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They’re not Government, they’re employed by a private company contracted by the BBC - they have no special enforcement powers. They have as much right to be in

They’re not Government, they’re employed by a private company contracted by the BBC - they have no special enforcement powers. They have as much right to be in your house as anyone else who turns up at your door i.e. none. The whole TV licensing thing is basically based on the assumption that most people want to follow the law most of the time, which it turns out is a true assumption.

monkeynotes 8y ago
> they have no special enforcement powers I absolutely understand this, the problem at the time the officers were notorious for presenting themselves as if they had a right to enter your house. They would be particularly pushy and work on the assumption that you were going to let them in. Myself, my father, and a friend all experienced this; guy turns up, says he needs to come in to inspect the TV, when you refuse to let him in says he will come back with some kind of legal paperwork to allow him to enter, returns another day hoping someone else opens the door. > The whole TV licensing thing is basically based on the assumption that most people want to follow the law most of the time This is BS, they had infamous adverts on TV saying they would 'catch you out', suspecting the public were stealing the airwaves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnnaPfAEISo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnnaPfAEISo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q9CsRRhWQI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q9CsRRhWQI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NmdUcmLFkw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NmdUcmLFkw ^ Three decades of threatening the public. You tell me that those ads don't make it look as if the officers are gov't employees and have a legal right to inspect your home. In fact, from those ads it makes it look as if they can tell from outside your home that you have broken the law, I am pretty skeptical that any of that would stand up in court as conclusive evidence. Fact is you can legitimately own a TV and not want to watch the BBC, but the BBC insists that owning a TV is essentially the same as wanting to watch BBCTV. </rant>

monkeynotes 8y ago

> they have no special enforcement powers I absolutely understand this, the problem at the time the officers were notorious for presenting themselves as if they had a right to enter your house. They would be particularly pushy and work on the assumption that you were going to let them in. Myself, my father, and a friend all experienced this; guy turns up, says he needs to come in to inspect the TV, when you refuse to let him in says he will come back with some kind of legal paperwork to allow him to enter, returns another day hoping someone else opens the door. > The whole TV licensing thing is basically based on the assumption that most people want to follow the law most of the time This is BS, they had infamous adverts on TV saying they would 'catch you out', suspecting the public were stealing the airwaves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnnaPfAEISo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnnaPfAEISo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q9CsRRhWQI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q9CsRRhWQI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NmdUcmLFkw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NmdUcmLFkw ^ Three decades of threatening the public. You tell me that those ads don't make it look as if the officers are gov't employees and have a legal right to inspect your home. In fact, from those ads it makes it look as if they can tell from outside your home that you have broken the law, I am pretty skeptical that any of that would stand up in court as conclusive evidence. Fact is you can legitimately own a TV and not want to watch the BBC, but the BBC insists that owning a TV is essentially the same as wanting to watch BBCTV. </rant>