TV Licencing in the UK (Update)

En typescht Beispill fir e Bréif vun der BBC

Hei a Groussbritannien muss een fir d’BBC Gebühren bezuelen. Ech hu keng Tele, dofir ass dat fir mech kee Problem. Ech hun hinnen vum TV Licencing ugeruff an gesot ech hätt keng. Si soten dat wier sou gudd. Trotzdem krut ech emmer rem Bréifer, ech misst se bezuelen. Déi Bréifer sin emmer an engem extrem agressiven Toun geschriwwen. Enner aanerem gett do gesot, dat meng Wunneng ënner Ennersichung géing stoen, dat se mech géingen besichen kommen an sou weider. Obwuel ech hinnen – wéi gesot – nom éischten Bréif bescheed gesot hun, dat ech keng Telé hun. Haut krut ech dann e Bréif, wou drasteet si hätten probéiert mech ze kontaktéiren (wat wouer ass) an ech hätt net ugeruff (wat gelunn ass). Dofir schécken se mer elo Informatiounen, wéi ech mech verhaalen soll, wann ech verfollegt gin. Déi Tipps sin:

• ech kréien (evtl) mäin Datum fir bei d’Geriicht. Dat soll ech net vergiessen
• ech muss net bei menger (eventueller) Verhandlung dobäi sin
• Ech dierf mech selwer verteidegen, kann awer och en Affekot huelen
• Ech soll am beschten 20 Minutten virun menger Verhandlung do sin
• Ech ka meng Stroof an e puer Bezuelungen oofzuelen

Ech wees zwar dat dee Bréif rem nemmen soll Aschüchterung sin. Mee awer. Do ass mir dann de Kolli geplatzt an ech hun hinnen e Bréif geschriwwen. Mol kucken ob se sech mellen.

Dear TV Licencing,

hereby I confirm the reception of your letter from March 2009, reference 3245331008STU. I have called your colleagues last year (after October) to confirm that I do not own a TV nor watch programmes as they are being broadcast. However you kept harassing me with letters telling me I was under investigation. There is no trouble with investigating, because you won’t find a TV or a laptop connected to a TV receiver. Therefore I would like to invite you, over a cup of tea, to check this for yourself instead of wasting valuable paper. I would also like to inform you that in our flat there are no rooms E, F, G or H, so please stop harassing those nonexistent people.
I understand that your main goal is to generate money for the BBC and other national broadcasting stations. As I watch some BBC shows on iPlayer AFTER they were broadcasted (which – in accordance to your website – is legal without a licence) I know that the BBC is a very high quality programme. So I recognize that your mission to collect money for this fine British institution is a very noble one and I respect you for doing this.
However, as I informed your colleagues, I do not apply for a license. I am among those people who do generally not watch TV. Therefore I find your behaviour unacceptable as your letters are polite but in a very aggressive tone. Stating that I was not replying to your letters is a lie and as you happen to send letters every once in a while, while I was assured that you’ve got my response via phone, it leaves no doubt that this is not an error from your side. As a result, I would like to ask you very politely to go to hell and fuck yourself.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me or send your officers to settle this problem in person.
Yours faithfully
Thorben Grosser
The legal occupier of room A
Flat 1-1, Room A
Block H Student Village

Update 31 Mäerz: Ech krut grad eng eMail vun de Jongen. Entweder sin se sauprofessionnell oder se hu meng Mail net gelies

Dear Mr Grosser

Thank you for telling us you don?t need a TV Licence.

To prevent unnecessary reminders being sent we have now changed the process regarding homes where a set is not in use.  Within the next few weeks you will receive another letter.  This asks you to reply only if a set has been installed or a licence purchased.

As no licence is required, as a set is not in use, then you do not need to reply.  In due course one of our Visiting Officers will call on you and confirm the situation.  Once confirmed, we will update our records accordingly.  This will protect your address from letters, for a longer period than would normally be set at an address, as it has been confirmed that a set is not in use.

Some unscrupulous people will use this particular action as a form of evasion. I am sure you will appreciate, we have a responsibility to the Licensing Authority and the licence holding public to be certain of the licensing requirements for each address hence the instigation of the new process.

I hope the information above clarifies the situation.

Yours sincerely

Cleo Hines
TV Licensing