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I have heard that you have to jump through some pretty annoying hoops to prove that you don't have a TV. Since the government just assumes that you actually ha

by dougp 17y ago

I have heard that you have to jump through some pretty annoying hoops to prove that you don't have a TV. Since the government just assumes that you actually have one and just don't want to pay.

tome 17y ago
You have to jump through hoops to convince them you don't have a TV, and they'll keep sending you letters asking for money. But, if you don't have a TV, just don't pay. They never force you to pay, and the onus is on them (I believe) to demonstrate you have a TV before they fine you.
donalm 17y ago
Not really... They send you a letter asking you to pay and you send it back saying you don't have a TV. That's all I had to do. They'll probably ask me again in a few years, I suppose.
jgrahamc 17y ago
When I returned to the UK I simply wrote the TV licensing authority a letter telling them I didn't have a TV. They replied with a menacing letter claiming that I probably didn't realize that I did have a TV somewhere hidden in the house (in the form of some sort of TV receiver). They then sent me that letter again. I guess the first letter was meant to scare me into paying under the assumption that I had lied. Then they sent me a letter saying that they would pop round at any time of their choosing and check up on me. They have not yet done so, and if they do they are not coming in. It's a private property and they'll have to get a search warrant (which means going to a magistrate) if they think I'm watching TV.
parenthesis 17y ago
Dear Householder, Our records show that no one living at your address has purchased anything from Foo Department Stores during the past year. Since 99.9% of the UK population buys at least one item each year from us, you must have stolen something from us. To pay for the item you have stolen ... . Otherwise we will have to come and search your house to discover what you have stolen from us. Yours, Foo Department Stores.

by dougp 17y ago

I have heard that you have to jump through some pretty annoying hoops to prove that you don't have a TV. Since the government just assumes that you actually have one and just don't want to pay.

tome 17y ago

You have to jump through hoops to convince them you don't have a TV, and they'll keep sending you letters asking for money. But, if you don't have a TV, just don't pay. They never force you to pay, and the onus is on them (I believe) to demonstrate you have a TV before they fine you.

donalm 17y ago

Not really... They send you a letter asking you to pay and you send it back saying you don't have a TV. That's all I had to do. They'll probably ask me again in a few years, I suppose.

jgrahamc 17y ago

When I returned to the UK I simply wrote the TV licensing authority a letter telling them I didn't have a TV. They replied with a menacing letter claiming that I probably didn't realize that I did have a TV somewhere hidden in the house (in the form of some sort of TV receiver). They then sent me that letter again. I guess the first letter was meant to scare me into paying under the assumption that I had lied. Then they sent me a letter saying that they would pop round at any time of their choosing and check up on me. They have not yet done so, and if they do they are not coming in. It's a private property and they'll have to get a search warrant (which means going to a magistrate) if they think I'm watching TV.

parenthesis 17y ago

Dear Householder, Our records show that no one living at your address has purchased anything from Foo Department Stores during the past year. Since 99.9% of the UK population buys at least one item each year from us, you must have stolen something from us. To pay for the item you have stolen ... . Otherwise we will have to come and search your house to discover what you have stolen from us. Yours, Foo Department Stores.