TV licence con?

Yes and no. If you don't need a TV license, there's no obligation to tell TV licensing anything or interact with them in any way. They will keep sending you letters, which you can ignore. However if you do tell them you don't need a license, they stop bothering you for a while (2 years I think). When that "expires", you need to tell them again, or they go back to sending you letters all the time. Which you can still ignore.

Mike

Don't worry, I had three attempts before I read all the questions properly !

For my reply, I thought about re titling the subject to make it a little more clickbaitey:

Avoid paying for a TV Licence by using this one weird trick! !!!!!!!!!!Totally legal!!!!!!

(Don't watch TV)

Morrison's have never sent me threatening letters because I don't use their supermarkets; Ford have never doorstepped me and demanded I prove I don't own one of their cars: why should any organisation feel justified in asking anyone to prove they are not a consumer of their services?

Because I don't want to make life any harder than necessary for the poor sods who go out trying to find licence dodgers (or maybe because I do) and because I only have contempt for TVL, each time I have moved house I have written a letter to TVL along the lines of:

"I no longer live at <number><street><town><postcode> so I will no longer be not watching television from that address.

I now live at <new number><new street><new town><new postcode> and confirm that I won't be watching TV at this address either.

If in the future I move to a further address I will write to you again."

And then I ignore all their communications.

Only once has a TVL Inspector knocked on my door. "...but I wrote to you in 2007 and told you I don't watch TV," I said. "And I promised then that if I started to watch again, I'd write again and tell you."

"We don't keep our records that long," he said.

"That seems to be your problem then," I replied.

I've never seen a Licence Inspector since: perhaps they avoid me because I weird them out with my letters and doorstep speil or perhaps there's a special licence exemption for the terminally eccentric.

Nick

Insufficient. You also have to avoid watching anything on the Internet that is also broadcast, like I-player or online TV of any sort.

LOL!

I like it :}

I did have a letter in Sept 2021 which contained lots of "have you stopped beating your wife?" garbage to sign - which I didn'T sign up to.

On the 'phone, we agreed to differ...{;->}

• near-simultaneously broadcast

TV streamed at the same time as being broadcast. E,g. News services etc.

FYI, it can be used as such - or at least I do on a TV not connected to an aerial.

Correct. It;s a good HD stream for e,g, a Rugby match

But you'd already covered that earlier in the same sentence.

Not a good sign, eh?

Another approach to keeping the TV License Inspector away from your door is to send a letter like this:

=========

Notice of Rescission of Implied Right of Access

To: The BBC / TV Licensing Authority and its Agents

I hereby rescind and withdraw any and all implied rights of access to my property, including all land, buildings, and outbuildings at the above address.

This notice applies to any employee, contractor, or representative acting on behalf of the BBC, Capita, or TV Licensing. From the date of this notice, entry or approach to the property may occur only with my explicit written permission or under the authority of a valid warrant issued by a court.

Any attempt to enter without such authorization will be treated as trespass.

Signed, [Your Signature] [Your Name]

--------

For posting (preferred by UK practice):

1. Print the notice on plain A4 paper.
2. Sign and date it by hand.
3. Send by recorded delivery to:

TV Licensing Darlington DL98 1TL

1. Optionally display a copy near your door stating "Implied right of access withdrawn — TV Licensing agents must not enter without warrant."

1. Keep your proof of posting and a copy of the notice for your records.

For email delivery:

snipped-for-privacy@tvlicensing.co.uk.

=========

(thanks to ChatGPT5)

It didn't include the word "curtilage". I'm terribly disappointed.

I can't see the point.

Any denial of your need for a licence would be used as an aggravating factor if you were to be prosecuted and convicted.

TV licence inspectors go away if you say "Please leave immediately".

The cost of threatening letters is probably worse for TVL/Capita. Having to pay postage once a month, every month, year after year. I get loads of junk mail, one more bit doesn't make much difference.

And if they do enter without a warrant what will you do? Isn't trespass is a civil offence unless they

1. are carrying a firearm
2. or intend to park a caravan on your land
3. or cause damage

Dave

Yes, of course, but it seems to me that they might prefer to avoid bureaucratic bolshiness and just tick you off their list. Whatever, this kept me amused for 10 minutes. [shrug]

Ditto "hereditament".

Missing those two out is like failing to throw a six to start. You have to miss your turn and try again.