Vocal Voices

In 2009 I was informed by the TV licensing I needed to apply for a TV Licence "Or face the consequences," as you can imagine they picked on the wrong one to threaten me with the authorities ready to enter my house, a £1,000 fine, imprisonment,taking me to court letter after letter "The court threat I was all ready for" couldn't wait I wrote to them addressing my letter to the KGB TV licensing authorities. They were not amused..
I then contacted the mid Wales Journal who came and did almost a full page feature on these aggravating wastes of space.
My concern was as I informed the reporter for the aged and infirm as it has been this time, such threatening letters could push them over the edge,they could pay the demand again in fear. Talk about a bunch of incompetents we have running this third rate organisation that is in no way worth the licensing fee you are all charged.
I was sent a half dead bunch of flowers last time as an apology. "All the computers fault "they said. But now we have it again
And I am well over the age of needing to pay for a licence.
Today I have the Hereford Times coming out , I look forward to our meeting , and as you can imagine I am ready !!champing at the bit!i will keep you posted nothing like getting the bit between your teeth!!!

Ah, but, you see, Kate, have you applied for an over 75 licence?

My bet is that they will say that they have no record of an application, or they lost it, or they don't have your NI number, or the computer screwed up, or their software is junk, or someone spilled coffee. Mark my words, they will have an excuse.

You stick to your guns and let the Hereford Times know exactly how you feel. The very best of good luck.

Well done Kate.

I know you are enjoying all this. Let 'em have it, Kate. The incompetent fools.

And if they try to blame their computer, you can tell them my favourite reply---
"I'm not interested in your office equipment."

If this doesn't work and it does not stop, make sure you have done everything they need you to do then hire a solicitor to send them a letter. Then take them to the small claims court for the cost of the solicitor and the letter. It will only cost a few £ to raise the small claims court action and they add the small claims court fee to the whole.

Once you have a small claims action against them and it is successful, you keep the decision. If they start again, go to a solicitor and see if you can get a no win no fee case against them. I'd be looking for at least £25,000 for stress.

It's the only thing they understand. If you take money from them, successfully, they will never come near you again.....

I just let my husband read this and he showed me the document he received from them when he turned 75. It says at the top Over 75 TV licence and gives the dates it is valid from and to. It looks like he cut if off the bottom of a longer form.

He says he didn't have to apply or do anything. They just sent it.

Rodo wrote:I just let my husband read this and he showed me the document he received from them when he turned 75. It says at the top Over 75 TV licence and gives the dates it is valid from and to. It looks like he cut if off the bottom of a longer form.

He says he didn't have to apply or do anything. They just sent it.

Thanks for that information Rodo

Suff wrote:If this doesn't work and it does not stop, make sure you have done everything they need you to do then hire a solicitor to send them a letter. Then take them to the small claims court for the cost of the solicitor and the letter. It will only cost a few £ to raise the small claims court action and they add the small claims court fee to the whole.

Once you have a small claims action against them and it is successful, you keep the decision. If they start again, go to a solicitor and see if you can get a no win no fee case against them. I'd be looking for at least £25,000 for stress.

It's the only thing they understand. If you take money from them, successfully, they will never come near you again.....

Good advise Suff, I think once it goes in the papers again I will find it difficult to find a solicitor to take these wastes of space on.

Think of it from their point of view. They write one letter and you pay. For the other, ambulance chasers are perfect and would love the press.

Worth a try.

Surely all that is needed is to send them a photocopy of your birth certificate.

Rodo wrote:Surely all that is needed is to send them a photocopy of your birth certificate.

We are talking a Quango operating on behalf of the BBC, government agencies don't do "easy".

The website says that you do have to apply, but once done the licence is issued automatically every three years providing your NI number is known.

I also found out that, according to the Daily Mail, the BBC has paid out compensation of over £100,000 in five years to people who were "bullied" and hounded by "aggressive" TV licencing officers. The article is here. It might be worth quoting that as a small claims goes in.