TV license letter address to wrong/invalid person

sexmag · 13-05-2019 2:24pm #1

A couple of weeks ago my friend was over for a Chinese, i was in the shower and the door knocked,assuming it was the food he answered,the man at the door just said my last name and my friend said yep,again assuming it's the food we ordered and the man asked his name and he gave his first name. The man then said the TV license had lapsed and was due for renewal.

A bit dumbfounded my friend told me and forgot about it. Today a letter from them came in addressed to my friend first name and my last name, this person doesnt exist saying there's 7 days to get one or this person will be summoned to court.

What do I do? I'm moving shortly and wont renew my license here and this person doesnt exist, do I just send it back saying not at this address etc?

Thanks

Tzardine · 13-05-2019 2:28pm

I would call them. Explain that you received the letter but there is nobody there by that address.

Advise them that you will be moving out in the coming days to a new place and you will make sure you have a license there.

I imagine they would leave it for a bit and then check that the new tenants have take out a license.

....... · 13-05-2019 2:32pm

Regardless of you moving soon, the current tv licence has lapsed and needs to be renewed.

You can change the address on it after you move.

sexmag · 13-05-2019 2:34pm

Tzardine wrote: »

I would call them. Explain that you received the letter but there is nobody there by that address.

Advise them that you will be moving out in the coming days to a new place and you will make sure you have a license there.

I imagine they would leave it for a bit and then check that the new tenants have take out a license.

Thanks for your advice

sexmag · 13-05-2019 2:35pm

....... wrote: »

Regardless of you moving soon, the current tv licence has lapsed and needs to be renewed.

You can change the address on it after you move.

Thanks,sorry I should have added my new address has a license all ready but I won't be bringing a TV so it wont be needed for me anyway

....... · 13-05-2019 2:43pm

sexmag wrote: »

Thanks,sorry I should have added my new address has a license all ready but I won't be bringing a TV so it wont be needed for me anyway

Its associated with the licence holder and address, not just the address.

And anything you have capable of broadcasting a tv signal - laptop, tablet, mobile phone probably! means you need one. They got you by the short and curlies, unless you have no electronic devices that have screens then you need one.

Tiercel Dave · 13-05-2019 2:43pm

Have you got a TV and if so did the inspector ask to see it?.....

colm_mcm · 13-05-2019 2:45pm

....... wrote: »

Its associated with the licence holder and address, not just the address.

And anything you have capable of broadcasting a tv signal - laptop, tablet, mobile phone probably! means you need one. They got you by the short and curlies, unless you have no electronic devices that have screens then you need one.

You don’t need a tv licence for a tablet, laptop or phone.

sexmag · 13-05-2019 2:49pm

....... wrote: »

Its associated with the licence holder and address, not just the address.

And anything you have capable of broadcasting a tv signal - laptop, tablet, mobile phone probably! means you need one. They got you by the short and curlies, unless you have no electronic devices that have screens then you need one.

Didnt know the first part which is interesting but after paying for it for years I'm 99% certain it only applies to electronics with the capability of receiving TV signals

"You do not require a television licence to watch television on your computer or mobile phone"

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer_affairs/media/tv_licences.html

I will only have a phone and tablet from here on out.

I just didnt want summons coming to the house for people who dont exist when I leave as I have a good relationship with the landlord

....... · 13-05-2019 2:50pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

You don’t need a tv licence for a tablet, laptop or phone.

From here

"television set" means any electronic apparatus capable of receiving and exhibiting television broadcasting services broadcast for general reception ( whether or not its use for that purpose is dependent on the use of anything else in conjunction with it ) and any software or assembly comprising such apparatus and other apparatus.

That means if you can use the rte website/player on any device it counts as a tv set.

Its been that way for ages now.

JoeySully · 13-05-2019 2:50pm

....... wrote: »

Its associated with the licence holder and address, not just the address.

And anything you have capable of broadcasting a tv signal - laptop, tablet, mobile phone probably! means you need one. They got you by the short and curlies, unless you have no electronic devices that have screens then you need one.

https://www.thejournal.ie/what-happened-to-the-broadcasting-charge-2497793-Dec2015/

I can believe this story is still being spouted years after the proposed change was shelved.

endacl · 13-05-2019 2:51pm

....... wrote: »

And anything you have capable of broadcasting a tv signal - laptop, tablet, mobile phone probably! means you need one.

None of those broadcast.

sexmag · 13-05-2019 2:51pm

Tiercel Dave wrote: »

Have you got a TV and if so did the inspector ask to see it?.....

I have/had one, I checked and on the date I had one but its since expired by a week or 2, they didnt wait long it seems

....... · 13-05-2019 2:53pm

endacl wrote: »

None of those broadcast.

