Bleeding TV License people!

OMG! They are so money grabbing! This is what it says in my letter word for word:

If you watch or record programmes as they're being shown on TV, you are required by law to have a TV licence which costs £131.50 or £44 for black and white. Equipment which you need a licence to use inlcudes:

Television - colour or black and white.
Set-top box.
Video or DVD recorder.
Computer.
Moblie phone!

I mean I only use my TV to watch DVDs and play games on. I cant watch normal TV or record anything. I only use a monitor for my PC and shock horror, I own a moblie phone!

Whats go upsetting is that on the website, I cant do weekly or monthly installments because Im not on benefits. So they think students can afford these do they? I mean, why not have students on the weekly or montly pay option?! Its disgusting and I cant afford this! I may have to sell stuff in order to get the cash. I know my family wont help.

Has anyone else had to deal with this and can students some how pay in installments? Its just really upset me.

We haven't heard from them yet where I am, but there's been notices warning us about them checking up on us soon.

I didn't bring a tv with me, just a laptop which I know can't recieve tv, but it wouldn't surprise me if they tried to say it could before slapping me with the £1000 fine...

I think students can pay in monthly installments as long as you can set up direct debits on your account. But I never really looked into it much after deciding not to take a tv.

EDIT: Actually, I do recall hearing something about getting refunded if you live in the university residences cos you're not there for the whole year if that's any help.

well my mother just tells the company she has black n white tv, so she doesnt pay that much. Even dough we do have coloured :D

I read this on the site under the student section:

Quote:

---

You need a TV Licence to use any television receiving equipment such as a TV set, set-top boxes, video or DVD recorders, computers or mobile phones to watch TV programmes as they are being broadcast.

---

Now I dont use anything to record because I cant get a signal to watch normal TV. And I cant watch broadcast shows as I get no signal here. Now Ive called my mum and she said I shouldnt have to pay it as Im only here 3 times a week, barely here for a year and I dont watch broadcasted programmes or record them in any way. So shes going to give them a call and tell them this. But my uncle and grandad said it doesnt matter and I will still have to get the licence because I watch DVDs on a TV.

Quote:

---

EDIT: Actually, I do recall hearing something about getting refunded if you live in the university residences cos you're not there for the whole year if that's any help.

---

If I do have to get one, I'll look into that!

I went for a year without one when I was at university. It wasn't too bad - they called round once, but I had time to detune my TV card before they reached my room. I think they've got tougher, though - just having the equipment is bad enough.

They still kept on sending us warning letters even after they'd inspected the house, so I wrote a letter of complaint. They replied that they were sorry and said that they wouldn't send any further warning letters. Predictably, they did. Prats.

My friend at uni got one sent to her in her first year when she didnt even have a TV. She wrote to them and told them, yet they continued to send letters to her. She said they never came round to inspect her halls, same with my ex and he had one.

But my mums going to sort them out^^ Super mum!

What the hell is all of this about for those of us who don't hail from the land of tea and crumpets.

edlalalala is right, I have no idea what's going on.

I looked it up and I am still lost.

I had this in General Chat and for some reason it was moved here.
Im going on about how the TV licence people are trying to get me to buy a TV licence when I use a TV, but can only watch DVDs on it, I cant get a signal to watch normal TV.

This thread was asking people, mainly students if theyve ever incountered this before. Dont know why it was moved to the longue.

Wow, England's lame!

Get a credit card. Buy the thing. Pay off your credit card monthly. :tongue:

OK, as an explanation for all you foreign folk, the BBC demands that everyone pays for a TV licence in order to fund its programming. This means that the BBC does not have any advertising, and instead has many pointless TV channels and radio stations. Most of them are crap because the BBC is wonderfully biased towards the government and/or minority groups (and recently admitted it)

They claim they have "television detection" devices, but that's just bull, and there's plenty of stories like the ones ~SS~ told where they've accused people of having TV without a license, when they didn't even have a TV.

No, you're not likely to get them to budge because you're a student, because they'll just tell you that's what your student loan is for. Anyway, someone I knew didn't have a TV license, and just refused to let them into his room when they came knocking, and they couldn't do anything about it. All they did was send him warning letters from then on.

You need a license to watch TV? Good god.

That is bull. That means war to me. I would just refuse. They would have to prove that you use that TV to actually watch television. If they want you to pay to watch their programming then they should provided decoders to those who pay and encode their signal when it is put out through the airwaves.

Wow. England IS lame. I almost feel proud to be an american right now. Almost.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Raistlin

You need a license to watch TV? Good god.

---

No. You need one just to own a TV.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Psychotic

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Raistlin

You need a license to watch TV? Good god.

---

No. You need one just to own a TV.

---

Why isn't it just built into the price of the TV then?

It is stupid cause I do own a TV, but I cant watch TV shows on it, only DVDs. I mean why should I pay for a TV licence when I cant even get a signal to watch the flipping thing!? Hopefully I'll have it sorted by the end of the week. My mums going to call them and tell them that Im not paying for one when I dont watch any broadcasted programmes, here for 3 days a week and Im here for 10 months and £131 is a stupid price to pay for something I cant use!

