7 ms·
These TV Licensing letters are the most obscenely aggressive pieces of communication I've ever received from a "public" service in the UK. I too haven't had a
by tailspin2019 5y ago
These TV Licensing letters are the most obscenely aggressive pieces of communication I've ever received from a "public" service in the UK.
I too haven't had a licence for years and have been hounded by these.
But it gets worse, the messaging on TV Licensing's website is borderline fraudulent at times.
They prominently listed "Netflix" as an example of an "online TV service", strongly implying that you need a TV licence to watch it. I emailed them to ask why they list Netflix, and they replied, completely skirting the question with the following bizarre response:
"It would be easier to advise what you can watch without a licence, therefore, please see the following that don’t require a licence:
- Netflix
- {more examples....}"
Update: I've just checked their website again (a few weeks since I received the above reply) and they've removed the mention of Netflix... but now added Apple TV and Amazon Prime!
"An online TV service is any streaming or smart TV service, website or app that lets you watch live TV over the internet. This includes services like All 4, Sky Go, Virgin Media, Now TV, BT TV, Apple TV, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and ITV Hub"
https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one
I'm pretty sure this is deliberately misleading. What an awful organisation. I don't mind the BBC (there are worse media organisations), they do need funding, but the aggressive tactics around their TV Licensing makes me rather unsympathetic to their cause.
- ssddanbrown 5y agoI totally agree, everything about the tv license system just feels outdated, desperate and confusing. I still have trouble understanding what they consider to be "Live TV", especially with the YouTube example. Is that all live content? Or do I need to cross-reference my intended live content with what's being broadcast to see if it counts? I generally avoid getting a tv license due to this and keep to online services, only bother to pay and watch live tv if there's an election due.