It IS bullying, it IS harassment! How the hell they continually get away with sending out these scandalous letters is beyond me!?!! CANCEL YOUR LICENSE NOW!!!!!

Hope the guy in Scotland who is in the process of taking a case against them is successful

A 6 year 'investigation' and they are still 'Legal Occupier' 😂

I’m 100% legally license free. Despite telling them we don’t need a license when I first cancelled the letters are constant, at least every month. I believe it is harassment and decided to start keeping the letters a few months back as evidence in case a group action is brought against them. To be clear I find the letters amusing but I can see how some people may be intimidated.

Maybe 'Enforcement Officers' should be renamed 'Harassment Officers'

They are Salesmen. Nothing else .

Can we not have a UK style Class Action Lawsuit raised against these clowns? Surely someone knows how to setup and have people chip in, I would!

Why has no-one stopped the BBC making such borderline illegal comments?

Part of this scandal is people are asked tro sign a form "to buy a licence" called a TVL 178 that is then used against them in court as it is a confession of a crime taking place. At no point was this person given any legal advice. To me, that is entrapment. Any interview should have taken place under caution with legal representation. Then they are frog marched to mass courts with hundreds of defendants lined up at a desk where summary justice is dispensed by private prosecutors working for a private company. . Of course all this can be avoided by slamming the door shut and locking it, better still dont answer the door to strangers.

I hope that the chap in Scotland is suing these people to show the Television Licensing Office should put their hands off our rights.

This will be the next big scandal after the post office, so keep all your threatening letters as proof of harassment and intimidation for when the solicitors advertise for victims on a no win no fee scenario

I have never had a visit as promised (threatened) in any one of the many letters over many years. It's almost disappointing.

They sent me the 23rd letter yesterday saying they have no choice but to "continue the investigation". They don't even get my name right now, they call me by the name of Legal Occupier.

Last years Valentines day the sent me an 'Enforcement' letter dressed up as a Valentines card, red anonymous envelope and printed handwritten address to 'You know who'. - Absolutely disgusting tactics. Obviously I never watch live TV or BBC streaming services. This is after informing them of my situation.

It should be stated that "an Investigation officer" will be paying a visit, not an enforcement officer.

I’ve often wondered how they get away with the intimidation and bullying that goes on, as you say Daniel, no other company or organisation would get away with it. Bring on a class action. 👍👍👍😱😱

I've been receiving these threats for 8 years.

How can they swear under oath that they have evidence that someone in a top floor flat is watching TV illegally if no-one talks þo them? Yet they do go into flats and ring door bells!

Ive also got a pile of letters. I’ve also been ‘scheduled’ many times. It means absolutely nothing.

Why are people not getting together and taking legal action about the way they behave? And why domthe government allow it. Surely ofcom should be doing something too. How can it happen in this day and age.

I get all of these letters . I don’t need a license .

I have had hundreds of letters over the years and never had a visit. Lots of threats and all a lot of bluff. They just waste money. It’s Pathetic 🥴👍

I've received a number of these letters. They started after I let my licence expire, as I did not need one anymore. They were informed and even cancelled the Direct Debit for me. However, when it came closer to the licence expiry date they started sending these letters. After the third one I sent them an email expressing my annoyance that left hand was not talking to their right hand and they sent their token apology for it. They kept insisting that they would continue to contact me, as if I was untrustworthy. As such I refuse to do anything that requires a licence and for some reason they cannot fathom this.

I've got a stack of these, I originally declared I didn't need a licence (which I don't). This was 8-10 years ago. But it wound me up that I had to do that so after 2 years I didn't declare again. I was getting monthly letters that I'd just bin. At the end of 2020 I thought it was getting ridiculous and was tantamount to harassment, so started saving them. My letters are dated. 12.20 01.21 02.21 03.21 03.21 04.21 05.21 06.21 07.21 08.21 09.21 10.21 11.21 12.21 01.22 02.22 03.22 03.22 04.22 05.22 06.2230.06.22 (we visited today notice, heard it come through the door as I was working from home, no one knocked). 07.22 14.07.22 08.22 09.22 03.23 08.23 Thankfully I haven't had another but holding onto these in case they start again.

