Are TV Licensing detector vans real?
There are no TV detector vans. It was originally a PR stunt to frighten people into thinking they could be detected and then pursued for not having a TV licence. There are still no TV detector vans.
What powers do TV licence inspectors have?
They do have the power to go to the police and get a search warrant to get inside but without a warrant you do not have to allow entry. You do not have to buy a TV Licence from the person visiting if you only watch programmes that do not require a licence.
What can TV licence enforcement officers do?
If TV Licensing believes you’re watching ‘live TV’ or using BBC iPlayer without a licence, enquiry officers may pay you a visit. They can’t enter your home without permission, but can apply for a search warrant to do so. They may also use detection equipment such as vans and handheld detectors.
Can TV license look through window?
You can’t stop them entering your property at this point, if you have opened the door to them, they are able to look through windows but can’t forcibly enter the house if it is locked. The best bet is probably don’t answer the door, don’t have a TV in view from outside or buy a TV license!
Can I sue TV Licensing for harassment?
The legal threat doesn’t have to be real, and BBC/TVL have honoured such orders in the past. They will undoubtedly refuse the notice, but once you have sent it, and they have responded with a further threatening letter, you can sue them in the Small Claims Process/Money Claim Online.
Can TV Licence send bailiffs?
It stresses that under the current system enforcing court fines is a matter for the courts, not the broadcaster, and that TV Licensing does not hire bailiffs.
Can the BBC know if you are watching iPlayer?
No, the BBC can’t drive up your street and sense that you’re using iPlayer. And it probably never could tell if you were watching TV.
Can you get caught watching iPlayer without a Licence?
Yes. Anyone who downloads or watches BBC programmes on demand, including catch up TV, on BBC iPlayer must be covered by a TV Licence. You also need to be covered by a TV Licence to watch or record live TV programmes on any channel, including on BBC iPlayer. This applies to any device you use.
Do TVTV detector vans actually work?
TV detector vans exist, but they do not detect anything. They are just for show. TVL have a database of addresses in the UK with or without a licence. It is just assumed that anyone without a TV licence is guilty, and so a campaign of harrassment begins by letters and visits to intimidate people into buying a licence.
How do you detect TV use without a licence?
One of the methods used to identify TV use without a licence was TV detection equipment mounted in a van. The first TV detector van was unveiled on 1 February 1952.
Do TV Licensing vans really run on the streets?
The spectre of marauding TV Licensing vans loom large in the public information thanks mainly to wobbly old propaganda films like this one. But while TV Licensing does make use of detection equipment of some description, it’s extremely unlikely they go cruising the streets, gleefully poring over oscilloscopes.
Are there any detector vans from the seventies?
Vintage car enthusiast Martin Maltas owns one of the few Seventies detector vans still in existence, a converted Dodge Spacevan. He worked in TV licence enforcement in Harrogate for four years in the early Eighties, but never saw a single detector van.