TV Licence - How Did They Get My Name

JGEP · 13-10-2015 05:49PM #1

Hi all,

Ok so, guilty as charged, I haven't paid my tv licence. Not for any particular reason, I had intended to but put it on the back burner over the summer (wedding expenses took priority!).
I just received a letter from the inspector with a form to complete stating whether I had a tv or not, do I have a licence, what is the licence number, etc.

The thing is, the letter I received previously saying the inspector had called was addressed to "The occupier" but the most recent letter was addressed to me personally. I'm going to pay the licence fee as I had always intended but what I'm curious about is how they got my name in the first place.

I have a UPC account and recently signed up to Irish Water and registered for the Water Grant. Is it legal for any of these bodies to give out my details or is this not a breach of Data Protection?

Any information would be appreciated, just want to satisfy my curiosity

Fred Swanson · 13-10-2015 06:31PM

This post has been deleted.

aujopimur · 13-10-2015 06:33PM

Parish priest I'd say.

JGEP · 13-10-2015 07:55PM

Fred Swanson wrote: »

The postman is the most likely culprit.

Yeah most likely, live in an apartment so could even have looked into the letterbox. Just found the timing with the Irish Water/grant registering quite coincidental.

Gatling · 13-10-2015 07:56PM

Upc

Fred Swanson · 13-10-2015 08:02PM

This post has been deleted.

Peregrinus · 14-10-2015 12:57AM

Your name isn't a state secret. If you have a reason to want to know who lives in a particular house, it's generally very easy to find out, in a completely lawful way. Just ask around - neighbours, postman, the guards barracks - until somebody suggests a name, and then confirm the suggestion by cross- checking in the phone book, the electoral register, etc. And of vourse even before doing any of this An Post are generally well-positioned to know who lives where. They deliver the mail, after all.

Zambia · 14-10-2015 01:01AM

JGEP wrote: »

Hi all,

Ok so, guilty as charged, I haven't paid my tv licence. Not for any particular reason, I had intended to but put it on the back burner over the summer (wedding expenses took priority!).
I just received a letter from the inspector with a form to complete stating whether I had a tv or not, do I have a licence, what is the licence number, etc.

The thing is, the letter I received previously saying the inspector had called was addressed to "The occupier" but the most recent letter was addressed to me personally. I'm going to pay the licence fee as I had always intended but what I'm curious about is how they got my name in the first place.

I have a UPC account and recently signed up to Irish Water and registered for the Water Grant. Is it legal for any of these bodies to give out my details or is this not a breach of Data Protection?

Any information would be appreciated, just want to satisfy my curiosity

If you get post to your house with your name and address on it, and the dept that delivers that post is the same as the one that inspects TV licences.

2 + 2 =4

ibarelycare · 14-10-2015 10:17AM

The exact same thing happened me last week OP! TV licence letter came addressed to me rather than the occupier.

I'm with UPC, Irish Water, registered for the Irish Water grant. But I know that they wouldn't have been able to get my name from any of those because of data protection laws.

I was living in an apartment for 3 years and we got many TV licence letters addressed to "The Occupier" but never to our names, even though we obviously got other post delivered there.

Ah well, got away with it for long enough

paul71 · 14-10-2015 02:28PM

ibarelycare wrote: »

The exact same thing happened me last week OP! TV licence letter came addressed to me rather than the occupier.

I'm with UPC, Irish Water, registered for the Irish Water grant. But I know that they wouldn't have been able to get my name from any of those because of data protection laws.

I was living in an apartment for 3 years and we got many TV licence letters addressed to "The Occupier" but never to our names, even though we obviously got other post delivered there.

Ah well, got away with it for long enough

Electoral register?

ibarelycare · 14-10-2015 02:53PM

paul71 wrote: »

Electoral register?

I'm not registered there.

tricky D · 14-10-2015 03:03PM

Postman - it's part of their job.

Fred Swanson · 14-10-2015 03:10PM

This post has been deleted.

Zambia · 14-10-2015 04:45PM

Fred Swanson wrote: »

They get a bonus payment for assisting the inspectors.

30 pieces of silver?

paul71 · 14-10-2015 05:39PM

Zambia wrote: »

30 pieces of silver?

Or fair reward for a job well done.

Makood · 14-10-2015 05:41PM

If you don't wish to pay for "RTE" then return the form you got in the post and state on it that there is no TV on the premises-Don't ignore it though or you will end up in court.

slimjimmc · 14-10-2015 05:45PM

Makood wrote: »

If you don't wish to pay for "RTE" then return the form you got in the post and state on it that there is no TV on the premises-Don't ignore it though or you will end up in court.

Better make sure there is no TV on the premises first, otherwise you'd be committing the offence of making a false declaration.

Makood · 14-10-2015 06:41PM

slimjimmc wrote: »

Better make sure there is no TV on the premises first, otherwise you'd be committing the offence of making a false declaration.

I wouldn't be so worried about making false declarations in this case. One of the only times I am prepared to do such a thing.

Damn this is legal discussion-I thought it was After Hours

Pappacharlie · 14-10-2015 06:48PM

As a former TV licence inspector I can tell you that postmen do not give information about occupants of particular addresses. There are ways of finding out without the postman knowing. That's all I can say on the matter. By the way the TV inspector has to see the TV in order to prosecute.

Fred Swanson · 14-10-2015 06:50PM

This post has been deleted.

Pappacharlie · 14-10-2015 06:52PM

When is data data? If its not in electronic format then its not data.??

Gongoozler · 14-10-2015 06:54PM

Ffs, boards won't let me quote your post, but I Barely Care, if you start paying it now they'll back date the charges, just so you're aware.

