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 Yes. The BBC gives me good value for money. I'm happy to subsidise the TV part of its operation because of the benefit I get from its Radio Stations, particularly through its Listen Again feature, and website. Not sure what modernisation you are wishing for but it seems to me that the BBC is a more forward looking enterprise than any other media institution in the UK. It would be a real shame if commercials intruded onto the BBC because of a few cheapskates are always moaning. In terms of Island coverage, I agree we do get a raw deal, although there are signs of an improvement on the website at least (I've e-mailled complaints about this in the past.) Let's see where they finish up on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Old Git Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 I think I've mentioned it before, either here or one of the previous forums, that for five years I had an annual struggle with the twits at TV Licensing I'd phone up and buy a licence and they's send me one a few days later. Then I'd start getting letters saying my address was unlicensed and I'd have the hassle of trying to convince them that I had a licence. In the last year I eventually ignored all of their letters and was prepared to let them take me to court, but despite various red letters it never went that far. I eventually sent them a strongly worded letter, enclosing copies of my licences and copies of all their chasing letters and eventually received an apology and a person to contact should it ever happen again. I'm pleased to say it hasn't.... But... I'm now starting to receive letters about my work address not being licensed. Needless to say, we'd don't have a telly at work. I'm expected to write to them to say I don't have a telly at my work address but I can't be arsed. After wasting so much of my time over the years I now intend to let them waste their time rather than any more of mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 Never bothered getting one for years when I was skint, thought the same as you Cheesy, if they called round I'd either not let them in or not answer the door then get shot of the TV whilst they went off to get a warrant. But these days I pay it, as I love the BBC, and am more than happy to pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 TV Licence Dodgers Targeted Do you bother to buy a licence? I'd be happy tro buy a licence if the price was related to earnings (i.e. fairer) and if the BBC made an attempt to modernise and use commericals to reduce the burden on the licence fee payer. I have never resented paying the licence fee. I've always regarded it as good value for the tremendous service that the BBC provides in terms of TV, radio, internet, educational resources and so on. They are at least as forward looking as any commercial station/media organisation and, thank heavens, provide programming that isn't constantly interrupted by adverts. Perhaps if the freewheeling, tight-arsed bastards who disguise their stininess by saying they're dissatisfied with the service actually all paid up, there wouldn't need to be quite such a burden placed on the honest people who do. I sincerely hope all licence-dodgers get caught and heavily fined! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Observer Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 I always pay it- it just comes out by Direct Debit and they send me a new one every year... I don't even notice it. Quick Edit to Add: It's worth the license fee just to have a couple of channels with no adverts. I HATE adverts with an absolute vengeance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tel Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 I think BBc programes should be scrambled, and on getting a licence you should be given a pin number to watch BBc, this will stop the licence dodgers. If I have to buy one so should everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ean Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 and a person to contact should it ever happen again Don't suppose you fancy passing that this way, we've already had 2 letters telling us they're going to take us to court. Despite ringing them and telling them to check their records and that we have a TV licence we've still recieved another letter (We even offered to send a copy of the licence to them but it was declined). I wouldn't mind but I've only been living at this address a bleeding month! I'm actually angry that we're paying a licence fee to be harrassed by the incompetent bastards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilDDog Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 I pay it. I got away with it for a few years, but it's not worth the hassle if you get caught and you will get caught eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Old Git Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 Don't suppose you fancy passing that this way, No problem, I still have the file in my briefcase - just in case The letter was from Joyce Farrell, Customer Relations. The contact details at the head of the letter are - Tel: 0870 243 0840 Fax: 0870 243 0226 Edit to add - It was the incompetence that annoyed me as well. One year a bloke called at the door re me not having a licence. I said that I did have a licence, so he said OK and walked off, leaving me thinking WTF? He didn't even ask to see it, any yet I was getting all sorts of threatening letters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ean Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 Cheers TOG, hopefully this will help get things sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 As a non-owner of a TV I used to be plagued by offensive letters re non ownership of a licence - however the system appears to have become 'friendlier' over the last 3 years - however anyone who has looked at or listened to 'free' American TV or radio will know just how much worse a commercial system is (and by the way we all probably pay more per year in additional overheads on prices than the BBC licence fee for a nominally free service) Personally I would not be in favour of paying the licence fee via taxation (as implied by income related fee) - a TV is not essential and in my opinion those relatively few children from TV-free households demonstrate more ability in many fields (eg music) than their tv-watching peers. However it is possible that a broadband tax will soon be imposed on those without TV licences to allow the BBC to freely broadcast on the web. On one point of the initial poster - in the UK I believe licence inspectors can insist on entry into the premises - maybe Manx law is different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesemonster2005 Posted October 29, 2005 Author Share Posted October 29, 2005 On one point of the initial poster - in the UK I believe licence inspectors can insist on entry into the premises - maybe Manx law is different. It may have changed since I left the UK/IOM. I wouldn't be suprised. I'm not sure what alternative I would suggest. The BBC is a great service - far better than PBS in the USA (which is publicly funded) or other equivilents (TVP in Poland [bloody terrible]. I am not sure why they can't use commercials between programmes (not within them) to reduce the cost for license payers. You're right licence fees through direct taxation isn't a good alternative but surely there must be another way. Here in Poland we get BBC Prime and BBC World yet both have no adverts and no money from the Polish licence fee goes towards the BBC. They may get some money from cable/sat fee payers but I would reckon the rest is funded by you lot paying licence fees in the UK. How about an extra fee for anyone who watches Murdoch TV (Sky, etc.) to compensate for the crap they show and his shoddy newspapers and far-right views? Am I going off-topic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Sausages Posted October 29, 2005 Share Posted October 29, 2005 How about an extra fee for anyone who watches Murdoch TV (Sky, etc.) to compensate for the crap they show and his shoddy newspapers and far-right views? There already is an extra fee for Sky TV, where the adverts are just a bonus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amadeus Posted October 30, 2005 Share Posted October 30, 2005 I don't have one and I don't want one - believe it or not, I don't watch telly at home and regard it as a waste of time. I sometimes watch the news at work or something, but that's about it - it's amazing how much spare time you get by not looking at the box - No BB, no X-Factor, nothing.. I was planning to get Sky at some point, but thanks to the location of my house, they would need to put the dish 50 meters up the hill to get some reception - not worth it...(only wanted Discovery Channel anyway) Normal reception is also pretty zero (the house is too close and underneath the big antenna thingy up the hill, so I guess it's sending it's waves in an angle that goes over my place) and I've tried everything to get some reception in the past, including Homer Simpson style roof excursions and other acts usually classified as "stuntwork", so I'm not bothered anymore.. Needless to say that I got some of them threatening letters in the past (which I personally regard as rude and totally inappropriate) and I've even called the muppets to tell them that I don't use a TV. Still get them now, so I shall ignore'em in the future - can't do more than tell'em (and baffle a phone monkey in the progress "What do you mean, you have no reception?" - seems, her handbook didn't give her the correct phrase to reply at that point) I guess my replacement is the Internet - more informative, more interactive and definitely more useful... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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