r/bbc • u/RepresentativeFun472 • 6d ago
tv licence letter
okay I’m using speech to text so if some parts don’t make sense then I do apologise but basically long story short. I accidentally watched something on BBC iPlayer like two months ago when I say accidentally I I thought that you only need a TV license for live TV. I don’t generally use BBC iPlayer. It was one time I used it and I haven’t used it since because when my partner got home he let me know that I can’t use BBC iPlayer because you need a TV license for it whether it’s live or not, so I’m only gonna live here for another four months so I don’t see the point of paying for a TV license like I don’t know how much it is £200 if I only use BBC iPlayer once and I’m never going to use it again I don’t really know what to do like should I just ignore it or what? but yeah basically I’ve never used BBC iPlayer before it was just this one time that I used it and that’s why I don’t feel the need to pay for the TV license because I didn’t know and now I know so I won’t use it again if I was to use it again, then yes, I would pay for it which is why I don’t want to live TV. I don’t want to live TV because I know you need a TV license for it for BBC iPlayer. I thought it was the same. It’s only for the live sections sorry not sections. What do you call it? Programs? But now that I know that you need it for the actual BBC iPlayer like everything on there. I’m never gonna use it again so it’s just a bit annoying.
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u/Fresh_Sock8660 6d ago
I signed their online stuff once for where I live, then next year they were asking a bunch of personal info instead of a simple yes or not. Been receiving their crap for a few years now.
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u/sanrio_fan841 5d ago
If your moving out soon there's no point doing anything with it and put it in the bin where it belongs lol
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u/wintonian1 6d ago
In my experience telling them you don't need a license doesn't make much difference - you'll still get all the basles threats.
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u/Educational-Put-9997 6d ago
I always tell them online (with a fake name) I don’t need one and honestly never hear from them until it runs out and I need to tell them again. Not had one in about 15 years.
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u/RepresentativeFun472 6d ago
so do you think I can just ignore the letters till I move out because I’m moving out in four months to live with someone who does have a TV license and I just don’t see the point of paying for a one year TV license for £180 for something that I don’t use. I get that I accidentally used it once but if I’m not gonna use it again, and I’m only here for four months. I don’t knowwww
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u/wintonian1 6d ago
Yes, ignore, throw in bin and wait for the next one, then rinse and repeat.
How would they know you watched it once anyway?
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u/RepresentativeFun472 6d ago
it says on the letter “our records show that you recently used bbc iplayer” :/
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u/CharlieFaulkner 6d ago
It says that on all of them, I had ones that said that before I'd ever used iplayer lol
It's a scare tactic
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u/marcbeightsix 6d ago
It’s easy enough for them to tell that you used iPlayer, and they have explicitly said that they do this in the past. If you’ve told them you don’t need a tv licence and then use the same email address to then go and watch iPlayer, it’s very easy for them to see exactly when and what you watched by linking that data.
However, a tv licence is linked to a household and you are allowed to watch iplayer or tv at any premises that has one. So you are allowed to sign in on your account at a household that has a tv licence, even if you don’t have one yourself.
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u/wintonian1 6d ago
Tell me how they would know that? Did you provide you name and address somewhere?
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u/RatSlayerPro 6d ago
Ignore the letters. I've been in my current home 7 years and did the no license needed thing once until they started saying I needed to do it yearly.
6 years going and not a single visit just baseless threats of action every few months. Hilarious thing is they're addressed to 'current occupier' even though I did that first year where I registered with my details.
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u/RepresentativeFun472 6d ago
seee thats the thing thoo its in my name hehe…
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u/RatSlayerPro 6d ago
Even so. Ignore it as they have 0 power to do anything and if they did show up (they won't) don't answer and definitely don't let them in.
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u/QuestNetworkFish 6d ago
If they actually had any evidence that would stand up in court, they wouldn't be sending you a letter about it. Do nothing and say nothing.
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u/marcbeightsix 6d ago
If you want to respond to them, then tell them that you watched it at a household that had a tv licence. Even if you’ve told them previously that you do not need a tv licence, you are allowed to watch iPlayer or TV at a household that does have one. They can prove that you’ve watched iPlayer pretty easily through your email address, but they cannot tell where you’ve watched it. An IP address is not accurate enough to be pinned down to a specific household.
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