Why does the BBC say on its form for care homes "IMPORTANT NOTE: Please ensure all residents are aware that they are required to hold the relevant full fee TV Licence"? Surely residents do not need one if they don't watch iPlayer or broadcast TV.

There needs to be legislation brought in that any abuse of legislation is an offence & can face fines.

Surely to goodness, making empty threats equates to a vexatious and unfounded accusation based on an ‘argument’ that ‘someone’ might be guilty of an offence without the foundation of any evidence to show any such offence has occurred or is intended. It’s nothing less than legal posturing” hoping the addressee will ‘crumble’ under the pressure, and buy a licence, when in fact, they do not, in their case, need one.Is not the option to “take further action” time barred, in law? Surely, again the Licensing authority is out of order if it uses such language without threat of a time barring kicking in? Any other transaction one engages in in life will almost certainly have implied time bars or set in place when contracts are drawn up; such as completion dates for, say, building an extension to one’s home? Yes, this situation, is in reality just a breath away form another case of an institution within ‘the Establishment, which has become a law unto itself, and, just like the Post Office, wholly and outrageously unaccountable.

thank you for standing up against TV licensing

In about October 2020 I declared I didn't need a licence and subsequently told them to stop sending me threatening letters. They began sending threat letters again in December 2022 and every month since, although I don't have the October 2023 letter. It was lost in the post or the recycling. I hope it was nothing urgent!

Regarding these threats, that get rather long-in-the-tooth and stale after a while, it probably matters not one bit to the agency sending them that they really mean anything at all. Bear in mind it is an agent acting for the BBC, it's not the BBC. What they are concerned about is that they can prove to their client (the BBC) that they have at least been contacting the addresses in question. There will be bureaucrats at the BBC responsible for ticking the boxes in question and so the contractual arrangements continue. Senior BBC management then prefer to believe this proves they are getting value for money. Everyone goes home at 5.00 pm blissful and happy.

I have not owned a TV set since 2007. I have had letters of this nature and onn one occasion a chap called round and asked to come in and see if I was telling the truth about not having a TV. I refused entry. He said that he would be back. I did not have any more visits but continued to receive evermore intense letters. One informing me of a investigation. The assumption that everyone has a tv is actually odd. I do not have a dog and no dog licence inspectors call. I wonder, how many dog owners do not have a licence? Should they receive the same treatment? I have a pet bee called Eric!

I discontinued my TV license several months ago as I deemed the content unworthy of the price. My brother has been license-free for 7 years and has a sheaf of letters close to an inch thick from TV Licensing threatening enforcement visits. He's never been visited to his knowledge in all that time, but the threats keep coming.

Do NOT pay. Do NOT speak to the goons!

What is the warrant for. What are they looking for, when the law says you need a licence to watch bbc etc etc. if you are not watching any tv when they visit what is the point.

Remember the 2014 case where a claimant won their case against TV licensing and were awarded backdated fees for dealing with every such letter / threat . £40 per letter plus costs etc.

It’s baffling that T.V. Licensing’s stance on ownership of a television set/electronic device amounts to evidence for potential law breaking and therefore guilt and court action. If someone stores a vehicle on their driveway for which they’ve applied for a SORN certificate - DVLA doesn’t send hundreds of threatening letters telling the owner that enforcement officers will be visiting to ensure the vehicle isn’t being driven. There seems to be some disparity between these two government agencies and how they treat their customers. Why does T.V. Licensing harass innocent people with threats of court action when DVLA seems to accept a written declaration without an issue?

