TV licensing : comments [Matthew's Journal]

A while ago TVL produced a load of posters and bus adverts that were meant to scare people into buying TV licences. They were customised for the local area - "6 households in Chesterton Road Cambridge have no TV licence". I think the campaign backfired a bit because everyone I know who saw them immediately thought "6 houses in Chesterton Road are either empty or are being unreasonably hassled for their TV-free lifestyle".

We got three or four rude threatening letters when we moved to our current address, despite transferring our TV licence promptly. It seems they update their "who has just bought a TV" list more frequently than their list of licensed addresses. Bah :-(

Apparently the reason they won't take people's word for it is that 50% of the people who sign to say they don't own/watch TV actually do. Though personally I don't think a 50% chance is high enough to treat everyone as a liar.

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I’d heard the figure was 20%, which is even more unreasonable.

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It requires them to check, but not to be rude. When I last lived without a TV they sent a series of rude letters which we ignored and then an enforcement agent who was polite. I therefore told the latter we didn't have a TV (if he'd been rude, I'd have been uncooperative); he did not ask to come inside, but he was sufficiently civil I would have considered it. We had no subsequent contact.

If I were

emperor I would be awkward as long as they are rude, but then I am a notoriously awkward person anyway.

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