On Sun, 7 Feb 2010 03:23:13 -0800 (PST) someone who may be Mizter T
wrote this:-

Yes, I know it doesn't make any sense in the context of things -
apologies, yesterday had been a long day.

No problem, most of us have these occasionally.

FWIW, given the keenness for retailers to put one onto their marketing
database, I can well understand wanting to sidestep this somehow.

Hence giving them the BBC television licence address, or the false
flats above the Circle Line, House of Commons, or one of the other
suitable addresses.



--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000...#pt3-pb3-l1g54

On Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:35:08 +0000 someone who may be Ivor The
Engine wrote this:-

Extended warranty? If someone is coming to repair your TV, it helps
if they know where it is.

If the customer finds something wrong with their set then they
contact the manufacturer (or shop if it was taken out with them). No
need for the shop to collect personal information, which they will
use to spam people.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000...#pt3-pb3-l1g54

On Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:38:34 +0000 someone who may be Charlie Hulme
wrote this:-

I had to fill in such a form when I bought a video recorder from
Tesco.

I once didn't have the time to argue with someone about this, but I
will never use their shop to buy a box again. I hope the BBC enjoyed
sending their letter to whichever address I used.



--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000...#pt3-pb3-l1g54

On Feb 7, 11:37*am, MIG wrote:

On 7 Feb, 11:23, Mizter T wrote:

On Feb 7, 1:48*am, David Hansen
wrote:

On Sat, 6 Feb 2010 17:02:02 -0800 (PST) someone who may be Mizter T
wrote this:-

Of course you could just pay it

You are making the assumption that I don't pay the BBC tax.

and stop fighting the world. You don't
have to give them your real name, and they don't much care about it
either - it's the premises that are licensed after all.

Who said anything about my name? Not me.

I was being exceptionally dense and just thinking that the address of
the BBC licensing bods would be used to give them a piece of your
mind. Yes, I know it doesn't make any sense in the context of things -
apologies, yesterday had been a long day.

FWIW, given the keenness for retailers to put one onto their marketing
database, I can well understand wanting to sidestep this somehow. I
was in a supermarket recently where someone was buying a television,
and the guy was somewhat perturbed as the sales lady was completely
unable to give a reason for why she was asking for his address -
indeed I think there was something a bit more complex like the
television wasn't for his dwelling or some such.

On the face of it, their passing such details to the TV licensing
authorities would seem to be in breach of Data Protection if specific
permission hasn't been given and so on, but maybe it's one of those
"Secretary of State" requests that the TV licensing people can make of
retailers. *Can they require retailers to collect it in the first
place though?

The Telegraphy Act 1967 requires retailers to collect the address of
purchasers of television receiving equipment and pass it on to the
television licensing authority - under the law a sale cannot be
effected if this doesn't happen. My impression is that retailers don't
ask for specific permission to do so or explain the process or
requirement, but then, I haven't bought a television for quite a
while, and the last time I did I don't think they asked me anything.
BICBW.

What shouldn't happen is what I somewhat suspect does happen - i.e.
the requirement for the address as per the licensing law gets muddled
up with the marketing opportunity of getting the purchaser on the
retailer's database, IYSWIM. One should be able to opt out of the
latter if it exists, but if the retailer doesn't even understand
what's going on (see my supermarket example) then I'm not sure what
hope one has of doing that!

In article ,
(Charlie Hulme) wrote:

Does the law also apply to to USB Freeview gadgets, I wonder?

In the good old days, I bought a Sega Game Gear, and its TV tuner.

When I bought the Tuner, they asked for my name and address. I refused,
on the basis that the tuner cannot, on its own, be used to watch or
record TV. When I then bought the game gear, they tried again, and I used
the same reason for refusing.

I still walked out of the shop with both items bought.

USB sticks or TV Cards would seem to me to be under the same excuse.

--
Paul Cummins - Always a NetHead
Wasting Bandwidth since 1981

In article ,
(David Hansen) wrote:

Even when there is a licence at a particular address people often
get one of these threats from the BBC.

as I did when I bought a TV and gave my address. I got a threatening
letter from the TV Licensing, and they didn't even apologise when I gave
them *my* TV Licence number.

Since that day, I have never, and will never, renewed my TV licence.

--
Paul Cummins - Always a NetHead
Wasting Bandwidth since 1981

On Sun, 7 Feb 2010 12:03 +0000 (GMT Standard Time) someone who may
be (Paul Cummins) wrote this:-

as I did when I bought a TV and gave my address. I got a threatening
letter from the TV Licensing

TV Licensing is just a brand name used by the BBC to try and fool
people into thinking that it is not the BBC demanding money. The
letter came from the BBC.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000...#pt3-pb3-l1g54

On Sun, 7 Feb 2010 04:01:07 -0800 (PST) someone who may be Mizter T
wrote this:-

The Telegraphy Act 1967 requires retailers to collect the address of
purchasers of television receiving equipment and pass it on to the
television licensing authority - under the law a sale cannot be
effected if this doesn't happen.

