My last TV Licensing threatening letters update was back in October, time for a bumper update with not just one but two letters. Two for the price of one. The first one I found after returning from a holiday in November. It had a rather stark message:
OFFICIAL NOTICE
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
You are breaching the Communications Act 2003 if you do not have a TV Licence to cover you for:
Now that’s a rather worrying introduction, bluntly accusing me of breaking the law. But let us read on.
- Watching or recording live TV on any channel or device
- Everything on BBC iPlayer
Ah. I do neither of those. So why do you open with such an accusing and threatening tone?
The rest of the letter is mostly the usual blurb about their (non-existing) investigation and that I should expect a visit.
The second letter arrived this month in December in another red envelope. Considering that they know my name from when I was previously registered as not needing a licence I’m still fascinated by their insistence of addressing me as “Legal Occupier”. Just like all the scam texts and emails use generic terms…
Dear Legal Occupier,
As you have not responded to our letters yet, you have left us no alternative but to proceed with the final stages of our investigation.
An Officer has been scheduled to visit [address] to find out if TV is being watched, recorded or downloaded illegally. The Officer may visit your property any day of the week, morning or evening.
I’m confused. Has the “Officer” been scheduled or may they visit any day? Which is it?
The rest is again some of the usual blurb, pretty much all irrelevant. For the simple reason all I have to tell the “Officer” is: “No TV licence is required at this address, please update your records. Thank you and good bye”.
That should conclude 2024. What will 2025 bring? I doubt there will actually be a visit, just more letters. One every month.