TV Licence

[Enigma]

14 minutes ago, MONKMAN said:

Has anyone on here ever had the chap at the door?

Thought you said it was a lady?

[mathematics]

18 minutes ago, MONKMAN said:

Just had a visit half an hour ago from a lovely TV Licensing lady asking if she could gain entry to my house to confirm that my licence exemption is valid.  She was told that I do not allow strangers entry to my home unannounced, and that if she wanted to make an appointment to come back at a time and date that suited then I was more than happy to arrange.  She told me that visits had to be an unannounced and again requested entry to my property.  She was politely told no and I closed the door.  Has anyone on here ever had the chap at the door?

I’ve had it once. Two big burly men were shown indoors and shown the TV which was connected to nothing but the games console.

In my defence, I was young and stupid. I’m old and stupid now and wouldn’t let them get over their second sentence, never mind the threshold.

[welshbairn]

24 minutes ago, MONKMAN said:

Just had a visit half an hour ago from a lovely TV Licensing lady asking if she could gain entry to my house to confirm that my licence exemption is valid.  She was told that I do not allow strangers entry to my home unannounced, and that if she wanted to make an appointment to come back at a time and date that suited then I was more than happy to arrange.  She told me that visits had to be an unannounced and again requested entry to my property.  She was politely told no and I closed the door.  Has anyone on here ever had the chap at the door?

She could theoretically return with a Sheriff's warrant with the cops and the power to force entry, but I don't know if that ever happens. 

[bobbykdy]

45 minutes ago, MONKMAN said:

Just had a visit half an hour ago from a lovely TV Licensing lady asking if she could gain entry to my house to confirm that my licence exemption is valid.  She was told that I do not allow strangers entry to my home unannounced, and that if she wanted to make an appointment to come back at a time and date that suited then I was more than happy to arrange.  She told me that visits had to be an unannounced and again requested entry to my property.  She was politely told no and I closed the door.  Has anyone on here ever had the chap at the door?

Had them visit and leave a calling card when I was at work. Also had numerous threatening letters including two where they told me when they were going to turn up only not to. 

[bobbykdy]

12 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

She could theoretically return with a Sheriff's warrant with the cops and the power to force entry, but I don't know if that ever happens. 

Given that the Polis struggle at times to get warrants for suspected serious crimes their chances of coming back with one are slim to f**k all.

[Bert Raccoon]

3 hours ago, welshbairn said:

She could theoretically return with a Sheriff's warrant with the cops and the power to force entry, but I don't know if that ever happens. 

This will only happen if you actually engage with the "enforcement officers". The only evidence they can get  to apply for a Sherrifs Warrent is basically a confession or to allow them in to your property. If you politely tell them to f**k off there is nothing they can do apart from repeatedly send threatening letters which should be immediately binned.

[Black_and_White_Stripes]

I don't understand why people object to the BBC. They provide great coverage of the Scottish game and the Gaelic media pretty much is BBC Alba. What does it actually cost? £15 a month or something? Now how much do folk pay for Sky?

The licence fee represents great value for money and I would hate to see it go.

[Sergeant Wilson]

8 hours ago, Black_and_White_Stripes said:

I don't understand why people object to the BBC. They provide great coverage of the Scottish game and the Gaelic media pretty much is BBC Alba. What does it actually cost? £15 a month or something? Now how much do folk pay for Sky?

The licence fee represents great value for money and I would hate to see it go.

It's not just the BBC, I try not to pay for anything. 

[hk blues]

9 hours ago, Bert Raccoon said:

This will only happen if you actually engage with the "enforcement officers". The only evidence they can get  to apply for a Sherrifs Warrent is basically a confession or to allow them in to your property. If you politely tell them to f**k off there is nothing they can do apart from repeatedly send threatening letters which should be immediately binned.

But didn't he engage by saying she'd be welcome to come in with an appointment? 

Anyway, the chances of it happening are on a par with my team's  chances of winning the Scottish Cup AND going through the season with no games postponed. 

[Boghead ranter]

9 hours ago, Black_and_White_Stripes said:

I don't understand why people object to the BBC. They provide great coverage of the Scottish game and the Gaelic media pretty much is BBC Alba. What does it actually cost? £15 a month or something? Now how much do folk pay for Sky?

The licence fee represents great value for money and I would hate to see it go.

I don't see why I should fund the Publicity Dept of the Tory party.

[Bert Raccoon]

9 hours ago, Black_and_White_Stripes said:

I don't understand why people object to the BBC. They provide great coverage of the Scottish game and the Gaelic media pretty much is BBC Alba. What does it actually cost? £15 a month or something? Now how much do folk pay for Sky?

The licence fee represents great value for money and I would hate to see it go.

It's the assumption of guilt that's the issue. You don't have to own a TV Licence if you don't use their services. Yes if you require one you should pay for it however you shouldn't need to let some door to door salesman into your home to show them evidence.

TV Licence enforcers are absolute shysters who prey on the vulnerable. Not sure if it's still the case but they were on commission for every licence they could sell previously.

