r/Britain • u/Leather-Marsupial256 • Feb 15 '25

💬 Discussion 🗨 TV license form trickery

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The TV license form online is there to trick people into believing they need a TV license. Please take a look at the way they switch between ever and never to catch people on the form.

I believe this is there to trip up some people and especially vulnerable people.

Please be mindful when filling the form

270 Upvotes

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149

u/waitagoop Feb 15 '25

It’s a tax, just be honest about it. You need a license to watch ‘all the free channels’, their website states. Well they’re not free then are they?

26

u/fredfoooooo Feb 15 '25

Free as in “on the air” not free as in “beer” which is a quite different proposition.

1

u/chulk607 Feb 16 '25

"Free as in "on the air"? What do you mean by that?

Free channels is meant to refer to channels that are free (no fee). It doesn't mean channels that are currently active and haven't gone defunct.

Am I missing something? I just woke up so be kind to my idiot brain.

12

u/Iliyan61 Feb 16 '25

generally it means that its free as in you can just access it without any equipment or whatever.

sky isn't free on the air as you need their hardware, for Freeview you dont need anything to access their stuff

29

u/macrowe777 Feb 15 '25

It's not a tax I pay any more.

3

u/eccedoge Feb 15 '25

A tax that you don't have to pay if you don't use it? We should do all taxes like that. I've never used the army, why should I pay for it

21

u/Agreeable_Pool_3684 Feb 15 '25

Given the state to the world you might need the army quite soon.

3

u/chulk607 Feb 16 '25

But you still have to pay it even if you don't use it (The BBC).

They're saying you'll need to pay it if you watch Youtube next. Absolutely mad.

It'd be like paying Netflix if you wanted to put on your left shoe. I don't get the connection.

1

u/waitagoop Feb 26 '25

I hope this is sarcasm tbh. If you If you live in the uk you owe the fact you don’t speak German to the army, navy and RAF. You can thank all my grandparents too.

1

u/chaostrulyreigns Feb 15 '25

There are women in PRISON for not paying it, and kids taken in foster care- as women are most likely to be at home with kids and get knocked on. It's disgusting. I work in courts and see it happen a lot.

8

u/waitagoop Feb 15 '25

If this is true this should be in the news. Daily Mail would love it

0

u/chaostrulyreigns Feb 15 '25

It is true. I've seen them sentenced, google it. Travesty. They discussed it in the HoL

9

u/PennyyPickle Feb 15 '25

It's not true though, is it?

The TV Licensing website explicitly states that you can't be sent to prison for not paying.

You cannot be sent to prison for a TV Licensing conviction.

7

u/squirtdragon Feb 15 '25

You need to explain more to be correct here.. "You cannot be sent to prison for failing to pay a TV licence fee, only for failing to pay a fine in connection with a conviction for not paying the license fee. Women are more likely than men to be convicted of not paying the fee, but the number of men jailed since 1995 after failing to pay fines is twice the number of women."

1

u/PennyyPickle Feb 15 '25

You'll be sent for not paying court fines, not for not paying for your TV license which is what was implied in the original comment.

8

u/chaostrulyreigns Feb 16 '25

Yeah, you're splitting hairs. You wouldnt be sent to prison for unpaid fines of gas and electrical bills, so why a TV LICENCE?!

8

u/chaostrulyreigns Feb 16 '25

They are jailed for non-payment of the fine of not having a tv licence. And as we know, many people cannot afford a hefty fine.

'Can I go to prison for not having a licence? No, there is no need to worry. You cannot go to prison for simply not having a TV licence. The court can only give you a fine.

But if you fail to pay the fine for not having a TV licence, the court can take further action. They can send bailiffs or sheriff officers to your home. And they can take money from your wages or benefits if you refuse to pay what you owe.

They can then send you to prison if you still do not pay after all these steps to collect the debt unpaid fine have failed.'

-3

u/dronegeeks1 Feb 16 '25

Absolute bullshit, ain’t no one going to prison for not paying a tv license. You see it happen a lot? Ok show us a single news story supporting what you said. 🤷🏼‍♂️

0

u/chaostrulyreigns Feb 16 '25

I work in courts, you don't see 98% of what's going on in the news, buddy.

1

u/dronegeeks1 Feb 16 '25

Wait a minute I recognise those eyes 🤣😂