Treatening Letters

[Farfrae]

Newsflash: there is no 19 year old intern sat typing out those letters on a power trip, they are probably generated automatically by a computer.

In this case however, they appear to be in error. ?

It's a deliberate policy to send threatening letters specutaviely.

I did that, then after 2 or three years the letters start again.

Exactly, that's how they work.

 

[ollie989898]

It's a deliberate policy to send threatening letters specutaviely.

Yes, because people are just going to hand over £145 despite the fact they have no TV.

 

[Deereone]

That is exactly what happened to me and I deal with it the same way.

 

[rob1]

Yes, because people are just going to hand over £145 despite the fact they have no TV.

at the cost of a stamp plus paper,envelope and ink for each letter they send out they need a pretty good rate of return to make it worthwhile

 

[Goweresque]

Newsflash: there is no 19 year old intern sat typing out those letters on a power trip, they are probably generated automatically by a computer.

Yes it is written in no uncertain terms as it is clearly aimed at people they believe are deliberately avoiding payment. In this case however, they appear to be in error. Would you prefer a birthday card begging for a 'donation' of £145 instead?

If I wrote a computer generated letter to you (and thousands of other people) implying you were a criminal and that you were about to be dragged off to court to answer for your 'crimes', do you think you might be slightly miffed at me?

TV licencing basically assume any premises without a licence are criminals, because 'everyone is watching TV'. This might have been a reasonable balance of probability assumption 20 years or more ago, not today, thanks to the internet, yet they still persist in calling innocent people criminals, and writing letters that are specifically designed to harass and frighten people who perhaps don't know the law very well.

If I did the same to you you could get me arrested (and convicted) for harassment.

 

[Farfrae]

at the cost of a stamp plus paper,envelope and ink for each letter they send out they need a pretty good rate of return to make it worthwhile

Well they have had to pay £100k in compensation for their threatening letters

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...viewers-harassed-by-licence-fee-officers.html

 

[bobk]

If I wrote a computer generated letter to you (and thousands of other people) implying you were a criminal and that you were about to be dragged off to court to answer for your 'crimes', do you think you might be slightly miffed at me?

TV licencing basically assume any premises without a licence are criminals, because 'everyone is watching TV'. This might have been a reasonable balance of probability assumption 20 years or more ago, not today, thanks to the internet, yet they still persist in calling innocent people criminals, and writing letters that are specifically designed to harass and frighten people who perhaps don't know the law very well.

If I did the same to you you could get me arrested (and convicted) for harassment.

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't watching bbc on catch up require a license now.

 

[ollie989898]

If I wrote a computer generated letter to you (and thousands of other people) implying you were a criminal and that you were about to be dragged off to court to answer for your 'crimes', do you think you might be slightly miffed at me?

TV licencing basically assume any premises without a licence are criminals, because 'everyone is watching TV'. This might have been a reasonable balance of probability assumption 20 years or more ago, not today, thanks to the internet, yet they still persist in calling innocent people criminals, and writing letters that are specifically designed to harass and frighten people who perhaps don't know the law very well.

If I did the same to you you could get me arrested (and convicted) for harassment.

Why not do something constructive about it then?

 

[Lincsman]

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't watching bbc on catch up require a license now.

yes, rules changed a few weeks ago.

 

[sleepy]

For the umpteenth time they take no notice of phone calls and will keep calling at regular intervals. Telling the company who do this (they are agents for the BBC) makes no difference. The above letter can be knocked of in a couple of minutes and sorts the problem once and for all.

I've told them a couple of times over the phone we have no TV, and never heard anything more. Maybe I was just lucky.

 

[bobk]

Has anyone ever seen a detector van ? more chance of meeting Elvis .

 

[Lincsman]

Love this;
http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ73

 

[Sussex Martin]

I started receiving their threatening letters two years ago when I had mains electricity installed at my farm buildings, to have 'services' you have to have an address and post code. These were applied for and granted before the electric could be installed. The first letter ever received was from TV licensing. The wife duly phoned and assured them that there was no dwelling and no TVs on the premises. They have recently written again so I just binned the first and second letter, doesn't bother me one bit. They asked we told them, they have decided after two years to persue the matter again, no skin off my nose to bin their letters. They can come and visit if they like, it's an offence to watch TV without a licence, it isn't an offence to ignore their letters.

 

[Jamesni]

Some folk have a peculiar way of going about life, I'll say that. I tend to grab the bull by the horns and sort problems at the root cause, not bitch about the knock-on effects forever and a day. Clearly someone's records are at fault. You ring, take minutes, inform them it is a commercial premises that is involved in X activity, and have no TV on the premises and no aerial, and sort the matter.

Instead you take um-bridge at an organisation who are merely involved in the business of collecting monies owed by people who have not paid for their TV license.

Is life not complex and difficult enough, that you want to have a confrontation with people involved in TV license enforcement, and maybe end up in all kinds of legal nonsense?

Life is too short.

You are just plain rude

 

[Goweresque]

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't watching bbc on catch up require a license now.

It does, and I don't watch it. There are a myriad of other places on the net to watch as much catchup TV as you like without going anywhere near the iPlayer service.

 

[dstudent]

Does anybody else get these? They have been sending them for about a year, eaCh slightly more threatening with more red than the last. I just bin them. This attitude winds me up.
Quite looking forward to them turning up, when they eventually find one of us in, and we check their identity and authority carefully, check they have PPE to go in our workshop,and they then find nothing.
Just another tax, which hits the poor as well as the rich.

Bin them, simply because if u call or write you ll ve to give your name and personal details, and they ll keep them on records which they might sell off or just keep on bothering you and this time they ll ve your name. Plus why aknowledging receipt? Unless they come to your property and find you in flagrante, if u let them in of course, then and only then they might do something. My humble opinion (I hate them B@#$)

 

[MickMoor]

Normally these letters have been going straight into the bin. I opened this one becasue it had a bit more red on it. As I said, let them waste their time. I actually believe that BBC squander license fee payers' money, and the license should be abolished and the wasters paid by some other way. I hardly watch any telly at home, never mind at work! It just demonstrates their mind set if they think you can watch telly and work.

 

[dstudent]

Normally these letters have been going straight into the bin. I opened this one becasue it had a bit more red on it. As I said, let them waste their time. I actually believe that BBC squander license fee payers' money, and the license should be abolished and the wasters paid by some other way. I hardly watch any telly at home, never mind at work! It just demonstrates their mind set if they think you can watch telly and work.

I ve to call them tomorrow, I thought that over 75 did not have to pay, but they keep on sending treathening letters to my mum. Apparently there is an over 75 licence now, does that mean she ll ve to still pay, eventhough she does not even watch the curse thing? Man I hate these overpayed bafoons
Plus she is all paid up untill March. There will be blood tomorrow

 

[bjreroberts]

They are an absolute pain in the rear. I got bombarded with these letters and several hand delivered notices at my former premises, a wooden poultry shed!

 

[Dave]

Has anyone ever seen a detector van ? more chance of meeting Elvis .

Yes about 25 years ago, turned up at the place we had just moved too and the previous owners never had a licence. Guy knocked on the door out of the blue, we showed him the license and he was fine then and I got to look in the van, couple of guys in there and all sorts or electronic gear, said they could tell what chanel we were watching and could change it, I'd be about 13 don't think I've seen one since