Telly Licence inspector

WindSock · 14-03-2007 08:53PM #1

Well I see the ads on telly a bit these days. I've never had a visit or even heard of any one who has had a visit from these smug men the ad portrays. Anyone have any stories? Why do we need a licence for the tv anyways? Are certain people not allowed to have them?

Mossy Monk · 14-03-2007 10:16PM

boreds wrote:

Why do we need a licence for the tv anyways?

it is law, thats why you must have one

dermo88 · 14-03-2007 10:23PM

I was in the UK, and got visited once. On principle, I dislike them, and what they do. But he asked about a particular troublemaker, and I smirked.

"Well, I don't particularly like what you do, but its your job. On balance, hes a bigger problem than you are (wifebeater), and he'll be back with his drug dealing scumbag mates around 8pm"

Said scumbag left two weeks later

The following year, he came back, and I had two weeks left to go in England and my licence had expired 6 weeks before, before going to Malaysia and working there.

Waited until he left, cycled after him, drenched him with condoms filled with water. Cycled home.

I got value for my GBP120, and he did'nt come back either!

Kazooie · 14-03-2007 10:24PM

You need one so that RTE can entertain us with *cough* top shows like The late Late and You're a star. And then they expect us to watch ads as well. If they come around I'm gonna say I just watch tv3.:D

Redundo · 14-03-2007 10:27PM

Living in a mostly student occupied housing estate the inspectors are round pretty regularly. Definately no chance of getting away with it for a full year.

WhiteWashMan · 14-03-2007 10:28PM

ah, the weekly debate on tv licences.

yes ou need to have one, yes its the law, yes it may not be worth the money you pay for it, but see the first two points.

TheNog · 14-03-2007 10:28PM

About 4-5 years ago my 2 yr old son and I were in the front garden playing. I went inside to answer the phone and must've been a couple minutes later the doorbell rang. There was a man holding my son's hand. I thought this is a bit strange, why is this man holding my son by the hand??Well it turned out my clever son had fetched an empty box from the garage,used it to climb over the wall into the neighbours and wandered off. The man found him across the green area of the estate we lived in. I was so relieved and thank him profusely. Ten minutes later the doorbell rings again and I opened it to the same man. I thought " Oh GOd where is Adam". This time the man held up an ID card and said:

Him - (seeing the look on my face says) I don't have ur son but I am a Tv Licence Inspector

Me - Ah sh**e

Fair play to him he gave me till the end of month to buy one.

Hobbes · 14-03-2007 10:30PM

The system is all automated that you won't get a visit from them unless.

1. You stop paying.
2. You just moved in for the first time and haven't paid yet.
3. You just bought a TV for the first time and they took your name and address in the shop.

Based on what they are attempting to do recently regarding the laws, for example TV license if you own a computer or mobile phone, any serious push to get cash is going to be met with resistance to the point it might actually kill off this dodo type taxation.

Mossy Monk · 14-03-2007 10:44PM

Kazooie wrote:

If they come around I'm gonna say I just watch tv3.:D

do you even know what the license is for?

Pherekydes · 14-03-2007 11:01PM

I moved house a few years back, and the very first morning in the new house the Licence Inspector called! I showed him the one we had, it being for the old gaff, and he suggested we transfer it to the new addy ASAP. I moved house again since but no repeat call, so I guess it was random.

(I just wanted to use the word 'random'

)

connundrum · 14-03-2007 11:25PM

boreds wrote:

I've never had a visit or even heard of any one who has had a visit from these smug men the ad portrays.

Talk about tempting fate, you deserve to be visited now

I wonder how long you could get away with it by simply denying that you live in that house when they call to the door ie. I'm just a visitor and don't know who owns the TV or is the lease holder

WindSock · 14-03-2007 11:40PM

WhiteWashMan wrote:

ah, the weekly debate on tv licences.

yes ou need to have one, yes its the law, yes it may not be worth the money you pay for it, but see the first two points.

I know you're supposed to have one. Just wasn't too sure why. Drivers licence I understand, but tv licence? Do I need to have a test? Do they ask me questions about programmes like who presented the news last wednesday and how come fatty from lost is still as fatty etc.
Surely it should be called tv registration or something else if it's a tax or am I just being too pedantic?

aidan_walsh · 14-03-2007 11:43PM

Its a license to own equipment designed for recieving televsion signals.

WindSock · 14-03-2007 11:47PM

aidan_walsh wrote:

Its a license to own equipment designed for recieving televsion signals.

Is that still relevant today with Digital?

aidan_walsh · 14-03-2007 11:49PM

Are digital signals somehow different in that they don't require being changed from one form to another before they can be viewed?

Karoma · 14-03-2007 11:54PM

boreds wrote:

I know you're supposed to have one. Just wasn't too sure why. Drivers licence I understand, but tv licence? Do I need to have a test? Do they ask me questions about programmes like who presented the news last wednesday and how come fatty from lost is still as fatty etc.
Surely it should be called tv registration or something else if it's a tax or am I just being too pedantic?

"pedantic" is not the word best suited to describing what you just typed...
http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q=define%3Alicense&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

WindSock · 15-03-2007 12:02AM

Karoma wrote:

"pedantic" is not the word best suited to describing what you just typed...

