Tv Licence- Colour/Black and white-Help please??

[craigten]

Hi,

ive just moved in to a new house and ive received a letter from the tv licence people

- i notice that the black and white licence is only £48

whereas the colour is a massive £142.

 

Can i ask you all what would happen in this hypothetical scenario?-

 

If i buy a black and white licence and buy and use a black and white tv...

but 6 months down the line the tv licence people pay me a visit and that im using a colour tv which i had been given a week ago, what would happen?

 

Bearing in mind id got a filled in colour tv licence application ready to send?

If you see what i mean??

Thankyou in advance....

[Rooster-UK]

You would probably be done!

As far as I am aware, if you use a colour TV then you are required to have a colour licence.

You might get away with it provided you immediately got your colour licence but I wouldn't bank on it.

Let's face it, they've probably heard that excuse a thousand times.

[buzby]

Have you actually tried to BUY a B&W TV...? I don't think they exist anymore!

[craigten]

Hi, yes you can indeed buy black and white tv licences these days! Did anyone hear on Radio 4 this eveningabout the tv licencing people being advised to 'calm down' their threatening tv adverts and also gave a shocking story of how a man who actually didn't own a tv (and told the tv licencing people) was hassled with red letters and threats of being taken to court for not getting a tv licence?

[buzby]

You missed the point! Yes, B&W licences are available (and they don't believe you if you take one out), my point was that I've not seen ANY B&W TV's produced capable of viewing analogue terrestrial transmissions. There are certainly no B&W digital sets around.

[craigten]

Hi again, please can anyone tell me do the tv licencing people have the ability/right to enter your house without permission?

[buzby]

No, they have no right of entry. However, if you are hoping that by asking for a B&W licence you will save some money against the rest of us who begrudgingly pay the full colour licence, I do hope they catch you. (Having a B&W licence isn't an accepted mitigating circumstances for viewing in colour, and you would be treated as if you had no valid licence.

 

As I noted earlier - I'm unaware of any B&W TV sets being sold in the last 5 years, so you'd really be stretching credibility anyway!

[Conniff]

Also to be caught without a licence is a criminal offence but no criminal record will be logged against you.

TV licence fees are classed as a tax and tax avoidance is taken very seriously that is why the penalty is so high and why non payment can land you in prison.

Edited April 13, 2009 by Conniff

[dx100uk]

i'll take the devil advocate here, just playing.

actually you received a letter addressed to 'the ocupier', not to you.

 

that's std practice for the tvla, regardless if there 'is' an occupier, their computer sends it out 'cause someone vacated or transfered an existing licence.

 

having lived in sev squats, you just ignore the spam.

 

if bod comes to the door, buff him off with you are just live in renovators for xxx co. .... no tv mate, sorry. see the gov'nor.

 

in 2003 i lived in one for 18mts, never got a tickle once...

 

but as said, we all pay, so should you.....

 

dx

[buzby]

Er 'tax avoidance' is the duty of every right minded person. 'Ta

x evasion' is a criminal act. A subtle difference I know, but with corporate UK making fullest use of the first scenario, we'd be silly not to follow their example!

[niinemae]

if you bought a black and white tv liscence its not hard to tune your lcd tv settings to black and white lool

[buzby]

Nope. It is based on the ability to recieve, not display. Do an LCD which has the capability for showing colour, will be corrctly prosecuted, even if you wach it in monochrome, for the same reason - colour-blind users do not get a discount either.

[rickyd]

If you buy a digi-box to use with your existing B&W TV the data is sent to the licence people and they will contact you shortly afterwards. I suppose it's based on the probability that there won't be many still watching monochrome TV.

 

The fact that a digi-box receiving colour may be connected to a B&W TV would create an interesting legal situation as it is classed as TV receiving apparatus which is what you need a licence for

 

Out of interest, I bought a digi-box in my local Curry's last year and a couple of weeks later received a "there's no licence at your address in your name - get one or else" letter.

