Here at Kernowyon Towers, we don't have a TV. In fact, we haven't had one for a couple of years now (and only watched the thing once or twice a month when we did have one after the kids grew up.)
Apparently, even though I told TV Licensing about that (and oddly, they seemed to accept it and I had no nasty letters or snoopers turning up, which we had many years ago when we didn't have a TV....), the Licensing folks have to send you a letter every couple of years - just in case you really are watching TV! It seems that TV Licensing cannot believe that anyone can survive without their daily dose of whatever crap appears on the telly.
Why would I want to pay £145.50 (that is the current cost of a licence they tell me) to see Big Brother or TOWIE (which, incidentally I have no idea what it actually is - just that it gets a mention from time to time on websites etc)?
Anyway. so they sent me a letter. All very polite, asking me to just confirm again that I don't have a need for a licence because circumstances change in two years and I may now need a license or someone else may be living here.
Being the upright citizen that I am, I head over to their website. All very much trying to make you buy a licence, less easy to find the no licence bit.
Anyway, I find the relevant button and click. Next I come to a button about my address. Fine, I click that, but instead of asking about the address, it asks for my name - which I duly enter. I ignore the Email address box and the phone number box and click Next.... FAIL! You MUST enter a valid email address. Really? You intend to email me on a regular basis? Well, sorry TV Licensing, but have you not realised that we can set up throwaway email addys? Idiots.
By that way, if you call them instead, the hard sell is even better! "You are legally obliged to buy a licence ..... buy a licence you cheapskate commie scumbag...." Well, not quite, but pretty close.
Why should I spend my time responding to these idiots just because they believe most non licence holders are criminals. They are basically calling me a liar.
Yet they seem to have some legal get out clause so they can contact me each couple of years and make me waster my time answering a letter which I answered years before.
If - and it would be a huge if - I decide I cannot live without a TV, then I shall pay for a licence. Just the same as I pay for my car tax, my internet connection, my mobile phone contract etc etc.
Until then - please feel free to piss off TV Licensing.
Suppose they will arrive on my doorstep next. That is fine, the dog loves the exercise. Hope they are bloody good runners!
