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2 minutes ago, 19QOS19 said:
5 minutes ago, Bigmouth Strikes Again said:
I would be polite with them, and simply say 'No thank you' and close the door.  Doesn't matter if you've got an ariel, as long as the lead is cut, also, highly unlikely they will get a warrant. It's just scare tactics.

Wasn't aware of that. Saves the hassle of taking the actual ariel down, cheers!

No probs, well done on not paying these BBC scum a cent.

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In order to gain a warrant they would have to convince a sheriff that there is good cause to believe you are watching TV without a licence. "they huvnae paid us and shut the door on our officer' is not anywhere near sufficient. They would have to show footage of your TV being watched, a recording of you admitting to it etc.

I've had a look and can't find any evidence that suggests a warrant has ever been issued to Capita in Scotland. I suspect a FOI request would get dingied because they'd argue it's sensitive information likely to impact their business.

I suspect that after being told to bolt from your front door S.O.P is just to drop interest, as it simply is not worthwhile financially for them to pursue you.

I work with vulnerable people, and every single one of them who has been issued a fine for non-payment is a female, who, upon being visited by a Capita goon was intimidated into giving them access to their property, and confessed themselves to watching without a licence. I do not know of a single case where Capita pursued someone who simply refused to engage.

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I don't think anyone will be round.

We moved house several years ago and transferred our TV licence to our new address. No problems.

Later my wife set up a new DD for the TV licence. Since then we get the same threatening letters regularly, and we put them in the bin.

There are only 3 houses in our post code. I suspect that because our house has a 'name' and it is on the address on the licence, it cannot be matched with the house number on the TV licence database, but we are not fixing it, and always hope someone will come round.

There is none of the three options open to us: We watch TV, already have a licence and don't have one to transfer, so we cannot do anything about it.

Kilmarnock Enforcement must have spent well over £100 by now.

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4 hours ago, DA Baracus said:

They can't enter without a warrant.

If they do visit without one and, after they try all sorts of nonsense and probably lies, you tell them bolt, that will be the time to take stuff down as they will then get a warrant for their next visit.

I deal with warrants of entry for something else, important to remember that they show you the warrant so that you can check the date it was issued on, that it is no more than 28 days from that date and that it is signed (this may just be typed rather than a squiggle) and most importantly, they can only execute it once so make sure they don't attempt to come in, you've got coronavirus (😉) and they come back after the isolation period. 

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I'm a shitebag and pay it. [emoji20]


My girlfriend is the same. I didn’t have one for years when I lived on my own, but she insisted that we had one when we moved in together. I think I got one letter in 3 years, patched it and never heard anything else.
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I haven't ever had one. I doubt this account can be tracked to me but just in case: "I don't watch live TV" 😉😉😉. I have had hundreds of letters over the years and have always prided myself on being too smart to pay it. But the latest letter has my name at the top, and if I did get caught and convicted it could mess with my career, so I am thinking maybe I will cough up the dough just in case. Even though I don't watch live TV 😉. At the same time, I feel I will be shiting it, and probably haven't done it yet out of principle. Something to chew over while not watching Caley Thistle v Raith in a moment.

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I pay mines because the other half is a panic merchant and would stress like f**k if any threatening letters came through the door no matter how meaningless they are.

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42 minutes ago, Margaret Thatcher said:

I haven't ever had one. I doubt this account can be tracked to me but just in case: "I don't watch live TV" 😉😉😉. I have had hundreds of letters over the years and have always prided myself on being too smart to pay it. But the latest letter has my name at the top, and if I did get caught and convicted it could mess with my career, so I am thinking maybe I will cough up the dough just in case. Even though I don't watch live TV 😉. At the same time, I feel I will be shiting it, and probably haven't done it yet out of principle. Something to chew over while not watching Caley Thistle v Raith in a moment.

I thought you were a high flying lawyer and you can't get out of a licence fee payment issue?

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49 minutes ago, Empty It said:

I pay mines because the other half is a panic merchant and would stress like f**k if any threatening letters came through the door no matter how meaningless they are.

Welcome to my world.

I would stop paying the Biased Broadcasting Corporation tomorrow, but it wouldn't be worth the grief I would get when she found out.

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1 hour ago, Margaret Thatcher said:

I haven't ever had one. I doubt this account can be tracked to me but just in case: "I don't watch live TV" 😉😉😉. I have had hundreds of letters over the years and have always prided myself on being too smart to pay it. But the latest letter has my name at the top, and if I did get caught and convicted it could mess with my career, so I am thinking maybe I will cough up the dough just in case. Even though I don't watch live TV 😉. At the same time, I feel I will be shiting it, and probably haven't done it yet out of principle. Something to chew over while not watching Caley Thistle v Raith in a moment.

Even if caught, you wouldn't be 'convicted' of anything because non-payment of the licence is not a criminal offence. If you did not pay the resultant fine however, that is a criminal offence.

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8 minutes ago, lichtgilphead said:

Welcome to my world.

I would stop paying the Biased Broadcasting Corporation tomorrow, but it wouldn't be worth the grief I would get when she found out.

Ex used to operate on a similar basis. I cancelled the Direct Debit, and she only finally twigged years later when it dawned on her that she hadn't actually seen the physical piece of paper they send you.

Managed to talk her down from the precipice by assuring her that if, by some miracle, we were fined, then I would personally pay it. This was of course accompanied with an 'under no circumstances let these shysters across the threshold' instruction.

One of a multitude of minor annoyances that make me forever grateful she's an Ex tbh

Edited by Boo Khaki
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40 minutes ago, Boo Khaki said:

Even if caught, you wouldn't be 'convicted' of anything because non-payment of the licence is not a criminal offence. If you did not pay the resultant fine however, that is a criminal offence.

Had a little look there and it turns out non payment is in fact a criminal offence.

The UK government consulted on decriminalising it last year but then shelved the proposal.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55754914

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4 minutes ago, Margaret Thatcher said:

 

This website here is the first result on Google for "non payment of TV license" and it says it is in fact a criminal offence:

https://www.stepchange.org/debt-info/tv-licence-fines.aspx#:~:text=If you don't have,£1%2C000%2C plus court costs.

"You need a TV licence if you watch or record live TV programmes as they’re being broadcast, or watch or download BBC programmes on iPlayer. If you don’t have a licence or fail to repay your arrears, you could receive a court fine.

It’s a criminal offence to watch live TV or use BBC iPlayer unless you have a valid TV licence. Without one, you risk prosecution and can be issued a fine of up to £1,000, plus court costs."

humberside-raid.gif?fit=480,269&ssl=1

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