To TV license or not to TV license

skywalker_208

just wanted to get some views on this....

1. rented accom
2. TV was already here...

where does one stand if a knock comes to the door?

mp3guy

normally in the doorway....

skywalker_208

yes i suppose after reading my post again i had that one coming!

mp3guy

yes, yes you did. But anyway, just contact your landlord and find out the arrangement...

Mossy Monk

here are my views

1. it's the law
2. pay like everyone else

answer the door when someone knocks

elivsvonchiaing

In the dock? ... or you could just pretend not to be in... Next day leg it to the GPO perhaps. I've actually done this.

(Think I was followed by the licence people when I left Power city or something.... I got away with it for at least an hour though )

Personally I'd do it again. I was unlucky :eek: though I do know people who have got away with it for years :cool:

Above all else - remember what you're paying for- RTE! When you own your own place and they have you by the short & curlies, and you're not about to sell. Then perhaps. You'll make everyone pay more as result.

How can I morally justify this? I can't!

By not paying your TV licence you are not endangering anyone's life (except maybe Pat Kenny's holiday in Barbados!) . By paying it only when you get an "inspector called card", you are saving yourself money, by being a sponger.

This is the same as the driving test - they don't have enough of them more are needed. Knowing this and human nature, paying for a TV licence up front makes no sense to me.

Lump

In England if the License people call around, they are not allowed to enter the premises. If it's the same in Ireland say it's not suitable for them to come in, and they'll have to get a warrent. Then boot to the Post Office, it'll look suspect but at least you'll get away with it. You could, which would look less suspect, just move the TV out of the House for a few days then when they come back act the fool. move the TV back in, buy a license they're none the wiser.

Pity, if I don't get a TV License I get sacked from the BBC, so I have to


John

irlirishkev

skywalker_208 wrote:

just wanted to get some views on this....

1. rented accom
2. TV was already here...

where does one stand if a knock comes to the door?

If you mean, who's responsible for paying it? It's down to the occupant of the house. If you live there, you have to pay it. Like everyone else said though.. wait untill you really have to. Tell them you just moved in, but you'll sort it out asap.

Paying for RTE = Insult.

FFS.. I saw a bit of 'The Dinner Party' last night. Biggest bucket of borrox I've ever seen. I instantly wanted to kill them all!!!
I saw 'Stew' the other night aswell.. WTF!?!? It's not funny, doesn't even appear as if it's trying to be funny.. Pay for this tripe???

:rolleyes:

Kevin.

Spalk0

Havnt you guys ever seen the ads!

Apparently you can tell any sort of lie to your girlfriend and she'll believe you bar the fact that if you lie to her bout having a T.v licence she'll dump you at the drop of a hat!Very serious matter so pay your licence! :rolleyes:

frodi

Stop calling it a TV licence. It's a TV TAX. :mad: Licence implies something which needs controlling like guns or dogs. If the govt thinks RTE is worth having (start whole new thread here) then it should pay for it from general taxation.

Spalk0

Chill ay!

been calling it licence for years!....call it force of habit!....besides, tax is a more depressing word!

samo

they do normally give you a few days grace to get one, then they send out a warning letter, then a solicitors letter! its at this point I would def get it!!! So its not an automatic fine the day they knock on your door - although they tried to cart some poor 8 month pregnant woman off to mountjoy for 14 days last week even though she had a license but they sent the summons to wrong address.

once they have you for license very difficult to escape it, I was 2 weeks late paying for mine when due for renewal and got a solicitors letter!

woosaysdan

id go with the just moved in option tbh!!! that shoujd buy you some time but in all fairness dont get it until they come looking for you!!!

calhob_ie

Got "the knock" on monday, which was fortunate as we only got the license about a month ago. The bloke doing the actual checking wasn't that thorough though. Conv went like this

TV Guy: Hi, Im from An post and I'm just checking TV Licenses in the area, which apartment are you from?

(We have a communal front door and he was just going down pressing all the buttons till somebody came down)

Me: Four
TV: And your name is?
Me: Chris McDonald
TV: Hmmmmmmm (checks list on clipboard) you just moved in?
Me: Noooo, been here about 18 months.
TV: Well we have *some other bloke* for that apartment
Me: Well I got the license a couple of months ago, they mispelt my name though so it says Chris O'Donnell.
TV: Ah righto, here you are, cheers.
Me: Do you not need to see it or anything?
TV: Nah your allright I'll just change your name for this other bloke.
Me: Righto, eh cheers then.
TV: Cheers

I had the impression that If I didn't have one he'd just have told me to get one for next time, didn't seem to pushed at all.

