Dealing With TV Licensing

Many people get visits or letters from the BBC and they think they have mystical powers to prosecute them for not having television license, they don't.

Why are so many people prosecuted? a fair question and the answer is that they admit the offence and its usually women because they like to talk and talk themselves into being prosecuted by admitting to an offence, giving their name, or letting them into their house.

BBC use a company called Capita to enforce licensing and they are glorified salesmen/women who, at the time of writing, get £20 commission for each TV licence they sell, and they don't care if you need one or not as they are only interested in selling something you may or may not need to get this commission and money is their only motive; they employ a lot of devious tricks as they also have targets set by Capita.

Their first trick is to knock on your door and ask for your name; why? because they can only act upon the name and your response should be to film them and ask them to identify themselves, they often say TV Licensing but no company of that name exists and they use the tricks of fear, so always ask to see their identity and they are obliged to show you their card which has their name and photograph on. Their often used trick is to refuse to show their identity until you identify yourself, always stick to your guns by being poilte but firm. SHOW ME YOUR IDENTITY.
They often enter into their spiel and say you cannot record them without their permission, total tosh; they are on your property and knocking on your door, you can film anyone on your property and on the public street so always film them and the law says you can film them as there is no right to privacy in public, and the law says you can film anyone on your property.

Next they try to enter your property, never let them in as they have been known to connect televisions so they can see it is capable of getting pictures, would you let the dishcloth and duster salesman in? NO, so why do they trhink they can enter your property? they have absolutely no right to enter your property without your permission and they know it: their next threat is to call the po-lice, great, they cannot enter your property without a warrant either and cannot let Capita salesmen in either as this is a civil matter and NOT a criminal matter.

Po-lice only deal with criminal matters and they cannot let anyone into YOUR HOME, it is unlikely they would even attend for a civil matter. If they do attend and try to let TV Licensing into your home they are acting ultra vires and you can claim against the po-lice force, Last claim I had netted £1250 for me.

They often try to get you to sign something with the usual excuse of "it is to say I visited" actually its not, it is actually an admission of guilt which you sign and give them their evidence they need.

Simple rules are never give them your name, never let them into your home, and never, never sign anything.

As soon as they identify themselves as TV Licensing you simply shut the door and lock it.

What About Their Letters

They often send letters out and they are designed by psychologists to scare you, read the wording carefully and it is designed from the outset to create fear.

It will look official and have a reference number, they all have the same reference number, irrespective of where they are sent because they a standard form letter, nothing more.
They highlight certain elements in bold red lettering to make you believe it is legitimate and state you are committing a criminal offence, they often contain oblique and misleading quotes and they tend to go around in phases, so they are standard form letters. Look at the label first, they are addressed to the occupier, is your name mr or mrs Occupier, NO.

Their opening gambit is to claim you are committing a criminal offence! how do they know and where is their evidence.
They next claim you are being investigated! they are NOT the po-lice.
They claim they will get a warrant! with no name and evidence they cannot get a warrant.

They employ other unlawful tricks and the key here is to report them to the po-lice with your video evidence, it becomes unambiguous.

They have an implied right as does anyone, to go to your front door.
They are not allowed to walk around your propery and peer through your windows.
They are not allowed to take photographs through your windows.
They are not allowed to enter your property without your permission, even with the po-lice.

There have been cases where they have been caught out using cameras with powerful telephoto lenses with resulting prosecutions.
They have used the po-lice and the po-lice enter your property and stand in front of your open door and let them in, don't let the po-lice in either.

Many people fall down with simple things, they have their TV mounted on the wall where it can be seen by anyone coming to their front door; put up net curtains and move your TV, they have to prove you are watching BBC TV live as its being broadcast or recording BBC TV programmes live as they are being broadcast.

Not had a TV License for years and nothing has been done.