I had this same problem for years where I had letter after letter saying I didn't have a TV licence at this address (true) and that I need to inform them why. I knew I didn't have to reply as I don't watch TV and haven't done so for over 16 years now. I don't record any live TV etc either. This carried on and on and then they were sending me letters saying that I was breaking the law and they would send officers out to my address if I didn't reply. I ignored the letter, then they sent more letters saying are you going to be in on such and such a date as they will be coming round, they didn't, and it continued the same letters, and in the end it was getting to me as I wasn't breaking the law, don't watch TV and didn't need a TV licence. I contacted the CAB and told them, they took over and I never heard from the TV Licensing again, at least to this day. Maybe they might be getting bored and want me to pay for something I don't need and start all over again. I hope someone does sue these for what they put innocent people through, as it is harassment, and your been made to feel like your a criminal doing something wrong, even when you know full well your are not.

Enforcement Officer? By this description, they’ll be ‘forcing’ the householder (possibly using torture) to buy a TV license whether they need one or not.

Come to Australia 🇦🇺 we’ve never had tv licences.

I think some kind of harassment case needs to be filed and won against TV Licensing. Their MO is way out of line. No other company/organisation would get away with this. How much money are they wasting on hounding people who legitimately don't need a license in the first place - let alone the psychological ramifications of their actions. I don't think it's unreasonable for it to be along the lines of SORN for those that are declaring their vehicle to be out of action for 12 months. Some kind of opt out scheme, by filling in a form (physical or on line) that simply asks if you watch/record broadcast television or the BBC in any way. No threats of illegal activity. Just a plain and simple question.

I love law! And I thought of the Post Office scandal also.

ok i do not have a gun license when are they sending people to enforce this.......i do not have a driving license still waiting to for the enforcement notice......i also have no dog license ( yes i know ) but not 1 time in freekin history did anyone visit the millions of households without 1 get a warning....and quoting Monty python i do have a cat license it was signed by the ministry of housinge,,,,,,,,,,,, it wa spelt like that on the van im very observant .....their cat detector vans can spot a purr at 50 meters and my cat was such a happy cat it was a piece of cake.....im sure i dont have many licenses for fishing campimg and a crap load of junk they want money for that they just chose to tax with a license .....im waiting for license to smoke or vap or whatever other way that plan on taxing it....license to have my friends sleep at my house etc.... who remembers window tax...bedroom tax....jesus,,, view tax....i lived on the coast but had no view because of trees outside my windows...needed photos...i know im no legal guy but at what point can the public say f***** o** with your made up taxes to grab our hard earned money......or are we allowed to rise up against a government that is simply robbing us........and no im not some far right or far left nutter i am simply a working man that every time i gain a little ground with my money they seem to find and magically invoke some new tax to remove the bit of cash i still have left over

its just scare tactics preying on people being frightened enough just to pay up. I've had at least 15 visits scheduled. Not once have they visited on the day they said they were coming. I.m disappointed actually because i really really want to tell them what i think of them when they show up at my door lol. Yes i know i shouldnt even open the door to them, but they are just so nasty and i want to give them a piece of my mind. I dont watch or record live TV, i dont watch live tv on iPlayer, i don't need a licence and i am not required to inform them of my licence status or tv viewing preferences. I keep every threat letter they send me and i hope one day i can use it in a big class action against them for all the harassment over the last 12 years, from the moment i moved into my own home. Its an endless pattern of letters starting off polite then ending with the "you give us no alternative but to take further action" then they start all over again, one per month for the last 12 years.

Were is the BBC's carbon footprint concerns with regards of all the letters they send out ? Many of them cannot be recycled because they have a plastic window ... why ? Is it a 'nudge' attempt to have your postie scowl because he knows you do not have a TV Tax payment agreement. (Obviously I have to add that the postie could also be female) !

Even possessing the equipment to potentially watch scheduled programmes doesn't prove you have done so or intend to do so. Having a crate of beer at home doesn't mean you intend to drink and drive. Unless you are actually watching when they arrive and then let them in with the TV still on their is no proof. Looking through a window is trespassing.

For 8 years, I have recieved 150 letters from tv licensing, I have rang them 12 times, and had one visit 7 years ago.

