Talking to TV Licence authorities....

[bobg]

The following is a pretty accurate conversation as at 10 minutes ago!!!.....

BG. Good Morning, My name is BG and I'll like to arrange to change the name on my TV Licence. It is currently in the name of my father who lived with us at our last address and at that time paid the licence but has been dead for 19 years. Despite numerous letters to you, his name still appears on the licence.

Them Hmm. You dont appear to be the licence holder can you explain why?

BG Restates the above

Them I'm afraid that the person named on the licence will have to write to us and request that the name be changed etc etc
and can you explain why you are not the licence holder

Me Becoming a tad exasperated... WELL SHORT OF DIGGING HIM UP AND DRIVING OVER TO BRISTOL etc etc

Them Will you hold please, I'll need to speak to a supervisor to ensure that your licence is a vaild one....

Me "Click "


Now he was a lovely although occasionally grumpy old chap and is I'm sure pleased that after 19 years he's still capable of putting a spanner in the works from wherever he is .......

 

[Gerry Attrick]

I wouldn,t bother contacting them again. If you have kept copies of your letters to them, you have discharged your responsibility.

 

[Aperitif]

Buy a new telly - you'll receive a correctly addressed missive in no time at all! But they are tossers.

 

[tyred]

We still receive a voting card at each election for a great aunt who used to live with us but has been dead since 1992.

 

[Soltydog]

The post office in their wisdom changed our postcode a few years back & our TV license is for the old postcode. We got a letter to the new postcode saying it was unlicensed, so called them explaining the postcode change. Since then we've had numerous threats of action for having no license to the new postcode Cant wait for them to come knocking on the door

 

[Yellow Fang]

The following is a pretty accurate conversation as at 10 minutes ago!!!.....

BG. Good Morning, My name is BG and I'll like to arrange to change the name on my TV Licence. It is currently in the name of my father who lived with us at our last address and at that time paid the licence but has been dead for 19 years. Despite numerous letters to you, his name still appears on the licence.

Them Hmm. You dont appear to be the licence holder can you explain why?

BG Restates the above

Them I'm afraid that the person named on the licence will have to write to us and request that the name be changed etc etc
and can you explain why you are not the licence holder

Me Becoming a tad exasperated... WELL SHORT OF DIGGING HIM UP AND DRIVING OVER TO BRISTOL etc etc

Them Will you hold please, I'll need to speak to a supervisor to ensure that your licence is a vaild one....

Me "Click "


Now he was a lovely although occasionally grumpy old chap and is I'm sure pleased that after 19 years he's still capable of putting a spanner in the works from wherever he is .......

Ok, if he's been dead for nineteen years, like you say, how come he still pays for your licence? Answer that.

 

[bobg]

Ok, if he's been dead for nineteen years, like you say, how come he still pays for your licence? Answer that.

Simple, he was very generous while he was alive and he remains so....

 

[2Loose]

The post office in their wisdom changed our postcode a few years back & our TV license is for the old postcode. We got a letter to the new postcode saying it was unlicensed, so called them explaining the postcode change. Since then we've had numerous threats of action for having no license to the new postcode Cant wait for them to come knocking on the door

I had this happen AND kept on receiving letters for the old postcode. The threatening letters really upset my partner - the bloke that turned up for a chat about my 'missing' license happened to turn up on my doorstep at a particularly bad time. I felt sorry for him an hour or so afterwards as it was hardly his fault.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

Sometimes you have to wonder....

 

[porteous]

The TV licence "authority" are NOT the BBC, they are actually Capita, a company which has failed in so many government contracts (Particularly with I.T. projects) that it is known far and wide as Crapita! They are as unpleasant and untruthful an organisation as you would ever find. Their immediate response to anything is "we have no record of that",

This bunch stole a TV licence out of my bank account for 5 years (mainly while I was working abroad) then claimed "never to have had" a letter telling them I had moved and no longer needed a licence. They now claim to have paid back 2 years (No they haven't), and that !their policy" is not to pay back more than 2 years anyway. (We will see if that claim stands up in the small claims court).

Nothing these clowns does would surprise me, they are liars and crooks for an organisation (The BBC) that pays itself outrageously inflated salaries for producing programmes which are generally an insult to the intelligence of the under 3's!

Yours for Rum, Crime & Riot! etc

 

[Dan B]

To be pedantically accurate, "“TV Licensing” is a trading name used by companies contracted
by the BBC to administer the collection of television licence fees and enforcement of the television
licensing system. The majority of the administration of TV Licensing is contracted to Capita Business
Services Ltd (which undertakes the majority of the administration of the TV Licensing system), with
the administration of our cash related payment schemes contracted to iQor UK Limited. PayPoint
Network Ltd and PayPoint Collections Ltd are contracted to provide over-the-counter services.
Marketing and printing services are contracted to Proximity London Ltd as are public relations and
advertising services. The latter are subcontracted by Proximity to Fishburn Hedges Boys Williams
Ltd, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO Ltd and PHD Media Ltd. The BBC is a public authority in respect of
its television licensing functions and retains overall responsibility. "


http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/35984/response/89435/attach/3/RFI20100733 final response.pdf


You're right on the nose with the "Crapita" nickname, though

 

[Over The Hill]

My mum has not had a TV for 25 years and they bug her each year and have even sent people round to harrass her.

Now she is over 75 she put "and I would not pay anyway as I am over 75" on the end of the last response to them.

Now they are chasing her to prove she is over 75! Demanding her Birth Certificate and NI.

They are all morons.

 

[Dan B]

Had a TV liucensing man round at my old flat, but he went away after a short conversation on the entryphone

"I'm fron TV Licencing"
"Yes?"
"You don't have a TV licence"
"No"
"But you need a TV licence"
"No"

I assume that straightened out his misconceptions as he didn't press the buzzer again