It begins now...

So for anybody living in the UK who watches Television as it is being broadcast will know all about TV Licensing and the costs required to fill the pockets of the greedy BBC.

I do enjoy a couple of shows such as Top Gear and Dr Who (Yes, I'm a little geeky), and understand that some elements of the fee goes towards good things like no adverts.

However, when you look at the likes of other FREE broadcast channels such as ITV and Channel 4 that provides many quality shows and films as well and is funded entirely from advertising and other means - it goes to show we are being ripped off.

The other point to make is that even with shows that I enjoy such as Top Gear - the amount of expense they burn through smashing up and so called 'testing' of brand new vehicles shocks me.

Anyway, on to my point of the TV License itself. Since I do watch TV as it is broadcast I am happy to pay the TV licence as required by law under these circumstances. Since I have moved back in with family who already pay this, I have asked for a simple refund for the remaining 38 days that I no longer require it.

This has been the case with all my utilities and you know what - they refunded me those amounts.

Heather Davies-Green from TV Licensing is persistent that I can only claim a refund if I have a whole remaining quarter. That's £36 to somebody if they were to ask for a refund only a day into that quarter. For me, the amount is only just over £15 and out of principle I would like this returned to me.

At first, I received this in a reply from Heather:
" Under the Communications Act 2003, you need a TV Licence to install or use
television equipment.  You must pay the full fee for a licence, even if you
do not need it for a full year.  The licence covers the use of televisionequipment until the licence?s expiry date. "

I was quite annoyed by this statement as it is actually incorrect. My reply to this was:

" It makes no difference to me as my parents are paying for a TV licence as
we do watch live TV, but I would like to correct your statement here "Under
the Communications Act 2003, you need a TV Licence to install or use
television equipment." as it is a lie. If I had a TV, Phone or Computer
that allowed the watching of TV but I did not use it to receive Television
as it is being broadcast then I would not need one. On that note can you
please refrain from lying to the public as not everybody may be aware of
this. "

At this moment in time, I continue to get e-mails from Heather stating they are unable to refund less than a quarter (but will happily take your money in doses as small as a week).

A note to any legal authorities and/or the BBC or TV Licensing itself, I told Heather I would make this public (before doing so) and received no complaints back.