Got this in my e-mail this morning. It was not in my junk folder. As the wife deals with all our paperwork, I asked her about this. She says we pay by direct debit, so this is bogus. I can imagine some folks falling for it. Obviously the customer number is incorrect. Beware!
Dear consumer,
Your TV Licence service could not be automatically renewed.
When : Thursday, 16 November 2023 (BST) Time in United Kingdom, Greenwich Time Customer : 686094774339
Ohhhhh, I had that a while ago but it got put into my Spam Folder and I’ve not had any for a while. We pay our licence monthly by DD and it’s always ahead.
It’s good value for money really when you consider how much some of these subscription channels cost, and then there’s the cost of your internet subscription. At least with freeview you get hundreds of channels plus radio, there is always something to watch if like me you don’t want to spend the rest of your days watching TV but feel you have to when paying so much for a subscription contract.
Apparently you need a smart telly connected to the internet Bruce. My current allowance for broadband would incur an extra charge for the use of more data. There are also other expenses and adjustments to take into account. I have to ask myself “Do I want to watch more telly?”
Although the money from the licence fee goes to the BBC and people think that the fee is so you can watch programmes on the beeb Bruce, I believe the licence is to allow you to have receiving equipment in your home, just like the radio hams need a licence to operate…Except on citizens band radio.
The difference there is that radio hams transmit so could interfere with other services if they didn’t know what they were doing hence the licence. However a TV is a passive receiver, the licence fee is just another tax imposed on the citizens.
I just looked it up - a UK radio ham licence is £20 and Colour TV licence in the UK is £159. Explain why that makes sense? I hope those figures are right - blame Mr Google if they are not.
The ABC is fully funded by the government out of general taxation. A Coalition Government knocks a bit off after promising not to, the Labor Government puts a bit back on after not saying anything.
Absolutely right Bruce, I paid £159 in October for another year of TV viewing.
And I agree with you about it not being right that a radio ham only pays £20 to transmit on the airwaves while us plebs have to pay £159 to watch what is mostly rubbish.
But unfortunately, them’s the rules and we must abide by them or risk the consequences.
Just to make it clear what the licence actually covers, here’s what wiki says…
ABC is paid for out of general taxation and UK is a separate one. Swings and roundabouts I’d say. However it’s paid for, I think it’s quite good to have a terrestrial TV service here that doesn’t depend on advertising for funding. I know people question the News impartiality of the BBC but apart from that, there are some very good programs produced without interruptions for adverts.
The fee pays for a wide range of TV and radio stations. With television, It’s not just paying for the popular BBC 1 and 2 transmitted in both standard and high definition (some programs stream in 4K). It also provides many local radio stations and regional TV News services.
Maybe it’s a mistake to try and be all things to all people but that’s what it is at present. I think it makes a pretty good job of this but it is perhaps why the BBC tax is so high.
However, there is so much disquiet about the licence that I’m sure the BBC model will eventually change. ITV has a two tier service now. Free to watch with adverts, or ITVX where £5.99 a month or £59.99 annually gets rid of the adverts. I know a few people who have gone for this option.
Maybe the BBC will go subscription in the end. If it does, some of the services in that long list linked to will likely disappear. I pay the licence with only one gripe. This being the amount of money spent on presenter and personality wages.
