1,500 people caught without a TV licence

“Don't take TV Licensing press releases seriously. Mark Whitehouse is a PR man. It is disappointing that the DT prints his stuff without any comment from those of us campaigning to abolish the TV Licence.
TV Licensing is run by Capita. Their employees have no right of access to your house, and they cannot make you say anything. Do not let them in your house. Just ignore them. Threats of search warrants are hot air. Ignore their stupid letters.
No-one has ever been prosecuted for watching TV on a computer or on a mobile phone, without a licence.
People who are "caught" are those intimidated into owning up.
Do not be intimidated by TV Licensing.”

“Lol @ smshogun - You kinda degraded the argument with "Would you LET your wife..."

This is the 21st century, "dude"... ;)”

“This is exactly the problem, the continual threats and intimidation even when you notify them you have no need for a TV license, they just continue.

Have you heard of the human aerial, many of these alleged enforcers have actually used this method on TV receiving equipment incapable of receiving live TV broadcasts, why would they do that if they were acting lawfully, some have been caught and even filmed doing this.

Would you let your wife simply let anyone with a badge into your home.”

“@HateTheGame - "If enforcement officers come to your home and you have no TV then why would you have any problem demonstrating that?"

Have you seen the threatening letters these muppets send out, incl. to the frail, elderly and disabled, phrased along the lines of "these are the documents you'll need at court", etc...

They're scaring people even when they don't have a TV!

And, as someone who hasn't had a TV license for well over a decade, why the smeg should I have to prove anything to anyone, especially some sub-contractor...?!?

It's my moral duty to wind the wazzocks up as much as possible!

And, tbh, I'd rather they spent your TV tax on trying to get into my house than making any more of those "reality" programmes that are sapping the last vestiges of our nation's intelligence... ;P”

“If enforcement officers come to your home and you have no TV then why would you have any problem demonstrating that? If you own a TV and watch live output then buy aTV license. It's not rocket science. Why should those of us who pay subsidise those who cheat the system?”

“You only have to look at the tactics the BBC or its agents Capita use, they begin with a reminder and from there the letters get more threatening, they then send a so called enforcement officer round to an address and try to get you into a contract with them. They do this with threats and fear, mainly the threats of detection equipment and fines, and this is totally unlawful under the Bill of Rights 1689 which clearly states that threat of fine or forfeiture before going to court is unlawful and nullifies the offence.

They try to get you to contract by trying to get your personal information such as a name, if they enter your property you can refuse to speak to them and remove them, you can also remove their implied right of access to your property.Capita, the company contracted to the BBC to enforce the licensing actually pay these enforcement officers £20 per person they sign up to pay.

They have no lawful right to enter your property, they have no lawful right to try to obtain personal information, and they certainly have no lawful right to enter your home unless you consent to this. Most people opposed to licensing harrassment remove their implied right of access and apply a fee schedule, they refuse to speak to any enforcement officer and Capita have nothing they can do.

Detection equipment is fascinating, the BBC will not release any details of the alleged equipment they use; and an interesting FOI (freedom of information) request has shown this equipment has not been used in evidence to secure any convictions. This is interesting as there are two trains of thought on this, if it existed it would be used in evidence in court to secure convictions, so doesn't actually exist. Or it does actually exist and they won't disclose any information about it because it can be challenged in court as to its validity and accuracy.

Interestingly, they do claim they have used it to get magistrates to issue search warrants, so either way they are defrauding the public as magistrates issue warrants on the strength of the accuracy of such equipment, yet cannot validate its accuracy. This is well documented by the number of warrants issued and around a third of properties they have entered under such a warrant contain no television or other equipment capable of receiving live TV broadcasts, so much for its accuracy.

http://tinyurl.com/bd3odah

If the alleged equipment existed most people would expect the legal system to have access to it and validate its accuracy, but the BBC male some interesting staments of public perception and not about the accuracy of the equipment. So basically they are admitting to conning Joe Public with well chosen words and conning magistrates into issuing search warrants. Even Noel Edmonds has stopped paying his TV license and openly admitted he will not be threatened by an organisation he worked for, for many years, then we have those not wanting to subsidise its paedophile ring.”

“@Mr_Rational
An advert may be 'for' a company without advertising a product/service they provide. Instead this 'advert' is a scaremongering propaganda piece intended to scare people into paying for a TV license. Instead of advertising a product/service it is advertising an issue, an issue that the enhanced publicity of will be beneficial to the BBC.”

“@SalfordianThe
How does that work, then?
An advert for a company (the BBC, for example) that doesn't mention the company in the advert doesn't sound like much of an advert for that company.”

“Mark Whitehouse doesn't work for BBC TV Licensing, he works for Clark Associates. The BBC pay them to make these bogus news articles and cheap rags like this publish them without telling the reader that they are actually a advert for the BBC

http://tinyurl.com/bfe4vc4”

“My sentiments exactly. I had them call at my house recently asking for someone who doesn't and never has lived at my address. Gave them the letters I had marked not known at this address and not got round to putting in the post box then closed the door without saying one word.

I don't have a licence and have not had one for 3 years, I cancelled my direct debit when I realised I hadn't waatched TV in over a year.”