My TV cost $250 at the store. $250 more just to watch it? That's retarded.

The requirements are a little out of order, that's for sure. I own a computer, and only play DVDs on it. I don't watch any terrestrial television programming at all, so why should I pay for a license? Well, I'll end up in court, even though I haven't done anything wrong.

I guess you pay for "possibly being able to watch television, even though you might not want to" in this country. :p

Im sorry to say this but the only thing you need a TV licence for is the channels that dont have breaks (like the BBC channels) i know this as just 2 days ago i had a tv licence guy come over and we had a good long chat about this and i asked him this and i quote "what exactly is a tv licence needed for, is it just for the channels that dont have adverts?" tv guy "Yes, thats exactly it" me "so me living with my ex best friend haveing a tv just to play computer on wouldnt need a tv licence?" tv guy "yes exactly that, but we would have to make several checks to make sure you were not watching the aformentioned channels" me "ok thanks" obviously the reason i asked is there for you to see.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ~SapphireStar~

OMG! They are so money grabbing! This is what it says in my letter word for word:

If you watch or record programmes as they're being shown on TV, you are required by law to have a TV licence which costs £131.50 or £44 for black and white. Equipment which you need a licence to use inlcudes:

Television - colour or black and white.
Set-top box.
Video or DVD recorder.
Computer.
Moblie phone!

I mean I only use my TV to watch DVDs and play games on. I cant watch normal TV or record anything. I only use a monitor for my PC and shock horror, I own a moblie phone!

Whats go upsetting is that on the website, I cant do weekly or monthly installments because Im not on benefits. So they think students can afford these do they? I mean, why not have students on the weekly or montly pay option?! Its disgusting and I cant afford this! I may have to sell stuff in order to get the cash. I know my family wont help.

Has anyone else had to deal with this and can students some how pay in installments? Its just really upset me.

---

Its only if you are using them as broadcasting equipment, to recieve channels.

My flat got a TV with it and apparently we as a flat would have to pay for it if we want to use it, but because there ae locks one each room, seperate TVs arent part of that same liscence, load of smurfing bollocks. I'm paying nowt, I dont use the TV.

I don't understand this at all.

o_o

That's one way to cut down on your electric bill, at least.

TV license thing is crap. We have PBS and they just interrupt shows everynow and then and beg for money(they show some BBC stuff). They are funded by the government and by the public(PBS...Public Broadcasting Station I believe).

BBC sucks and should therefore die for this injustice. If they want to make you pay then go cable. Problem solved.

This is the craziest thing I've heard of in my entire life, I think. I feel like I should applaud or something.

The money is used to finance TV and radio channels owned by the state. It's not that strange a concept, although here it is way too expensive and the state owned channels aren't all that great anyway. The problem I have with it is that they call it a licence rather than a tax. Everyone has a TV and regardless of whether or not you watch the channels in question, you have to pay the annual fee, so it's more of a tax.

Two of our ministers recently had to give up their jobs because of not paying the TV licence. :D

In America(the land of a thousand television channels) this is a crazy system.

If they tried to do something like this in America, there would be riots all over the place. Fat slobs would swarm the streets! Cheese burger in one hand...bazooka in the other!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jrgen

you have to pay the annual fee, so it's more of a tax.

---

ANNUAL?
That's more expensive than smurfin HBO! You guys just need to get a new country. Get obsolved into Canada, then you'll get american channels for free with your basic cable! No more complaining about not getting lost either!

Just thought of something else: If this is the kind of crap the British pulled during Boston tea party era, then we had every right to boot them out of here. Sorry if I sound rude. It's just that every time I come in this thread, it blows my mind.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MecaKane

ANNUAL?
That's more expensive than smurfin HBO! You guys just need to get a new country. Get obsolved into Canada, then you'll get american channels for free with your basic cable! No more complaining about not getting lost either!

---

To be honest, I'd rather be watching good old SVT than the American channels. And I would never voluntarily move to Canada. And who would want to get lost?

I don't get why people don't udnerstand the concept. You still pay money to watch TV, you just do it by purchasing the products advertised during commercial breaks instead.

Everyone should do everything like they do in america

because america is better than everywhere else

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by edczxcvbnm

If they want to make you pay then go cable. Problem solved.

---

Not quite. We'd end up paying both the cable providers fee and the regular tv licence as well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Duality

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by edczxcvbnm

If they want to make you pay then go cable. Problem solved.

---

Not quite. We'd end up paying both the cable providers fee and the regular tv licence as well.

---

No. You end up paying for cable and that is it. Why would you have to pay for a license fee if they are on cable? By them being on cable you just proved you don't watch them thus you don't have to pay the licenese fee at all. Better yet, they can be like HBO. A premium channel.