Edited July 17 by Bert Raccoon

[vikingTON]

9 hours ago, Black_and_White_Stripes said:

I don't understand why people object to the BBC. They provide great coverage of the Scottish game and the Gaelic media pretty much is BBC Alba. What does it actually cost? £15 a month or something? Now how much do folk pay for Sky?

The licence fee represents great value for money and I would hate to see it go.

If you love the BBC so much, then you would support a purely voluntary system of contribution where you and the rest of the boot-lickers can pay as much as you feel that the BBC's content is worth. 

Or support a model based on contribution and advertising which is central to any commercial broadcaster, including Channel 4 which provides far higher quality coverage of current affairs. 

The idea that a massively regressive flat tax should continue to be imposed by threat of criminal sanction to maintain Gaelic media coverage on the BBC is utter horseshit. 

[mathematics]

9 hours ago, Black_and_White_Stripes said:

They provide great coverage of the Scottish game

This is a joke, right?

[Central Belt Caley]

I for one am glad to pay my £159 a year to ensure Gary Lineker continues to be paid a very handsome salary 

[Black_and_White_Stripes]

3 hours ago, Boghead ranter said:

I don't see why I should fund the Publicity Dept of the Tory party.

 

Everyone claims the BBC is biased - I think supporters of literally every political party, as well as nationalists and unionists make that claim. I suspect part of it is strategic, in order to try to win more favourable coverage - a bit like the Old Firm with referees.

 

3 hours ago, Bert Raccoon said:

It's the assumption of guilt that's the issue. You don't have to own a TV Licence if you don't use their services. Yes if you require one you should pay for it however you shouldn't need to let some door to door salesman into your home to show them evidence.

TV Licence enforcers are absolute shysters who prey on the vulnerable. Not sure if it's still the case but they were on commission for every licence they could sell previously.

 

I agree with this to an extent. However, who can honestly say that they never use the BBC's services?

 

3 hours ago, virginton said:

If you love the BBC so much, then you would support a purely voluntary system of contribution where you and the rest of the boot-lickers can pay as much as you feel that the BBC's content is worth. 

Or support a model based on contribution and advertising which is central to any commercial broadcaster, including Channel 4 which provides far higher quality coverage of current affairs. 

The idea that a massively regressive flat tax should continue to be imposed by threat of criminal sanction to maintain Gaelic media coverage on the BBC is utter horseshit. 

The voluntary contribution initiative doesn't prevent freeloading. There will always be people who claim not to use the BBC's services, when they do. How many people honestly do not own a TV set?

If the BBC is beholden to advertisers then surely that could compromise their impartiality through threats of boycotts, etc?

[vikingTON]

1 hour ago, Black_and_White_Stripes said:

The voluntary contribution initiative doesn't prevent freeloading. There will always be people who claim not to use the BBC's services, when they do. How many people honestly do not own a TV set?

If the BBC is beholden to advertisers then surely that could compromise their impartiality through threats of boycotts, etc?

The BBC is no more or less impartial than ITV or Channel 4, which also have advertising. All of which are and would remain subject to OFCOM guidelines on impartiality regardless. 

The BBC already does extensive advertising - simply for its own range of (often horseshit) products that get peddled between programmes. Others get repackaged and sold to a global audience. 

So the idea that advertising would fatally undermine or compromise the Pristine Impartiality of the BBC is horseshit. It's also the only way of resolving the 'freeloading' issue that you seem to think is a major problem. 

The premise that if a household owns a TV then it must pay a flat tax to fund one set of broadcast channels available is also utter horseshit. If TV broadcasting were being introduced to the market today then nobody would accept that premise - it isn't how online media is funded. 

Edited July 17 by vikingTON

[beefybake]

4 hours ago, virginton said:

If you love the BBC so much, then you would support a purely voluntary system of contribution where you and the rest of the boot-lickers can pay as much as you feel that the BBC's content is worth. 

Or support a model based on contribution and advertising which is central to any commercial broadcaster, including Channel 4 which provides far higher quality coverage of current affairs. 

The idea that a massively regressive flat tax should continue to be imposed by threat of criminal sanction to maintain Gaelic media coverage on the BBC is utter horseshit. 

In your opinion.

[vikingTON]

Just now, beefybake said:

In your opinion.

An opinion justified by reasoned arguments - perhaps you should try that some time. 

[Bigmouth Strikes Again]

5 hours ago, Bert Raccoon said:

 

TV Licence enforcers are absolute shysters who prey on the vulnerable. Not sure if it's still the case but they were on commission for every licence they could sell previously.

There was recent case where they took a young woman with learning difficulties to court, the absolute scum. If they ever show up the correct response is 'No thank you'. and then simply close the door, never engage with them.

[tinkerbelle]

1 minute ago, Bigmouth Strikes Again said:

There was recent case where they took a young woman with learning difficulties to court, the absolute scum. If they ever show up the correct response is 'No thank you'. and then simply close the door, never engage with them.

If only they had brought back the early morning Open University programmes, she’d have been fine!