They have to collect an address. However, the public are under no
obligation to provide their own address and given that if they do
they are highly likely to be spammed it is foolish to give one's own
address.



--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000...#pt3-pb3-l1g54

On 7 Feb, 12:01, Mizter T wrote:
On Feb 7, 11:37*am, MIG wrote:





On 7 Feb, 11:23, Mizter T wrote:

On Feb 7, 1:48*am, David Hansen
wrote:

On Sat, 6 Feb 2010 17:02:02 -0800 (PST) someone who may be Mizter T
wrote this:-

Of course you could just pay it

You are making the assumption that I don't pay the BBC tax.

and stop fighting the world. You don't
have to give them your real name, and they don't much care about it
either - it's the premises that are licensed after all.

Who said anything about my name? Not me.

I was being exceptionally dense and just thinking that the address of
the BBC licensing bods would be used to give them a piece of your
mind. Yes, I know it doesn't make any sense in the context of things -
apologies, yesterday had been a long day.

FWIW, given the keenness for retailers to put one onto their marketing
database, I can well understand wanting to sidestep this somehow. I
was in a supermarket recently where someone was buying a television,
and the guy was somewhat perturbed as the sales lady was completely
unable to give a reason for why she was asking for his address -
indeed I think there was something a bit more complex like the
television wasn't for his dwelling or some such.

On the face of it, their passing such details to the TV licensing
authorities would seem to be in breach of Data Protection if specific
permission hasn't been given and so on, but maybe it's one of those
"Secretary of State" requests that the TV licensing people can make of
retailers. *Can they require retailers to collect it in the first
place though?

The Telegraphy Act 1967 requires retailers to collect the address of
purchasers of television receiving equipment and pass it on to the
television licensing authority - under the law a sale cannot be
effected if this doesn't happen. My impression is that retailers don't
ask for specific permission to do so or explain the process or
requirement, but then, I haven't bought a television for quite a
while, and the last time I did I don't think they asked me anything.
BICBW.

What shouldn't happen is what I somewhat suspect does happen - i.e.
the requirement for the address as per the licensing law gets muddled
up with the marketing opportunity of getting the purchaser on the
retailer's database, IYSWIM. One should be able to opt out of the
latter if it exists, but if the retailer doesn't even understand
what's going on (see my supermarket example) then I'm not sure what
hope one has of doing that!-

And they are unlikely to have a separate database anyway; just a query
that identifies the the TV receiving equipment purchasers for passing
on. It should also flag who has given permission to be spammed (I
wasn't asked, didn't and haven't been).

However, they distinctly failed to ask whether my address was the
address where the equipment would be used.

There must be quite a range of equipment defined as TV receiving these
days. I was buying a HDD/DVD recorder, which happened to include a
built-in Freeview receiver. I wonder if the same would happen if it
was just a video/HDD/DVD recorder or DVD player or something?

On Sun, 7 Feb 2010 12:03 +0000 (GMT Standard Time),
(Paul Cummins) wrote:

In article ,
(David Hansen) wrote:

Even when there is a licence at a particular address people often
get one of these threats from the BBC.

as I did when I bought a TV and gave my address. I got a threatening
letter from the TV Licensing, and they didn't even apologise when I gave
them *my* TV Licence number.


Read my number out once to renew one and was told it was not a valid
number,
it was a slightly non std one called a detached licence Even so the
robotic call handler denied there was any such thing and declined to
call a supervisor,as my exasperation increased I asked for a her
name,informed her that I had started to record the conversation .She
then asked if I was having a bad to which I replied" it was fine till
I had to deal with you" at which point she hung up. Next day I asked
to speak to a supervisor straight away and was put through to one.
After a brief preamble I played the recording back and asked what the
next stage would be as their staffs incompetence was preventing me
from renewing my licence and further if it ever got a court the
recording would be offered as evidence. Fortunately the Supervisor did
know about detached licences and pro ceded to renew it but I hope the
first Twit got a bollocking.


Since that day, I have never, and will never, renewed my TV licence.
To be honest I rather have the BBC for all its faults than some of the
alternatives and think the fee is good value compared to them. Its
just their collection agents who need shooting. Cannot be too far away
from the stage when all receiving equipment sound and vision could be
fitted with a card slot or similar. Then we can get rid of the
licence.
People like me can still pay for it ,them who think it is poor value
or claim they only watch Sky or ITV or listen to commercial radio can
avail themselves of them instead.


G.Harman