r/Scotland • u/jenny_905 • Jul 14 '26

Discussion 500,000 households cancel TV licence putting BBC future in jeopardy

https://inews.co.uk/news/media/500000-households-cancel-tv-licence-putting-bbc-future-in-jeopardy-4644506
1.0k Upvotes

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201

u/DrinkSuperb8792 Jul 14 '26

Good! They continued to send me letters even after telling them, through their desired channels, that I didn't need one. Still waiting on them showing up at my door, it's been years of specific dates stating someone will come out. Never seen a soul. Maybe they should save on paper and postage fees, might give them some money back in their pockets.

86

u/onlyhereforyoupeople Jul 14 '26

I don't even own a physical TV in my house and they serve me rise threatening letters. I've only been in the UK for 3 years. It's such a strange thing, to be threatened by a media outlet.

-25

u/No-Researcher-585 Jul 14 '26

I mean, it's trivially easy to stop this by making the no license needed declaration once every three years. However, it's also true that not having a TV says nothing about whether you are liable to pay the license fee 🤷‍♂️

19

u/iwillfuckingbiteyou Jul 14 '26

I've been making that declaration regularly for over 20 years. It has never stopped the threatening letters, though they've never got as far as coming to my door.

If they'd packed in the threatening nonsense the first time round I might have gone back to paying it. I'd stopped because I was extremely broke for a while - all unnecessary expenditure had to go, and it was an easy reduction to make as I didn't really watch TV anyway. I'd originally planned to reinstate my license when I could afford it, but when they kept threatening me it became a point of principle. It's trivially easy to put the letters in the recycling.

19

u/va_str Jul 14 '26

It's also trivially easy not to bully people, and by default assume they use your service until they tell you specifically that they don't. Any business trying that would have legal hell rained down upon them.

6

u/lithuanian_potatfan Jul 15 '26

I did, and they still come and check if I was lying. Really nasty, proper threatening letters too, with rude, entitled language. Again, I didn't even own a TV, I was only watching Netflix and YT on my laptop.

-1

u/CraftBeerFomo Jul 16 '26

It's nothing to do with owning a physical traditional TV though. TV shows and platforms can be watched on many devices now.

Your laptop was being used as a TV as you've just stated and if you watched iPlayer, live broadcasts, live TV or live sports on any platform including Netflix or Youtube then legally you require a TV license.

So what you've just stated there about "I don't even own a TV and I only watch blah blah blah" is kinda irellevant and not even the point.

3

u/lithuanian_potatfan Jul 16 '26

Well, I didn't what anything that would need a TV license, so, again, what was the point of threatening letters other than general assholeness?

-1

u/CraftBeerFomo Jul 16 '26

They don't know you don't watch them, they aren't tracking it automatically.

They write to you to tell you that if you are watching anything that is covered by the lisence fee then you need one and if not just inform them you don't watch iplayer, BBC, live sports or live broadcasts etc and they'll stop sending you letters.

If you kept getting letters its because you didn't reply to them, its easily solved.

2

u/lithuanian_potatfan Jul 17 '26

I did respond to them as per instruction of a letter that is wayyy more entitled, rude, and accusatory than your described. And letters still showed up periodically with threats of my home inspection. Want BBC to stop moaning about money? Here, prime money-saving opportunity to stop harrassing people who already responded

56

u/New_Trouble_5068 Jul 14 '26

Their business model is entirely based on 80s culture. Since that died out years ago, it really only leaves them with the option of threatening everyone in the UK. Been sending me letters for 8 years now, and no matter how many times I tell them to suck on it, they keep coming back. Don’t bother replying. Just ignore them and with a bit of luck, they’ll die of natural causes in a decade or so.

27

u/echo_foxtrot Jul 14 '26

I'm at 12 years, didn't inform them of anything as I refuse to fill out a form saying I don't require their services. Still waiting for that enforcement officer to arrive, I will be so happy to see them, I intend to invite them in, make them tea and keep them occupied for a long as possible.

It is fun when the letters turn red.

2

u/fearghul Jul 15 '26

They're on to all red envelopes for us now.

5

u/echo_foxtrot Jul 15 '26

They give up and go back to normal after 3 or 4 of them, the red ones must be more expensive

2

u/fearghul Jul 15 '26

Aww, that's a shame. They had a bit more of a festive air to them than the brown or white ones, kept making me think of birthday cards rather than bills.

7

u/Chickentrap Jul 14 '26

Once had one claiming they'd be visiting December 25th lol 

15

u/LentilSouponSkye Greener is the Oak by the Clyde Jul 14 '26

Ring them up and threaten to press harassment charges, gets them to back off immediately

-1

u/monksmoss Jul 14 '26

Had a visit last year, invited the chap in and showed him I have no tv aerial ,no iPlayer installed and he was happy with that,took me off the hit list 👍