TV Licensing

A quick question brought up from a debate with a friend.

How do they set the price for TV Licences? Are they based on an initial price that increase through inflation, etc. Or is it monitored & amended differently?

A quick Google would have set you on the path to enlightenment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licensing_in_the_United_Kingdom#Operation_of_the_licensing_system

another question

how do they have the right to be so dam obnoxcious and threatening in their letters, ever since I brought new TV and DVD for the digital change I've been getting nasty letters saying I am not licenced at my address, and I am watching tv without a licence and they going to do a visit and search my home, do they not check their facts and notice that my address is licened in the name of the home owner and is paid for

I don't drive but I don't get threatening letters from the DVLC assuming that I'm driving a car illegally because I don't have a driving licence

I just don't understand how they are allowed to be so intimidating towards their customers and accuse me of commiting a criminal offence

It's their job to protect their interests. If you don't have anything to worry about, why are you overreacting to their letters? Guilty conscience? If it's a clerical error then it will get sorted and you will have nothing to worry about.

Incidentally if they are writing letters to you, then you must be the primary homeowner concerned. Don't forget any room, apartment or other spaced off area with a separate locked door counts as an additional premises. If you are in a shared house but you have a locked door, then you are liable for your own TV licence if you have one in your own room.

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/for-your-home/tenants-and-lodgers-aud2/

Also your DVLA licence argument is completely flawed. Do you own a car? Thought not.

You don't have to let them in if they do come round.
But anyway as things stand you do not need a licence for catch-up purposes only. For watching live TV or TV as broadcast yes. But otherwise no.

Anyway, as previously stated, protecting their interests.



Bad example because a driving licence isn't tied to the car. The car is tied to you and your home address but your licence is not tied to your vehicle. As the only real need to correspond about driving licences basically boils down to "I need to renew it" or "I've moved house", or "I've lost it", there is no need to send out letters stating "we think you may be driving illegally" because you'll get contacted by PC Plod anyway.



If it is a genuine mistake, which it probably is, why are you complaining on a public forum? Why not contact TV Licensing? If it's a mistake, they'll know about it and apologise and leave you alone. Whinging on TV Forum isn't going to solve anything.

I read through that page before posting, but still cannot see the answer. I can see that since 1991 the BBC have been responsible for collection, etc of the license fee, but still unsure on how they said the rates/bill to pay.

The Treasury (I think - it may be more accurate to say The Government) sets the level of the licence fee model for a given period, and the method by which it will increase during this period.

Different agreements have been set in the past, with it linked to inflation, or a sum based on inflation plus or minus a percentage, in some cases, and I think there was a period where each year may have varied on the +/- figures?

ISTR that the BBC agreed to freeze the licence fee in the current settlement round - which will run to 2016/17 AND have agreed to take on more responsibilities (World Service Radio funding, S4C funding etc.)

The BBC and the Treasury will obviously engage in discussions about funding models - but the BBC itself doesn't set the licence fee level or decide the rate of increase or decrease (in absolute or real terms) - though it could (and I think did) freeze it?

I wasn't wingeing just questioning why they have to be so rude about it, and despite the fact I have contacted them each time I get the letter, when licences are due for renewal, I get told it's sorted then a year later get another letter. I live with my parents and they own the house, because I brought a TV on my credit card and my name does not corespond to the licence payer for my address they assume I'm watching tv without a licence rather than checking the address and seeing that it's paid for by somebody else

fine protect their interests but a bit of customer politness costs nothing and when mistakes are made rectify them so they don;t happen again, this is the third time it's happened since I brought the tv in 2008 so i was just venting off, or is being pissed off on an open forum not allowed

I agree with those that the driving licence is not the right example though, as I have never driven I am very ignorant of how it works

ok I'll shut up and stop going off topic

Promise?

I don't actually believe you're getting threatening letters. I think what you've actually got is merely one or two automatically generated letters written in standard corporate speak asking you to clarify the situation regarding the licensing arrangements for your property, which, in your righteous indignation, you have ignored, thinking that that'll make things better and the nasty men will go away. Since you clearly didn't realise that car ownership was a basic tenet of driving licensing, I'd say it's beyond your capacity to understand that unless you declare to the shop which sold you your TV that you are not the primary licence holder yet that the premises is licensed, you will get inquiries off the people responsible for pursuing genuine licence evaders.

no I haven't ignored the letter I have told them each year i don't own the house and each year they say its sorted and the next year I get another letter

i said that in my last post



so kindly read my post correctly before jumping to thr wrong conclusion



every time somebody buys a tv from Currys or whoever they send the details to the tv licencing that is how tv licencing have my name down for my address, they check my name and see it does not corespond to a licence, and assume I am watching tv unlicenced, they do not check the address and see that it does corespond to a licence, that is my issue, bad admin and bad manners

and I didn't promise to shut up

Presumably this is because they don't know the nature of the residence. If there are multiple residents independently renting rooms in a shared house, with each having lockable rooms, then multiple licences are required (as each room is deemed a separate residence - akin to a block of bedsits) even though they are at the same address.

I think it is reasonable for TV Licensing to therefore question whether you have a license and/or are aware you might need one. In your case you don't and are perfectly safe. However just because an address has one licence doesn't mean that nobody else at that address needs one in every situation. The check you suggest isn't a valid check. I doubt TV Licensing are informed of 'change of use' if a house is converted into shared rooms - so they can't assume that one licence covers an address - as it doesn't always.

Yes - if you have told them that you purchased the TV but it is covered by your parent's licence - then it is annoying that they don't appear to be able to update their records to reflect this and to prevent further letters being requested. However, as you are in the right, and your parents have a licence, you have nothing to worry about.