Just When You Thought It Was Safe

A year later and our old friends TV Licensing are back. Readers with long memories will recollect that this time last year they wrote wanting to search our house for TVs. As a result of which Jake and I ended up in an article in the New York Times.

However an officer never did turn up on the doorstep so I suspected that the publicity the New York Times article had generated had put them off. But it appears not as pretty much exactly a year later they're back. This time the tone has changed. No longer the demand to search the house. This is what this year's letter says:

Do you still not use a TV, or has your situation changed?

To the Legal Occupier,

Some time ago, we were advised that there was no television in use at this address and therefore, no licence was required.

Our standard practice ensures that a routine visit will be made to confirm that no type of television receiver is being used at this address. This visit should not take any longer than a few minutes.

If you are still not using television or equipment such as a DVD or video recorder, set-top box or computer with a broadcast card, you needn't take any action - just expect a brief visit from us soon.

[...]

Yours faithfully,

Michelle Tunstall
TV Licensing Enforcement Manager

The bit I've snipped goes on to explain when you need a licence and how to obtain one.

So, given that we never saw the officer after last year's letter I conclude that they probably never intended to call last year, they were just putting the frighteners on us and the same is likely to happen this year. I rather suspect they're too busy targeting areas with different demographics to our sleepy little village.

Anyway we will see.

Tags: tv

Written 05/10/05

Previous comments about this article:

On 07/04/08 at 4:16pm Theo.C. Cupier wrote:

Exactly the same as the letter I got March 2008.

www.adanac.f9.co.uk/TVL/TVL.html

Theo.C.Cupier

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