In my experience, the layman stands no chance of getting a fair hearing in the County Court on a Protection From Harassment Act 1997 claim. I sued a debt collector under this legislation after 80 letters and over 500 nuisance phonecalls over an alleged debt that was more than 6 years old when the debt collectors purchased it (statute barred - not legally enforceable). The judge was extremely rude and aggressive, refused to let me get a word in edgeways and refused to let me cite case law (Ferguson v British Gas). He literally laughed at me and said there was no limit on the amount of letters and phonecalls the defendant was allowed to make. He didn't give me any legal basis for his decision. He refused me leave to appeal against his judgment.

The word enforcing goes well with the word, totalitarianism!!! A sly take over for gradual acceptance of our new fate!!

The amount of harm they have caused can’t be calculated. This level of harassment over such a long period of time and to so many properly licences households is insanity. Not only is it the stupid amount of letters, the salesmen they employ aren’t just looking to correctly licence a property, they want to make sure they can make an example out of anyone no matter how vulnerable.

I have said this before but my two letters were headed "You could be fined £1000" in bold black letters- even though I had no TV.

The day I become a name, not just “occupier “ is the day that I speak to them, just to really piss them off, and tell them I don’t need a licence !!!

I wish I had kept all the letters I have had. I may be able to dig out 20 or so going back 35 years. I used to get a letter every two or three months. Not once did they ever visit.

I'm flabbergasted that the government are able to justify these laws.

I don't comply if I'm doing nothing wrong. It's job creation gone mad! Why are we forced to answer to organisations that don't answer to us? I'm sick of it all! Especially the police.

They first have to access my door. My garden is locked and I don't answer my front door which has access from the street, unless I know who's at the door. I return all their letters as they are addressed to someone else, someone who I don't know.

its like being assumed guilty unless you prove you.re innocent,, .. they assume everyone IS watching tv so 'must' have a licence , i bet it will end up being made a mandatory tax/levy of some kind everyone has to pay regardless, and done by each person, not household, ' so screwing more out of us, they've got to make up for all the 'missing' money somehow, and keep their rich banker/wef masters happy

How much would it cost to take such a case to court, with yourself as the barrister representing the case for example? I ask this question with the idea of crowd funding such a case. Thanks for once again giving us an enlightening example of BBC bullying. Just an added thought, a letter from Capita asking if I would be home on a given date as I would be visited, of course I ignored it, shredded it, and added it to my compost heap. My point being, if I was self employed and took a day off to shut the door in the face of the "enforcement officer" (lol) and no one showed up, would they owe me a days wages?

if someone demands a copy of a warrant directly from the magistrate's office that _would_ have issued it, like a warrant a regular police search requires, would the court be required to find it and send a copy? how many people demanding a copy of their tv license warrant would it take to annoy them into doing something?

I have not had a TV for over 32 years and do not watch any live TV but have been receiving threatening letters for over ten years. I don’t bother telling them I don’t have a TV any more as why should I? If they want to waste their time asking me continuously whether I will be in on a certain day as an enforcement officer will be calling they can get on with it.

I wish I’d kept all my letter then because I’ve been getting them for over fifteen years. And as they always say to me, ‘We’ll just keep coming back!’

TVL only have135 visiting Goons that if 100,000 homes got a letter saying a visit is scheduled then they, IMHO, couldn't visit all 100,000 properties in say 1 month to check. I would say that any letter that says "visit scheduled" is harassment because they haven't visited the property by the time the homeowner received another TVL letter saying something completely different.

Tv licensing needs to be held to account. They have psychologically harmed so many people

This is going to be the next Post Office type scandal

Letters demanding you purchase a TV license are very useful. I used to use toilet roll to clean out my cat litter tray. Thankfully I’ve been given an alternative. Thanks 🙏

I have not had a TV since 2003...still getting threats of uniformed thugs arriving and taking action.

Top tip: there's enough blank space on their letters and envelopes that, with a pair of scissors and some tape, you can get at least two handwritten postage labels out of each of them. Saves using valuable sheets of paper. 👍

Keep the letter.. Write on it.. "Return to sender"... Put it in a post box.. 😊😊😊

Their use of the word "enforcement" is simply to perpetuate the misconception that a TV licence is a legal requirement. They know perfectly well that if everyone was aware that they have a free choice, a hell of a lot more would cancel.