Ah well at least my workmates wont slag me now and my Mum wont take my tea off me.

Chris

tba

in reality if you got got for not paying your licence, and told someone, they wouldn't think your a loser, it would more likely be along the lines of "those nazi backstards! how dare they make you pay for RTE!"

irlirishkev

tba wrote:

in reality if you got got for not paying your licence, and told someone, they wouldn't think your a loser, it would more likely be along the lines of "those nazi backstards! how dare they make you pay for RTE!"

Precisely. And I wonder if RTE screened those 'actors' for TV Licenses before making the ads hmm??

Kevin.

sprinkles

mp3guy wrote:

normally in the doorway....

LOL

We have the same problem, we moved in and there was a tv. The obligation to have a tv license is with you, but if your landlord has one already then you don't need to do anything. We have been contacted about the tv license and were told this, so its the gospel according to te tv license dude.

Generally there's not much they can do if they can't get in....... I'm not condoning mot having a license but fire escapes are handy for more things than escaping fires

Eye

Just curious about this but what is the legal standpoint whereby you have a tv, but have no rte ariels etc. in the house, and all that is connected to the tv is sky digital?

Do you still have to pay the license and in essence pay for a service that your not using?
It'd be like going to the petrol station throwing €10 into your car but getting charged €16 because they have a car wash service there....but ya did'nt use it.

irlirishkev

Eye wrote:

Do you still have to pay the license and in essence pay for a service that your not using?
It'd be like going to the petrol station throwing €10 into your car but getting charged €16 because they have a car wash service there....but ya did'nt use it.

Yeah you still have to pay..
Basically, if you have a tv set that is capable of picking up a reception in some way, then you must pay for a licence.

Great isn't it!

Eye

can you buy a tv that cannot pickup reception? lol

hmmmm me think's 21" monitor and sky digital might work with the right connections now there's a thought

samo

irlirishkev wrote:

Yeah you still have to pay..
Basically, if you have a tv set that is capable of picking up a reception in some way, then you must pay for a licence.

Great isn't it!

its worded something to the effect that if you have 'aperatus' (sp?) that can be operated as a television then you are liable. A good few people I know are also under the (wrong) impression that you must have a license per TV set.

Had my head wrecked about this as have about 3 TV's and wanted me to spend €456 on 3 licenses!

A call to an post soon proved this was wrong (hopefully!)

sprinkles

Eye wrote:

can you buy a tv that cannot pickup reception? lol

hmmmm me think's 21" monitor and sky digital might work with the right connections now there's a thought

Still need a license. In fact if your computer has a tv card, which alot of new computers do you need to buy a license for it. It sucks!

opr

Apparently you can tell any sort of lie to your girlfriend and she'll believe you bar the fact that if you lie to her bout having a T.v licence she'll dump you at the drop of a hat!Very serious matter so pay your licence!

Those adds are the worst i have ever seen ! The fact that my Tv licence fee in some way contributes to the making of such rubbish makes to want to pay it even less !

Bogger77

Eye wrote:

can you buy a tv that cannot pickup reception? lol

hmmmm me think's 21" monitor and sky digital might work with the right connections now there's a thought

The wording is along the lines of a device capable of receiving Television signal, includes, TV and PC tuner cards etc.

and they do count a sat tuner for pc's as one, and ur Sky box is, also, subject to the the reg's. sorry.

Eye

what a rip off, can add that to the very long list of things that i hate about this country *sigh*

Hagar

elivsvonchiaing wrote:

This is the same as the driving test - they don't have enough of them more are needed.

Is there a provisional TV Licence? Is the test very hard? I saw a test card once but I'm not sure what it was about.
I was thinking of taking up TV watching. Maybe just start off with something small say a 14" portable ( low insurance I hope). I already have a baseball cap with "Sony" on the front so as I get more confident I might try a Sony flat screen They look quite good. Any advice on modding etc?

smoke.me.a.kipper

i dont have a tv in my apartment. but there is a chorus cable socket there, and the other apartments have chorus[we dont] do i need a licence?

woosaysdan

no tv and no beer make smak something something!

Sarn

Of course how easy would it be for them to prove you have a tv tuner in your PC especially if you've a laptop? Quick removal and you're sorted. Bit difficult shifting that 42" tv though. I'd rather pay the fee then pay a chiropractor.

Bogger77

Eye wrote:

what a rip off, can add that to the very long list of things that i hate about this country *sigh*

UK is very similar laws, in fact, last time I was in B'ham and tried to buy a pc tv tuner they refused to sell it to me without me giving an address and a postcode. I gave them my sis's details,and they even sent a letter to me at that address wondering where my license was!

Occidental

I got a letter from them last week, informing me that I need a licence for my new address and that they are now visiting unlicensed households in my area. As my new address currently consists of nothing more than foundations and a shed, I think they have some cheek. By a happy coincidence I have an old Sony 27” screen in the shed, which looks for all the world like a TV but has no tuner. I happily await their visit.

Personally I’d rather spend €152 on sex toys for the Christian Brothers than give it to RTE.

samo

my brother in law genuinley didnt have a TV the last 2 years after previously having one and got untold knocks on the door and letters from the tv licensing people and was advised that they can be liable for harrassment if they continue to inundate you with queries re the license.

He 'says' he got a solicitors letter stating the above and didnt hear from them again (having said that he's a bit of a spoofer!) so there you go, you could turn the tables round!

elivsvonchiaing

Hagar wrote:

Is there a provisional TV Licence? Is the test very hard? I saw a test card once but I'm not sure what it was about.
I was thinking of taking up TV watching. Maybe just start off with something small say a 14" portable ( low insurance I hope). I already have a baseball cap with "Sony" on the front so as I get more confident I might try a Sony flat screen They look quite good. Any advice on modding etc?

Yup there is! You just need to know when not to answer the door, the quickest route to your nearest post-office, and are prepared to pay the losers fee bottom 2%-25% (dunno)? Technically the fine

Okay so not strictly a licence - but provisional is valid here!

Sony good choice! You can find lots of websites to disable VHF on your set and make it look like a UK model. If think this will help though you should discard your provisional and get the full licence. Unlike the driving test you can "bribe" yer one in the post office - get the full licence - in the full knowledge with what you found on the internet you are most likely to crash your TV

logic1

Apparently even if you don't have a TV they can hit you for a radio license,which is covered by the TV licence!
Was told one time if you get onto An Post,tell em you lost your licence,give your parents address and have the new licence sent there,there is no charge for the licence as parents presumably have one already?You just show this new licence to the inspector saying you just moved in and were at the address shown on the licence.
Does any of that make sense?

tuco

quick question on the whole 'apparatus' issue. Any pc with a fast connection can receive and show a large number of internet tv channels - some full time broadcasts, others just highlights, but tv either way. Does this mean that technically anyone connected to the internet now needs a licence?

Bogger77

It's related to the ability to recieve radio signals containing TV, so that's Sat tuners, TV's, Digi Boxes, Video players, Tv tuners for PC's. Basicaly, you have a device capable of reception of tv signals, you should have a licence.
A device which is manufactured without the ability to recieve transmissions is expempt, a tunerless TV, a pc without a tv tuner etc.

There is no Radio only license, and from what I remember, it's only the UK that ever had one in recent history. Your walkman doesn't need a license but your mini 1.5inch casio tv does. There was talk of a "tax" on radio products, but that was dropped.

GreeBo

samo wrote:

Had my head wrecked about this as have about 3 TV's and wanted me to spend €456 on 3 licenses!

You only need for licence for each household.

Mocking Burd

I suspect the TV licence people have some sort of deal going on with estate agents. I bought my house at end of August and the day before I moved in I got a card through my door saying they had called.

Maybe it was genuine coincidence (but I don't believe it was ) but I have to say I was a bit peeved. Not only was the telly out of sight, cable hadn't even been connected and because I had brought the tv home from England it couldn't even pick up RTE - just a very bad version of TV3. So I ended up having the licence before I even had any way of watching channels.

Victor

Mocking Burd wrote:

I suspect the TV licence people have some sort of deal going on with estate agents. I bought my house at end of August and the day before I moved in I got a card through my door saying they had called.

It's possible the previous owner had the address on their licence changed or asked for permanent mail diversion.

The Brigadier

Estate Agents will advise all utilitys etc that you have moved in and take meter readings etc...

elivsvonchiaing

Mocking Burd wrote:

I suspect the TV licence people have some sort of deal going on with estate agents. I bought my house at end of August and the day before I moved in I got a card through my door saying they had called.

Maybe it was genuine coincidence (but I don't believe it was ) but I have to say I was a bit peeved. Not only was the telly out of sight, cable hadn't even been connected and because I had brought the tv home from England it couldn't even pick up RTE - just a very bad version of TV3. So I ended up having the licence before I even had any way of watching channels.

Most likely explanation imho - the previous occupant was on final warning...

Bought a gizmo from Peats for £80 Irish - to deal with this - still had ropey reception. Later bought a VCR for €70 which meant I had a "legit" VHF tuner and the quality was far better (bypassing the converter gizmo).

shoegirl

Eye wrote:

can you buy a tv that cannot pickup reception? lol

Technically its the set that is licensed, not your aerial, and it isn't even anything to do with if you can actually receive terrestrial signals. (I can't as I live on the Ballinacurra side of Midleton and the reception is too poor to watch).

Technically if your monitor had the appropriate tuning mechanism it would be liable to a license under the law, but its unlikely that An Post would at present be sophisticated enough to identify it as a TV device.

Of course there is something happening which will make it harder to evade the license: there is a plan to allow the license collector access to cable and satellite subscriber list.

Of course I'm always bemused at the people who think 150 is an outrageous price for a tv license and then pay anything from 25 euro to 62 per month for cable/satellite tv. How hypocritical can you get. Basically crap as RTEs service is, its better than nothing at all. Shame though that RTE is decades behind the UK in terms of DAB radio and digital TV and so much of evening broadcasting is 2nd rate American crap. Having lived in the UK their terrestrial broadcating is vastly superior in content and production. I am particularly sick of bad reality tv starring "celebrities" I've never heard of.

An Post has apparently expressed interest in no longer being the collector for TV licenses as it costs them more than they get for it. Of course if some private company pick up the bill it will probably end up like clamping - it will become much more agressive in its means and ends.

My only caveat with the license is that it is slightly regressive in that a wealthy household of maybe 3 or 4 with a household income of maybe 70k a year or more pays the same as a welfare recipient or single parent. 150 quid is more than a weeks benefit for a single person on disability or the dole. And apparently they are overrepresented in court summonses (though I would guess this is also partly because they are more likely to be at home when the inspector calls).

shoegirl

Bogger77 wrote:

UK is very similar laws, in fact, last time I was in B'ham and tried to buy a pc tv tuner they refused to sell it to me without me giving an address and a postcode. I gave them my sis's details,and they even sent a letter to me at that address wondering where my license was!

Actually there is something in the law requiring this. I noticed it whilst working in IT support for the POS systems in Sainsburys. There was a field in the database for "requires a TV license". It wasn't switched on though. I suppose it makes it easier for those who collect it, saves them having to make a personal call.

blorg

As others have said, you don't have to let them in and can just say to them "I don't have a TV". They won't push it any further than that, (e.g. they won't even _ask_ to be let in to have a look) but in some cases may want you to sign something confirming your lack of a TV (you don't have to do this.) I have not heard of them getting search warrants; I think there would be a bit of an outcry if they did. You should be able to get away with not paying the licence indefinitely if you don't want to pay it - just deny you have a TV.

In any case, they will *never* fine you immediately, after a 'knock on the door', they will always give you a more than reasonable chance to get the licence. If they knock on the door and you admit to having a TV, it would probably be advisable to get a licence at that point (or get rid of the TV :-)

SteM

I'm in the middle of moving from one apartment to another at the moment. Last night when I was up in the old place tidying up a bit there was a licence inspector buzzing each apartment one by one, asking for the occupant's name etc. When he rang mine I didn't answer, I do have a licence but it's buried in a box somewhere and I'll have to get the address changed on it anyway. From what I could hear him say he seemed to be getting a bit shirty with people over the intercoms.

jesus_thats_gre

shoegirl wrote:

Of course I'm always bemused at the people who think 150 is an outrageous price for a tv license and then pay anything from 25 euro to 62 per month for cable/satellite tv. How hypocritical can you get. Basically crap as RTEs service is, its better than nothing at all.

You seriously cannot appreciate the difference between 200 channels for 30 odd euro a month compared to 150 euro a year for 3....

Eurorunner

Surely if you have a pc sat card thats not capable of picking up tv3/rte1/net2/tng (and this is not possible without a sky sub) , then you shouldnt have to pay a tax on something your not getting!

The above, with the assumption that theres no TV in the house...

the_syco

The owner of the house must have a TV license, me thinks. Do u own it?

Victor

the_syco wrote:

The owner of the house must have a TV license, me thinks. Do u own it?

No, it's the (or any) occupier, not the owner.

Bogger77

Eurorunner wrote:

Surely if you have a pc sat card thats not capable of picking up tv3/rte1/net2/tng (and this is not possible without a sky sub) , then you shouldnt have to pay a tax on something your not getting!

The above, with the assumption that theres no TV in the house...

if you have a pc sat card that's capable of picking up any signals, be they broadcast from ireland (via the sat) or orginating in germany, then you are required legally to have a license.

Eurorunner

Ok, so it seems that legally, I would be screwed.

However, will inspectors ask about this sort of thing if you tell them you dont have a TV??

Have there been any examples of people being prosecuted for non-payment under these circumstances?