 

I didn't as my partner (different surname) has a licence in her name, a fact I would have been happy to explain if they had provided a reply paid envelope.

 

So I did nothing. I know, it's churlish and small minded but I figure that they have more money than me. Anyway, six weeks later I got a really stroppy letter threatening this and that unless I sent proof of my existing licence or bought one and wrote to confirm this within 7 days.

 

Again, no reply paid envelope so I just waited. I was actually looking forward to a visit from the TV detector van so I could show them our licence and point out the holes in their database.

 

Unless the law has changed its the property that needs a licence, I'm fairly certain don't each need a licence for the same TV.

 

As nothing more has happened I'm assuming they've either given up or checked the address instead - drat! I was looking forward to that.

 

Does that make me a bit sad?

[buzby]

Since a freevie box would need a video input, I'm unaware of any B&W TV having any other input than an aerial (RF) as such, the user would either have to install their own SCART or provide an additional modulator which - whilst not within the bounds of impossibility, it remains unlikely.

[rickyd]

I know and you're correct of course, but I was wondering more about the legalities not the technicalities.

 

I agree it's extremely unlikely, but I'm always prepared for someone on here to prove us wrong!

[buzby]

From what I've seen in my local court, the esoteric pursuit of whether there is a transgression or not is seldom aired - they all appear to be slam-dunk admissions...

 

Clearly, the don't want a raft of enforcement failures to be reported in the press....

[rickyd]

I guess you're right.

 

Some years ago I was in the Royal Navy and as a group our mess bought a portable TV so we could watch VHS tapes from home (the Navy not providing these luxuries at that time).

 

You can imagine our hilarity when the purchaser received a postal demand for a TV licence (we were in the Ark Royal at the time) and despite the obvious humour one of the boys actually went to the local post office to see about one.

 

As expected then needed the postal address the TV would be used at and when he correctly answered "BFPO Ships, London" was told that wouldn't do. He did explain that the TV wouldn't be picking up signals 6 decks down inside the steel hull of an aircraft carrier it was deemed to be "one of those things".

 

We never saw a TV detector van though - probably too difficult inside a high security dockyard and impossible in the Atlantic Ocean I guess.

[lafey]

part of the conditions of having a b and w licence is that you let the set be inspected ... its on the licence !! .. if you not willing to do this you are required to buy a colour one

[Jan4a]

I got away with using a b&w licence about 25 years ago when I was young and poor. I lived in a flat so that might have confused the issue if the vans ever came round. Plus in those days some people did still have b&w sets. I had to change to a colour licence after a couple of years because I bought a new tv and I knew they would know.

 

I doubt you'd get away with it nowadays as no-one has b&w anymore. Can you still buy them?

[buzby]

Yes - there are around 10,000 still in circulation for the WHOLE of the UK.

[borisbeaver]

What would happen if you were colour blind?

 

I'll get me coat!!

[buzby]

Wouldn't matter - but if you were registered blind, the licence would be free.

[Conniff]

Wouldn't matter - but if you were registered blind, the licence would be free.

 

No, you only get a 50% concession for being registered blind or severely sight impaired.

[buzby]

I was going on memory, my registered blind aunt gets it free, however, as she's 85, she gets the reduction because of her age, not her disability. My mistake!

[rickyd]

What would happen if you were colour blind?

 

I'll get me coat!!

 

You'd only see half the picture?

 

Sadly I know from experience that the licence enforcement mob as about as understanding as a starving bull mastiff.

 

One of my older friend's partner died 2 months into a new TV licence and as he was paying by direct debit, all payments stopped when his bank account was closed. They pursued his widow without mercy for months, at one point accusing her of lying, threatening him (the deceased) with legal action and all manner of unpleasant threats.

 

Given the stress that she was under, she paid the balance in one lump, even though she had moved in with her daughter and the house was up for sale.

 

In hindsight and with a bit of fortitude she should have told them to take a running jump, but that's easy to say after the fact.

 

It just goes to illustrate how unsympathetic they can be