I moved out of a house 18 months ago and it's been up for sale since, I have had about 10 letters many saying they are starting an investigation. They can investigate what they like, I'm not getting in touch with them, they can carry on wasting their time and money on posting these daft letters.

Recently noticed a change in the “no licence needed declaration”, they are now requiring that I submit to them my email address and phone number. Well thats not happening, looking forward to ignoring them from now on.

If and when they write to you (AND SOMEHOW HAVE YOUR NAME) - then it's time to send them subject access requests and complain about them to the Information Commissioner's Office. If they have an ongoing investigation, they must have this in their records and they must divulge it or refer to it (even if redacted) from their records.... If they don't furnish these details from their files, they commit an offence contrary to the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018

Just ouver 67 million people in Uk if 25% are ecpected to pay tv lincense.. easy money for the BBC saying that rediculess inposinsig tv lincense in 2024 .. one day BBC will ask tv lincense for using live phone calls on whatsup .. cant understand how UK allowes a charge of about 170 pounds for tv lincense.. why dont they get people to subscribe.. crazy BBC i thought uk was democratic and people hade a ..choice saying that excelente vídeo and excelente advise wish you well..

I came across an article in The Guardian called "The TV licence fee scandal: why are 1,000 people a week being casually criminalised." The article was written by Zoe Williams and I thought you may want to look it up as it has some interesting things to say.

I have about 10 or 11 of these letters since April 2023, even in the red envelopes. I haven't opened half of them, but the latest one from 8th Feb to the Legal Occupier says "This is an official warning that we are carring out an investigation of your adress. We have asked you to contact us several times but you have not responded"... I told them about 5 years ago, that I no longer need a license. Once should be enough.

I wonder when they will start to harass me. I am 75 and on pension credit that my wife claims for both of us. She is 73.

got a 'we missed you' letter from them. guy just knocked and left, was in what looked like a personal car. The letter has info on where, when and who visited, but he didn't fill out his name so according to them I was visited by no one

Say nothing, sign nothing and do not let them into your home. Thats the only way they can get any so called "evidence" against you

Hundreds of incidents of harassment? 🤔🤔This sounds very much like what Alex Bellfield did to the BBC and he was jailed for it.

Rishi Sunak when Chancellor basically admitted to Nadine Dory (Media Secretary at the time) that the government would not do anything against the license fee (Rishi kept putting off Nadine's review time and time again) because it is a tax matter... and so there you have it... it's a media tax.

Yes ,if you continually getting letters ,and you don't watch TV , it as to be harassment surely .✌️

What in law is a Legal Occupier? Has it been tested in the courts? Should letters to Legal Occupier be returned as Not Known at this address?

The reason that there is so much hatred of TV licences is that the money is used to fund BBC even if one never watches it or listens to their radio stations. However, if I only ever watch ITV or Sky I still have to pay?? Its like only ever shopping at Tesco bit having to pay Sainsburys. Its ridiculous

I was harrassed for years as during the summer I cancelled my licence, my kids played outside, I was rarely bothered, so we didn't need it and I didn't have money to waste. I stopped paying at all years ago as according to them I owed them a fortune anyway... Eventually I moved, problem gone. Lol

Daniel, tell me why this case of empty threats is different from an enforcement officer turning up for council tax where they are also unable to effect any actual lawful enforcement ( other than by deception ) because they lack a copy of the actual Liability order or other such court produced document ( not an “authority to act” from the council which was ruled to be insufficient ) evidencing their entitlement in law as required under section 26 of schedule 12 of the Tribunals Courts & Enforcement Act 2007 as defined in Leighton vs Bristow & Sutor 2023 Consequently it may reasonably be assumed they have no genuine or reasonably held belief that they are even entitled to be there and hence are also breaching the Harassment Act. Would you like to prosecute such a case on a conditional fee arrangement?