Fuzzy Clam · 14-10-2015 06:59PM

The inspectors seem to have names without necessarily knowing where they live.
Last year an inspector called to me looking to know where 2 neighbours lived. One was dead about 2 years and the other, at least 9.

Grab All Association · 14-10-2015 07:02PM

JGEP wrote: »

Hi all,

Ok so, guilty as charged, I haven't paid my tv licence. Not for any particular reason, I had intended to but put it on the back burner over the summer (wedding expenses took priority!).
I just received a letter from the inspector with a form to complete stating whether I had a tv or not, do I have a licence, what is the licence number, etc.

The thing is, the letter I received previously saying the inspector had called was addressed to "The occupier" but the most recent letter was addressed to me personally. I'm going to pay the licence fee as I had always intended but what I'm curious about is how they got my name in the first place.

I have a UPC account and recently signed up to Irish Water and registered for the Water Grant. Is it legal for any of these bodies to give out my details or is this not a breach of Data Protection?

Any information would be appreciated, just want to satisfy my curiosity

You now have 5 options

Ignore the letter- You may be brought to court and fined

Say you have no TV - If found to have one I imagine the penalty imposed by the court would be a lot worse than just not buying one.

Pay the €160 for a license - depending on circumstances €160 can be a lot of money to give out in one week.

Sign up for DD payments.

http://www.anpost.ie/NR/rdonlyres/DBFB92D0-3C40-4349-9003-F936D0B12F9B/0/TVLicenceDirectDebitApplicationandMandateforms.pdf fill this out and pay €13.33pm photocopy it and post it. Be sure to get a certificate of postage (free) once you have this filled out they shouldn't bring you to court and if they do the court will throw the case out as it takes 2-3 weeks to set it up.

Get rid of your TV

selous · 14-10-2015 07:42PM

If the postman has 500 to 800 address' on his delivery do you think he knows the first and last name of everyone in each one and can pick the name of the property owner or lease holder from them??? the bugger would want to be Keith Barry or suchlike.

ibarelycare · 14-10-2015 07:50PM

Gongoozler wrote: »

Ffs, boards won't let me quote your post, but I Barely Care, if you start paying it now they'll back date the charges, just so you're aware.

Back date to when? How will they know when I got a TV?

JGEP · 14-10-2015 08:41PM

Pappacharlie wrote: »

As a former TV licence inspector I can tell you that postmen do not give information about occupants of particular addresses. There are ways of finding out without the postman knowing. That's all I can say on the matter. By the way the TV inspector has to see the TV in order to prosecute.

Grab All Association wrote: »

You now have 5 options

Ignore the letter- You may be brought to court and fined

Say you have no TV - If found to have one I imagine the penalty imposed by the court would be a lot worse than just not buying one.

Pay the €160 for a license - depending on circumstances €160 can be a lot of money to give out in one week.

Sign up for DD payments.

http://www.anpost.ie/NR/rdonlyres/DBFB92D0-3C40-4349-9003-F936D0B12F9B/0/TVLicenceDirectDebitApplicationandMandateforms.pdf fill this out and pay €13.33pm photocopy it and post it. Be sure to get a certificate of postage (free) once you have this filled out they shouldn't bring you to court and if they do the court will throw the case out as it takes 2-3 weeks to set it up.

Get rid of your TV

I'm here nearly 2 years but the previous tenants were here for 4/5 years before that so if I do pay will I get backdated for that?

Although I may actually have an option 6!
I'm currently looking to move out of the area and am just waiting for the right house in the area I'm looking.

I don't want to pass my bill onto the landlord so I suppose I could respond with "No TV" and be gone before any follow up and if there is a follow up he can say the last tenant (me) didn't have a tv and no one could prove otherwise. Any flaws in the plan?

Grab All Association · 14-10-2015 09:17PM

JGEP wrote: »

I'm here nearly 2 years but the previous tenants were here for 4/5 years before that so if I do pay will I get backdated for that?

Although I may actually have an option 6!
I'm currently looking to move out of the area and am just waiting for the right house in the area I'm looking.

I don't want to pass my bill onto the landlord so I suppose I could respond with "No TV" and be gone before any follow up and if there is a follow up he can say the last tenant (me) didn't have a tv and no one could prove otherwise. Any flaws in the plan?

No you won't have to pay arrears but you might have to pay two months depending on what date you apply and how long it takes to set up the direct debit.

Zambia · 15-10-2015 02:54AM

paul71 wrote: »

Or fair reward for a job well done.

Mate I jest, even though i doubt there is something that complex in place.

As in posties being given a list of addresses they want names for.

Zambia · 15-10-2015 02:59AM

Pappacharlie wrote: »

As a former TV licence inspector I can tell you that postmen do not give information about occupants of particular addresses. There are ways of finding out without the postman knowing. That's all I can say on the matter. By the way the TV inspector has to see the TV in order to prosecute.

Ah ha ....:-)

In your your time as a TV licence inspector did you develop a very tough skin.

I once recall having been tardy in my licence fee for a few months and as it happened one day I was throwing out the box for the TV.

I opened the door to find the licence inspector. I am standing there with the old CRT box. I just looked at him and said.

"FFS mate I just plugged it in are you f**kers Jedis or what..."

He laughed, I laughed and I went inside and paid my licence fee.

Most ridiculous tax in Ireland by the way but that's anther story.

selous · 15-10-2015 04:22PM

I was telling a postman about this thread this morn,

He said it was them,:eek: but only gave the names of the tight holes who didn't tip at Christmas, and gave the names to Irish water who didn't tip 2 years or more,:rolleyes:

Sinister or wha???:D

TV Licence - How Did They Get My Name

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