Yeah but I liked the sound of the word and when I heard it being used before I thought it sounded clever because I didn't know fully what it meant

Anyway...''a legal document giving official permission to do something ''

From that link. Why would a person need permission to own a telly is what i'm getting at.

rannerap · 15-03-2007 12:06AM

my house has never had one,i asked my mam the other day did we have one and she said no im not paying for it if someone knocks at the door about it tell them to **** off and dont let them in!

WindSock · 15-03-2007 12:08AM

aidan_walsh wrote:

Are digital signals somehow different in that they don't require being changed from one form to another before they can be viewed?

I really don't know, I just presumed from what you first said that having a licence to recieve tv signals has something to do with the broadcasting over the airwaves. I'm not sure how the digital signals work, but I thought it would be different to analogue, therefore being outdated.

Wibbs · 15-03-2007 12:22AM

Hobbes wrote:

Based on what they are attempting to do recently regarding the laws, for example TV license if you own a computer or mobile phone, any serious push to get cash is going to be met with resistance to the point it might actually kill off this dodo type taxation.

We live in hope.

thelordofcheese · 15-03-2007 12:46AM

Redundo wrote:

Definately no chance of getting away with it for a full year.

Oddly enough i got away with it for about 3 or so years way back when i was in Uni.

I always wondered why we never got a visit, could i have lived with the shame?

kaimera · 15-03-2007 02:16AM

Got snared yesterday for a damn bill.

Musta taken the name of one of the guys from the bins outside cos he called when noone was around but left a card with a proper name on it.

Bah, 18 months without a visit.

biko · 15-03-2007 02:20AM

boreds wrote:

Well I see the ads on telly a bit these days. I've never had a visit or even heard of any one who has had a visit from these smug men the ad portrays. Anyone have any stories? Why do we need a licence for the tv anyways? Are certain people not allowed to have them?

Location: With my Mother

end of

Plissken1 · 15-03-2007 10:13AM

Hobbes wrote:

The system is all automated that you won't get a visit from them unless.

1. You stop paying.
2. You just moved in for the first time and haven't paid yet.
3. You just bought a TV for the first time and they took your name and address in the shop.

Based on what they are attempting to do recently regarding the laws, for example TV license if you own a computer or mobile phone, any serious push to get cash is going to be met with resistance to the point it might actually kill off this dodo type taxation.

I have never had a visit, I have owned my property for 3 years now. I dont have a licence, actually, I have never had one EVER. The thought of the money being used to pay the likes of Gerry Ryan would just make me ill anyway.

event · 15-03-2007 10:40AM

dermo88 wrote:

The following year, he came back, and I had two weeks left to go in England and my licence had expired 6 weeks before, before going to Malaysia and working there.

Waited until he left, cycled after him, drenched him with condoms filled with water. Cycled home.

I got value for my GBP120, and he did'nt come back either!

thats a very ****ty thing to do, the man was just doing his job

um7y1h83ge06nx · 15-03-2007 10:45AM

When in college "certain people" used to give fake names when the TV licence inspector called around. Letters came telling this non-existent person to pay or else. Then threats about being taken to court etc.

Nothing came of it in the end.

Linford · 15-03-2007 10:48AM

If you are trying avoid the TV licence man and live in an apartment be aware that when they ring your apartment through the intercom they will say that they are from An Post and only when you let them in or go down to them will they say they are the TV licence inspector.

mikemac · 15-03-2007 10:50AM

No doubt some legal eagle will shoot this idea down but I’ve been told this works

TV license inspector calls to the door and asks your name.
Give your name in Irish-nothing wrong here as you’re fully entitled to do this. I went to college in Galway and absolutely loads of people have the Irish version of their names.
If the inspector asks you to spell your name, say no way as they work for An Post so they are supposed to understand Irish names and addresses.

If you get a letter in future and youR name is misspelled, maybe a fada is missing, then you can ignore the letter as that’s not your name and so you can throw it away.

It might be a terrible idea but sounds clever to me.
I wonder would it work with speeding tickets.

Hobbes · 15-03-2007 11:16AM

Wouldn't work. They would only then turn up with a Gardai who would then say something like "Is this the man?" to the inspector and they summons you that way.

TBH thats an urban legend. I have heard the same story when giving your name to the police and I doubt very much the gardai would go "oh my mistake, I missed a fada your free to go".

Hobbes · 15-03-2007 11:18AM

Plissken1 wrote:

I have never had a visit, I have owned my property for 3 years now. I dont have a licence, actually, I have never had one EVER. The thought of the money being used to pay the likes of Gerry Ryan would just make me ill anyway.

The fact you have never had one ever is probably the reason why no one has showed up. Once your not yet on their system your totally ignored.

A place I worked for gave a demo to RTE people on the business. Due to the nature of the business they were not allowed on the factory floors so they were given a TV show instead of the place. A few weeks later the company got a bill for the tv license.

hshortt · 15-03-2007 11:31AM

You can always increase the value you get by getting more TVs, you only need one licence per household covers all the TVs you have there.

Additionally, (I don't know this is just a thought) will the Digital TV Switchover in 2012 change the license requirements? It'll probably be updated by then but I think the current one covers analogue only, is that right?

Cheers
Howard

Telly Licence inspector

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