You know - the tv licence guy told me at my front door that you need it for anything that plays the rte player - so he must have been talking ****e!

sexmag · 13-05-2019 2:55pm

....... wrote: »

You know - the tv licence guy told me at my front door that you need it for anything that plays the rte player - so he must have been talking ****e!

He was but they are sneaky and it is most likely his information was incorrect and possibly illegal to get you to sign up for it ( provided you dont have a tv)

....... · 13-05-2019 2:58pm

sexmag wrote: »

He was but they are sneaky and it is most likely his information was incorrect and possibly illegal to get you to sign up for it ( provided you dont have a tv)

I had literally just moved house and we were waiting on the new telly so I said I didnt have one and asked him in to look - thats when he started saying if I could watch rte player on devices.

sexmag · 13-05-2019 2:59pm

....... wrote: »

I had literally just moved house and we were waiting on the new telly so I said I didnt have one and asked him in to look - thats when he started saying if I could watch rte player on devices.

I might be wrong but I was under the impression the player was funded by the advertisement revenue generated from the ads on the player

Victor · 13-05-2019 3:07pm

....... wrote: »

And anything you have capable of broadcasting a tv signal - laptop, tablet, mobile phone probably! means you need one.

Not broadcasting - they need to be capable of receiving a TV signal.

Effects · 13-05-2019 3:14pm

....... wrote: »

You know - the tv licence guy told me at my front door that you need it for anything that plays the rte player - so he must have been talking ****e!

He just figured you were talking BS about not having a TV and wanted you to get a licence anyway. Just cause a phone can play programmes on RTE Player doesn't mean it will.

colm_mcm · 13-05-2019 3:27pm

Effects wrote: »

He just figured you were talking BS about not having a TV and wanted you to get a licence anyway. Just cause a phone can play programmes on RTE Player doesn't mean it will.

Yes, as someone who’s used the RTE Player app, it’s a gamble as to whether it’ll work. Ads always work on it though.

Sleeper12 · 13-05-2019 4:05pm

....... wrote:

That means if you can use the rte website/player on any device it counts as a tv set.

If it doesn't have a tuner it does not need a license. If it was as quoted above then every tablet & smartphone would need a TV license. A 10 year old with a smartphone would need a license.

They did try to change it a few years ago but they dropped the changes.

sexmag · 13-05-2019 4:14pm

Thanks for all the replies even though we've kinda gone off topic.

Has anyone any other suggestions regarding this letter address to someone who doesnt technically exist?

I would normally just leave it as it doesnt technically concern me but I dont want the landlord having to resolve something after I go. What even happens when they summon someone who doesnt exist or live somewhere?

Effects · 13-05-2019 4:16pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

Ads always work on it though.

They work so good they often play twice.

xckjoo · 13-05-2019 4:25pm

sexmag wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies even though we've kinda gone off topic.

Has anyone any other suggestions regarding this letter address to someone who doesnt technically exist?

I would normally just leave it as it doesnt technically concern me but I dont want the landlord having to resolve something after I go. What even happens when they summon someone who doesnt exist or live somewhere?

Reread the letter. Does it actually say they will be issuing a summons or does it say they will start the process? My money is on the latter as they word them to scare you without actually committing to anything. I've had a few of those letters over the years (student and no TV) and they never followed up after the initial contact.
Or you could call and tell them what's going on and they'd probably give you a lecture and then drop it. It costs them time and money to pursue cases.
Either way I'd say don't stress about it.

Effects · 13-05-2019 4:45pm

You can ignore the letter or just reply to it saying no known person at this address. Don't give them any details you don't need to.

I had a tenant move out of a house I owned and a few weeks later a summons arrived for someone not having a TV licence. The person named wasn't someone on the lease, but similar sounding regional name.
Can't remember who I called about it but they basically said not to worry about it, and it would go away.
Another letter arrived for the person failing to show up to court and that's the last I ever heard of it.

Eric Cartman · 13-05-2019 6:11pm

id leave it if theres nobody by that name then nobody is due in court.

Carawaystick · 13-05-2019 10:09pm

Victor wrote: »

Not broadcasting - they need to be capable of receiving a TV signal.

You need a different license to broadcast, and an Post don't check for those...

Captain_Crash · 16-05-2019 4:05pm

Happened to me earlier this year and it ended up in court and I just told the judge I didn't live in the house that the letters were addressed to. He dismissed the case without a second thought when I showed a utility bill to my address dated before the summons.

My friend txt'd me later that afternoon saying the TV man had just been around looking for a license and he wasn't a happy bunny.

TV license letter address to wrong/invalid person

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