The advertisments pay for our TV over here but I am buying gatoraid, mountain dew, mcdonalds and stuff anyways. I buy the stuff I am going to buy anyways. I would rather a company spend $2 million dollars on a 30 second ad during the super bowl to fund TV for the next year than have 300 million people pay ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, MTV, A&E, AMC, TNT, TBS, USA, TNN, CN, NICK, CNN, MSN and the list goes on all $250 to watch their channel for a year. smurf THAT.

What. Get a loan/grant, you can bloody well afford one.

Not that there's any grounds for MAKING you, of course, it's BS, but yeah, it's not that much.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ~Reno~

Im sorry to say this but the only thing you need a TV licence for is the channels that dont have breaks (like the BBC channels) i know this as just 2 days ago i had a tv licence guy come over and we had a good long chat about this and i asked him this and i quote "what exactly is a tv licence needed for, is it just for the channels that dont have adverts?" tv guy "Yes, thats exactly it" me "so me living with my ex best friend haveing a tv just to play computer on wouldnt need a tv licence?" tv guy "yes exactly that, but we would have to make several checks to make sure you were not watching the aformentioned channels" me "ok thanks" obviously the reason i asked is there for you to see.

---

I bet there will be a statement contradicting what you just posted ... if it can be schemed (sp?) up ... Wow i feel so sorry for you guys ... it makes me not want to goto UK and watch T.V. :lol:

Crap like this i'm sure will get worse and worse ... its a trend i've been notice'n so 10 years from now we can all look back and say wow that was sooo pathetic compaired to these mandatory trackin' devices bein' implanted and the random night sodomy ... was such a simpler time >.<

Ho Hum :crying2:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by edczxcvbnm

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Duality

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by edczxcvbnm

If they want to make you pay then go cable. Problem solved.

---

Not quite. We'd end up paying both the cable providers fee and the regular tv licence as well.

---

No. You end up paying for cable and that is it. Why would you have to pay for a license fee if they are on cable? By them being on cable you just proved you don't watch them thus you don't have to pay the licenese fee at all. Better yet, they can be like HBO. A premium channel.

---

The trouble is you still get the BBC channels in most of the packages you can get here as far as I know (but I may be terribly wrong, I've never looked into cable that much), plus you'd still be watching it on a TV capable of recieving the terrestrial signal. Auntie will still want to drain your pockets dry.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Duality

The trouble is you still get the BBC channels in most of the packages you can get here as far as I know (but I may be terribly wrong, I've never looked into cable that much), plus you'd still be watching it on a TV capable of recieving the terrestrial signal. Auntie will still want to drain your pockets dry.

---

Quite right. If you can receive the channels in any way, shape or form, you have to pay the license. It doesn't matter if you have a television, personal computer, cable, satellite, etc - they will find a way to make you pay. Even if you claim to use your television only for computer games and DVD movies, they will try their hardest to find a way to prove you wrong and steal your hard earned cash, even if you genuinely don't watch those pathetic BBC channels.

Thankfully, "I don't own a TV", my dad owns one that I paid for :p, and they don't know where that TV is :p.

Unfortunatly you guys don't understand at all what I am saying. Not YOU get cable. The BBC goes cable only. From what I understand they are the reason you have to pay the license because they don't run commercials.

i bought a tv license when i left for uni 7 weeks ago, what have i watched since then COuntdown and Deal Or No Deal :p , why should we pay tv licenses if they dont show anything good on tv :choc:

EDIT- i also cant even get a signal for the bbc, bastards :choc:

I have a TV and a TV License. Meh. Paying it wasn't that much a deal, because I'd rather not get bothered by the Man. Less hassle= More drinking fun!

I barely use it, except when my flatmates & I play on my PS2, or watching Final Score. It probably wasn't worth paying that much, but like I said, I just rather to be covered than anything. With my family on my case all the time before I came to Uni, It was more sound to pay the cash than be shouted at all the time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by edczxcvbnm

Unfortunatly you guys don't understand at all what I am saying. Not YOU get cable. The BBC goes cable only. From what I understand they are the reason you have to pay the license because they don't run commercials.

---

Oh!

Yeah, making the BBC a subscriber station probably would solve our problems, but they would never do that...

Well my mum wrote them a letter explaining it and if they show up demanding to see my room, Im to show the TV and tell them how I cant get a signal to watch any TV.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by I'm my own MILF

What. Get a loan/grant, you can bloody well afford one.

Not that there's any grounds for MAKING you, of course, it's BS, but yeah, it's not that much.

---

And you know my financial situation do you? Most of my loan has gone on my halls rent, it was a grand. Whats left is for food and travel. Im tyring my best to get a job and Im refusing to get an overdraft with my bank. I know people with overdrafts and Im not going to bother with one. Push comes to shove, Im sure my mum will get the money sorted if they are still determined for me to have one.

I'd rather have the commercials. Not that I watch tv anyways.

I'd go with the sodomy ... hey its free :mwahaha:

Seriously though, I think its rubbish that BBC is like a corporate dictator. They should be overthrown. Viva Resistance'!

I didn't know that stuff like this could actually happen. It makes me retch !
Sorry you have to put up with that :crying2: