Has the TV license inspector ever paid you a visit?

ShooterSF

Had one call. Showed him the license he asked to see in the first place and he looked very confused. Then he left. Got another one two weeks later. Got annoyed and said No you cant see it, if you want to see it bring me to court I'll bring it along. Never heard from them again as I had been getting letters constantly beforehand telling me I needed a license I already had.

Rb

Between the abysmal quality of the programmes on RTE, and the fact that despite charging 160 Euro per household they still run ads on the channels, I honestly cannot fathom why someone would go down to the Post Office and pay for a licence without so much as a few prods from the inspector.

northern lights

The first evening we'd moved into our newly built house the door bell rang, I galloped to the door all excited as it was our 'first' visitor and lo and behold it was the bloody tv licence inspector. Was gutted! We live in the middle of nowhere so he was def the last person I expected to see on our first night in. Had to buy one online that evening....

towel401

its mostly student/city apartments they go for. not backarse country residences.

you know the sort of places where the landlord gives you a fine for not defrosting the freezer? those sort of places get tv license inspectors

Honda08

Hogzy wrote: »

Im not trying to weigh up the odds of being paid a visit as i know that its not random calls they make to households!and i pay it so iv nothing to worry about!
Anyways has anyone had a call from the Inspector asking to see you license?

my licence is out since end nov 08..have had 2 reminders then one with a pink box, on it saying legal notice.......fekkers, legal me arse.


i am in my new place 3 years or so, and i was only in a year or so when i got a card in the door with the box "antenna on roof" ticked. they had my name on the notice, fekkers prob got my name from the electoral register...

the cost of voting against FF! arrgh :mad::mad:

OldOddJobs

Even if I actually had a t.v I would never, ever buy a licence.

The sheep of this country let them get away with it by hurrying on down to the post office and handing over their money for something they knew is unjust. **** RTE, **** their private tax, **** the inspectors


and **** the sad bastard who actually said "it's THE LAW, grow up and pay your bills" you pathetic buttoned-down sheep SIRYESSIRYESSIRYESSIRTHREEBAGSFULLSIR

spank_inferno

I've gotton to the legal notice stage and then caved in.

I always end up realising that I cant change the law & €160 is cheaper
than a court appearence.
And a conviction would lose me my job.

jojo2

this is what i love about living in a rented apartment, i dont answer the door to anyone i dont know, as previous posters have said you'll get a phone call if its important!
friend of mine did end up in court over the tv license though, his eejit flatmate gave his name when the inspector called...only got a 50euro fine though, apparently there was about 20 other people in court for the same thing!

Kingp35

I have gotten about 5 letters at this stage addressed to "The Resident". Not a chance I am buying a licence when they don't even know who I am

ni_mhearnog

What's my best line of action? My new spanish housemate answered the door to the tv licence man and admitted we had a tv and he gave her a little piece of paper with details of todays visit and her name on it. She will be moving out at end of March but me and my other housemate will be here to june, should we just wait it out?

That_Guy

When I lived in Dundalk he called in one day. All the lads in the house were crowded around the door just staring at him when we showed him the licence as if to say, "Ha, feck ya. We've got one."

Then when he left I shouted to the lads (while the door was open and he was still in ear shot) "Jaysus lads, they're not as cnut baggish as they make them out to be on TV."

thetonynator

parents house is there 22 years, never a TV licence inspector . . .

Mike 1972

I had TV licencing/Capita (Northern Ireland) came to my door a few months ago.

Refused to give him my name, let him in or state whether I had a TV set even though I actually have a TV licence (which I didnt tell him)

After more questioning from him and stonewalling from me It turns out that he was actually looking for the same housenumber in the next street.

Seemingly they have the technology to pinpoint TV sets to within a couple of metres yet theyve never heard of satnav :rolleyes:

bonzodog2

In my previous house, had them round twice, about a year apart. We didn't have a TV, so I took great pleasure in inviting them into the 'living room' (which was mostly used as a storage area) to show them the lack of TV. Ha!

Sephiroth_dude

Thankfully no.

Gone West

ni_mhearnog wrote: »

What's my best line of action? My new spanish housemate answered the door to the tv licence man and admitted we had a tv and he gave her a little piece of paper with details of todays visit and her name on it. She will be moving out at end of March but me and my other housemate will be here to june, should we just wait it out?

yeah just say that she took her TV with her when she left. And no, you're not letting them into the house without a search warrant delivered by Gardai.

If they give you antennae on the roof BS, tell them its to pick up radio signals from intelligent alien life(or that its probably an old antenna you dont know?!), and to mind their own business. Very easy to get rid of em. Especially if you live in a rented place. Normally I wouldnt encourage breaking the law. But when the law is sufficiently ridiculous (ie tv licence), screw em.

If they ask for a name, tell them that your name is Fuck Off. Thats a capital F and O.

flynnser19

Zebra3 wrote: »

Hilarious story in Bandit Country about some poor bastid being sent into south Armagh after the IRA's ceasefire in 1994 looking for tv licences......

that book is 99percent lies im afraid!!my cousins ex wrote it!!!absoluite spa ended up getting taken hostage in irna good enough for him haha last time he lies about any of south armagh again!!lolol

i lived in a rented house and we had no tv in the sitting room so we were ready if they were coming looking!!haha

Tail Wagger

Well the only one that would get away without paying a tv licence is Alex Higgins, he just throws them out the window.
The tellys I mean...

I had a visit from them twice in about 20 years in the course of changing house.
The last time was about six years ago, the licence was due to be renewed in November and I didn't bother to get it.

After the Christmas when the post started to get regular at the new address I got the visit. Yea just like the TV advert. Hi I'm a TV licence inspector, I'd like to see your licence. I brought my driving licence and showed it to him and he looked at me as if I had two heads. Sorry I said TV licence he said, I know what you said, I replied ...but already knew I didn't have one ,didn't you I said... So after all that he gave me a month to get it, and you shower of hures are after reminding me that it's due again next month! ....: cool: B*(_%$ rds

krudler

Hope, got a few letters to "the resident" over the years in my apartment, never got one then, even though they said they had "witnessed tv recieving equipment on the premises" which is pretty impressive given I lived on a 4th floor city centre block apartment and we had tv through the internal cable, not through satellites

I'll never get one as I dont watch RTE, and Im not paying to keep Gerry Ryans stocked up with lard and meat pies and Tubridy to have his face surgically smugged up ever few months

Jesus Wept

zuroph wrote: »

bought new house last april, will not buy licence until i absolutely have to, once they have me on the database theres no getting out of it. will probably try the fake name thing again.

Perhaps not.

At the last rented address I lived at, we were getting letters to a couple of different non-national names who may have lived there previous.
Eventually a guy called to the door and he caught me offguard, I think I had just woken up. He asked me name without telling me who he was and strangely I blurted it out without thinking.

A couple of weeks later and my name was in the mix of reminder/warning letters.

I waited a couple of months, called them up and said 'I'm just after moving in, we're getting threatening letters addressed to three different people, Ms Asian name, Mr Eastern European name and 'My name' - I don't know who any of these people are, if you send me one in my (insert fake) name, I'll gladly pay it.

All the letters stopped barring the new fake name I had given them.
Did a whip around with the other people living there and a few weeks later went to the Post Office and got a licence from that day on for the year.

Didn't bother renewing, moved out shortly after renewal date by chance and haven't heard anything since.


P.S: When I mentioned it to my dad, he pointed out that the name I had given them was that of a local councillor.

Dudess

^^^
:pac:

Yep, he called. And once you're on the radar, there's no escaping... 'til you change address.

eth0_

Yes, when I lived in Milltown (Dublin) an old-ish guy with a clipboard was going round the doors. I thought he was doing a survey. He came to our house and I answered the door "I'm from An Post, just have a few questions". He showed me his ID. He asked how many lived in the house, and did we have a TV. I said "Three and yes we do".

Then he said "and do you have a license for that television?".

Stung!

ondarack

i recieved a reminder addressed to the "resident" stating that the address does not hav a tv licence and there will be inspectors in the area. before that 2 letters came the previous tenant but i just wrote return to sender on them and sent them back. i live in an apartment block and i'm just wondering can they get my name or prove i hav a tv without me actually opening the door to them? i hav a strict policy of not opening the door to strangers:). i hav a sky dish but it could be anybodies:p

ejmaztec

ondarack wrote: »

i recieved a reminder addressed to the "resident" stating that the address does not hav a tv licence and there will be inspectors in the area. before that 2 letters came the previous tenant but i just wrote return to sender on them and sent them back. i live in an apartment block and i'm just wondering can they get my name or prove i hav a tv without me actually opening the door to them? i hav a strict policy of not opening the door to strangers:). i hav a sky dish but it could be anybodies:p

I would imagine that they'd make a special point of visiting an address that the mail had been returned from.

They've obviously got a list of names and addresses when they traipse around, and know which people have got licences. A guy called here a couple of weeks ago, and when I told him my name and that I had a licence, I didn't even have to show it to him as his list confirmed that I had one.

ondarack

ya i know they more than likely will call but i'm wondering what there power is when they do not get an answer at the door and cannot physically see a tv in my apartment??

ejmaztec

They'll probably kick your door in and beat you to death with baseball bats?

I don't know, I've never pushed them that far, but they'll probably get inside your place eventually.

ondarack

ejmaztec wrote: »

They'll probably kick your door in and beat you to death with baseball bats?

I don't know, I've never pushed them that far, but they'll probably get inside your place eventually.

thats just a ridiculous statement

Fizman

They have never called to me cos I rang em up and told em I don't speak English and that my husband cheats on me.

Elenxor

Yup, opened the door just as the sig. tune for Coronation Street was blareing out of the sitting room.
Went to Court.....long story...went to wrong Court...was fined 80 Euro in my absence.:mad:

Fizman

Elenxor wrote: »

Yup, opened the door just as the sig. tune for Coronation Street was blareing out of the sitting room.
Went to Court.....long story...went to wrong Court...was fined 80 Euro in my absence.:mad:

I hope you didn't quote your sig!!