Author

Topic: A day in court for non-payment of the TV licence (Read 1351 times)

legendary
Activity: 1316
Merit: 1000
September 26, 2014, 04:10:18 PM
#14
What? "200k people prosecuted" for not paying a TV license? i find this really hard to believe what evidence can you really use that someone is watching live tv.   If someone watches it via computer and they tv company work with the broadband provider to establish this the argument could always be someone is bootlegging your WIFI.  They could take your computer to check but seems costly procedure for the £1k fine.

Having a TV in your house doesnt hold up as proof either in court.   Total scam this TV license thing.

From the article, it seems they used to have equipment that was able to detect if people were watching TV, which could only be live TV at the time - 1970:

"There has always been some uncertainty (or outright suspicion) about the competence of television licence detection vans, made famous in the 1970s, with adverts showing what may, at the time, have appeared to be state-of-the-art equipment, allowing inspectors to drive around with whirring green radar displays alerting them to the presence of unlicensed homes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq7luWzbouo
"


Haha yeah those vans or any other detectors which have never been used successfully as evidence in court. 

I quit my license many years ago and got rid of the TV, best decision you can ever make.  I enjoy game of thrones once a year and a few things on Iplayer occasionally but i wouldnt pay to be zombiefied regularly  Grin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFf2BF72S6A&list=UUUoQx_r4KP70nC5jjtJ_tvg
newbie
Activity: 17
Merit: 0
What? "200k people prosecuted" for not paying a TV license? i find this really hard to believe what evidence can you really use that someone is watching live tv.   If someone watches it via computer and they tv company work with the broadband provider to establish this the argument could always be someone is bootlegging your WIFI.  They could take your computer to check but seems costly procedure for the £1k fine.

Having a TV in your house doesnt hold up as proof either in court.   Total scam this TV license thing.

From the article, it seems they used to have equipment that was able to detect if people were watching TV, which could only be live TV at the time (the 70s):

"There has always been some uncertainty (or outright suspicion) about the competence of television licence detection vans, made famous in the 1970s, with adverts showing what may, at the time, have appeared to be state-of-the-art equipment, allowing inspectors to drive around with whirring green radar displays alerting them to the presence of unlicensed homes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq7luWzbouo
"
hero member
Activity: 770
Merit: 500

What did the government do with the fee?

Made broadcasts explaining what a wise idea it is to bomb Assad's Syria bomb Isis.

Oh - and a few soap operas.

BBC licence fee is a joke and an anachronism.
member
Activity: 68
Merit: 10
I really hate having to pay the TV liscence. I know there are loopholes to get around it but they'll still hassle you constantly until you pay up. They really need to just get their money the same way all the other channels do - adverts.
legendary
Activity: 1316
Merit: 1000


What? "200k people prosecuted" for not paying a TV license? i find this really hard to believe what evidence can you really use that someone is watching live tv.   If someone watches it via computer and they tv company work with the broadband provider to establish this the argument could always be someone is bootlegging your WIFI.  They could take your computer to check but seems costly procedure for the £1k fine.

Having a TV in your house doesnt hold up as proof either in court.   Total scam this TV license thing.

Most idiots just let them in. You can own a TV anyway and not have to pay it. If you haven't got a working ariel that's enough not to pay it. You can still watch tv programs online too, just not live stream them.

Wow. I can't believe you Brits gotta pay £145/year for a license to watch tv.

Is that per TV? That'd be fucking madness.

What did the government do with the fee?

It pays for the BBC, but it's a joke and should be abolished.

Yeah but even if you do stream TV online how exactly are they going to check this without contact with your broadband provider or stealing your computer? Could be someone hacked your wifi.

Funny seeing all the goons chasing people down for tv licensing on youtube though.  Never let them in or even speak to them for that matter. 
hero member
Activity: 525
Merit: 500


What? "200k people prosecuted" for not paying a TV license? i find this really hard to believe what evidence can you really use that someone is watching live tv.   If someone watches it via computer and they tv company work with the broadband provider to establish this the argument could always be someone is bootlegging your WIFI.  They could take your computer to check but seems costly procedure for the £1k fine.

Having a TV in your house doesnt hold up as proof either in court.   Total scam this TV license thing.

Most idiots just let them in. You can own a TV anyway and not have to pay it. If you haven't got a working ariel that's enough not to pay it. You can still watch tv programs online too, just not live stream them.

Wow. I can't believe you Brits gotta pay £145/year for a license to watch tv.

Is that per TV? That'd be fucking madness.

What did the government do with the fee?

It pays for the BBC, but it's a joke and should be abolished.
legendary
Activity: 1067
Merit: 1000
Wow. I can't believe you Brits gotta pay £145/year for a license to watch tv.

Is that per TV? That'd be fucking madness.

What did the government do with the fee?
legendary
Activity: 1316
Merit: 1000


A day in court for non-payment of the TV licence: "What do they want us to do, kill ourselves?"

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/sep/24/in-court-non-payment-tv-licence-television-desperate-cases

<< Almost 200,000 people were prosecuted last year for failing to buy a television license. Should those who can't afford to pay their bills be criminalised in this way? >>



What? "200k people prosecuted" for not paying a TV license? i find this really hard to believe what evidence can you really use that someone is watching live tv.   If someone watches it via computer and they tv company work with the broadband provider to establish this the argument could always be someone is bootlegging your WIFI.  They could take your computer to check but seems costly procedure for the £1k fine.

Having a TV in your house doesnt hold up as proof either in court.   Total scam this TV license thing.
newbie
Activity: 17
Merit: 0
Wow. I can't believe you Brits gotta pay £145/year for a license to watch tv.

Is that per TV? That'd be fucking madness.

Lol. Thats very cheap.

Here in Austria you have to pay ~30€ per month, its called GIS.
Its not per TV, but if you have a second house or apartment, you have to pay it twice.
Its even possible to go to jail here, for not paying the GIS.

By the way, the average Austrian pays more than a twofold of taxes, than an American, but earns about 1/3 less on income.

That's simply ridiculous. If, for example, you subscribe to a cable TV service and you don't pay your bill, the company will just interrupt the service. I'm sure the people from these countries pay enough taxes already. Do people even get a vote on what they want to watch on the TV channels they are forced to pay a licence for?
legendary
Activity: 1512
Merit: 1000
Wow. I can't believe you Brits gotta pay £145/year for a license to watch tv.

Is that per TV? That'd be fucking madness.

It's per household.
hero member
Activity: 533
Merit: 539
Wow. I can't believe you Brits gotta pay £145/year for a license to watch tv.

Is that per TV? That'd be fucking madness.

Lol. Thats very cheap.

Here in Austria you have to pay ~30€ per month, its called GIS.
Its not per TV, but if you have a second house or apartment, you have to pay it twice.
Its even possible to go to jail here, for not paying the GIS.

By the way, the average Austrian pays more than a twofold of taxes, than an American, but earns about 1/3 less on income.
member
Activity: 100
Merit: 10
Wow. I can't believe you Brits gotta pay £145/year for a license to watch tv.

Is that per TV? That'd be fucking madness.
hero member
Activity: 546
Merit: 500
Our true name is truthful, and when we understand the distinction between what our parents named us and full or legal name we can begin to use the truth as a lie detector.

Forcing someone to associate against their will or to assume liability for a legal entity is against laws which outlaw slavery and might also be against Hague Regulation 45.

volunteering is not necessarily forbidden!

You have your remedy, it is called abatement for misnomer.
See this thread for reference, but do your own thinking!
http://savingtosuitorsclub.net/showthread.php?13-National-ID-and-suppression

 Wink
legendary
Activity: 1049
Merit: 1006


A day in court for non-payment of the TV licence: "What do they want us to do, kill ourselves?"

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/sep/24/in-court-non-payment-tv-licence-television-desperate-cases

<< Almost 200,000 people were prosecuted last year for failing to buy a television licence. Should those who can't afford to pay their bills be criminalised in this way? >>

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