I received these letters for years,I deleted the address and reposted it,they paid postage twice, never had a visit.

So pleased I’ve found your channel, you explain everything so well. I’m having problems with TVL Thanks bbb for all of your help 👏👍

There is no legal requirement to tell TVL anything. There in lies the flaw in their business model. You can see say, if a driver is speeding. No one can see someone watching something, anything. Let alone determine that it is watched or recoded as it is being broadcasted.

Every 3 months i get that letter, doesn't have my name on, threatens the same as what you described, 4 years mine has been going ... 😂its a joke think of the cost and environmental impact of those letters aswell!

TV LICENSING SHOULD BE CRIMINALISED

Finally. A more weight is being added to what the likes of chillijoncarrie has been saying for some time.

THEY COULDN'T FORCE THEIR WAY OUT OF A PAPER BAG.

It's not just these Goons. Private Car Park Firms - Goons Debt Collectors - Goons So much wrong with this Country.

Could it be construed that the constant harassment by TV Licensing, namely their repeated (written) threats, infringes Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:- "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks". With the correct legal representation, could there be a case for TV Licensing to answer?

may be of interest as a topic Does a demonstrably none-working TV equate to "No TV at premises" ? about 40 years ago I was fined £70 for having no license. We were NOT watching any TV programs at this time because our only TV set, a small b&w portable, was so broken as to be completely unwatchable. It WAS however connected to the mains and the aerial - because when it went faulty we just switched it off. I only spoke to the "enforcement officer" at all because I thought that my wife had bought the license a month before. As it happens she did not - since we were not watching TV due to a broken set she did not see the point in buying a license yet. Having let the person in saying "I'll just go and get it" I had to return and admit we did not have one. I then said that we did not need one anyway as our set had been broken for months and we were not watching. Person asked to see the set and I agreed as I knew it was unuseable. I turned it on and showed the situation - the screen was so covered in "snow" that it was extremely difficult to even know what you were looking at. In addition, the picture was rolling upwards at approximately ten times per second and it was impossible to diminish either of these problems by any adjustment of the controls. I was then asked to sign a document to confirm that he had visited and spoken to me. Unaware of the consequences, I signed it. - I did not believe that a conviction was possible in the circumstances. Shortly after, I received notice of prosecution. I filled in the attached form, saying I was not guilty and explaining the problems with the set which made it impossible to watch TV of any kind. I did not attend court, thinking it unnecessary, but I was found guilty and fined £70. I have often wondered if the "enforcement officer" gave false evidence at the hearing. I have also wondered whether the document I signed was in fact an admission, though at a speed-read I saw no problem. (having been woken from bed, I was wearing only underpants - I thought I was only going to pass him our license through a partly open door but as I explained, the situation escalated.) So I wondered whether a broken television was legally equivalent to No Television and also how broken it needed to be?

Speaking of misleading wording, the recently-changed page on the TVL site for declaring 'no licence needed' has some VERY ambiguously worded questions. After some fairly straight forward 'do you...?' Qs to which you must clearly answer 'no', there's a sudden change to a complex 'can you confirm that you never ...?' which requires a 'yes' answer as you confirm a negative ... This page also now appears to be the ONLY way to declare NLN, and demands name, phone number and email address. My letter from the goons to The Legal Occupier also contained no contact details for NLN other than their website.

Daniel, let’s crowd fund you to take tv licensing to court for harassment. How much will it cost?

I was in vicinity of someone playing BBC Radio 2, which had an advert with BBC Radio 2 suggesting verbally a tv license is required to listen to Bbc Radio channels???

If the BBC is state owned, why doesn't it get money from people through taxes? That's how we do it here in Canada, and although I think the quality is generally abysmal, at least everyone who has a cable connection can access it. No need to have a TV police harassing people.

I don't suppose the Plain English Campaign have ever given their Crystal Mark seal of approval to any of the TV Licensing standard letters. Of course not; no operation that employs word trickery to mislead and intimidate the public would want to be bound by the requirement to communicate in plain language.

Deliberate choice of words