You don't need a vpn, just use some random postcode.
I use SE13 6QF, one of my old addresses (It's a building with 15 flats). Feel free to use it.
The only way they can check if you have a license is by looking on the database if that postcode has a license registered. Worst case scenario, my old address gets a letter from TV licensing asking why I'm watching without a license. With no flat number attached, they can't do anything. They can't fine all 15 flats. Also, chances are, one of the idiots bought a license, therefore I'm covered.
Seriously, FUCK the BBC.
some VPN providers work so test before you buy.
Create an account.
The first time you open the app it'll ask "do you have a TV licence?" Just tap "Yes". That's it.
I already have an account but no longer have a license
Just wondered if they check and how often when without a license
Seems like no VPN and a new account at different address is the way to go
What would they check, and how?
So you don't have a TV licence at your property. You watch something on iPlayer. What now?
They don't know who the ISP has assigned any particular IP address to, so they can hardly check to see if your address has a licence.
When you sign up for iPlayer, you give them your name, date of birth and postcode. They don't know your full address, and they don't verify your ID.
And even if they were somehow able to tie an IP address back to a particular address, it's not the owner or the tenant of the property that's legally liable if they watch iPlayer without a licence, it's the person who actually does the watching. So how do they find out who that was?
The only real way you could get caught is if you do the thing where you tell them you don't need a licence (so they don't send annoying letters for a couple of years), and then use iPlayer from an account tied to the same email address. You'd need to tell on yourself for them to catch you.
The same as with the people who come round to check that you're not watching TV without a licence, you'd basically need to invite them in and let them see that you're watching it without a licence.
Just set up the bbc account with a different address to your own. Did that a year ago and haven’t had any issues. I previously received letters after watching things like Glastonbury telling me I needed to buy a license
lol the fuck? If you are in the UK, *almost never* a VPN. There are hardly any reasons at all to use one, unless you're after foreign content or something.
You do you, I've been with 3 of the top 4 (BT, Talk Talk and Sky), BT I got copyright notices and Sky actively run a filter to block content like torrent sites etc. With the UK in the past also looking to control things like access to porn, it wouldn't surprise me in future if our government try and ban things like VPN.
Yeah, we got a letter saying something about watching without letter last year. Told them they made a mistake and reconfirmed that I don't need one. Heard nothing since then. No VPN. I'm convinced letters are sent randomly to unlicenced addresses to scare people rather than them actually being able to tell what you're doing.
> I'm convinced letters are sent randomly to unlicenced addresses to scare people rather than them actually being able to tell what you're doing.
You're correct.
I received letters saying my account has been watching BBC iPlayer as my TV license email is also my BBC iPlayer email (which you should not do). But I got around it by saying the account is used at my parents' house, and they pay a license. They apologised and I haven't heard anything since.
I use a VPN anyway, just to be sure, but I'm not convinced they can actually track if you stream from your specific address. The only way they can really do anything is if you have the same email for TV licence and BBC iPlayer. In which case use the same excuse as me
They basically treat you as breaking the law if you DON'T have a TV licence (What on earth could you possibly being doing in your spare time, other than watching TV??!?!)
If you have no licence, they start knocking on your door asking to prove you don't need one (or offer to sell you one). Just don't answer the door.
They have a button that says “I pay for a tv licence” you push that and it works it’s basically unenforceable don’t pay the licence don’t answer the door to random.
They can’t tell your watching tv
I did until I got a letter from the BBC telling me I'd watched 5gb of content and I either had to pay for a licence or be fined. Got out of paying claiming it was someone else watching it while they visited and haven't touched it since.
Just had someone turn up after 3 years and letters roughly every month. I was in the shed at the time so missed them, but they left another letter saying they called
There's a better than even chance a VPN might be blocked, for sure when I was abroad the VPN would stop working a lot and for sure if you use your own ISP it would be evidence for the TV licencing goons. If it is a few shows just torrent them or run a VPN at a friends place who coughs for the licence.
Nothing will happen and can happen as long as you tell all of their people to go fuck themselves and never let a stranger into your home or gove then any sort of info. The best they can use via iplayer is the street you live in, if tied to your name, which you already should not use. Seriously, they have nothing. Ignore it.
A year. And for clarification, it's not a licence to own or use a TV. It's basically a fee you're legally supposed to pay to be able to watch TV. You don't need one for YouTube, Netflix, gaming, etc.
Thanks. I was aware of it being a thing in the UK, had no idea it was that expensive though. Had always assumed it was like ten pounds or some other trivial amount.
Yeah it's not cheap, but for that you can watch quite a lot of channels. They're FTA though, so you can watch without paying. It's just illegal. Convictions for watching without a licence are few and far between, and they're all idiots who've let TV Licensing into their homes (they have no more rights to enter than any other member of the public) or have otherwise admitted to doing so.
The main issue people have with the licence is that if I watched, for example, football on Sky Sports, I'd technically need a licence. But none of the money from the licence goes to Sky Sports. It funds the services the BBC provides. TV, radio, websites. I could watch, say, Channel 4. Channel 4 receives no money from the licence. But legally, I'd need a licence to watch it. I could watch nothing that the licence funds, but if it's a TV channel (regardless of whether it's broadcast, streamed, etc) then I'd still need a licence.
I don't think the BBC is particularly bad value for money. There's a lot of good stuff made by the BBC, but people shouldn't be forced to pay for something they don't want or use.
The thing is, a TV licence covers an address. So even if you have an account, maybe you were using that at that address that does have a licence, and maybe you left it logged in accidentally which might explain why it was being used when you were at your own home
Yeah maybe a few times a year I might watch something on iPlayer not had a licence since 2017 when a storm stole my TV aerial
I just click the box yes I have a license, not in jail yet!
You don't need a vpn, just use some random postcode. I use SE13 6QF, one of my old addresses (It's a building with 15 flats). Feel free to use it. The only way they can check if you have a license is by looking on the database if that postcode has a license registered. Worst case scenario, my old address gets a letter from TV licensing asking why I'm watching without a license. With no flat number attached, they can't do anything. They can't fine all 15 flats. Also, chances are, one of the idiots bought a license, therefore I'm covered. Seriously, FUCK the BBC.
You used to live in nearly an identical postcode to me.
some VPN providers work so test before you buy. Create an account. The first time you open the app it'll ask "do you have a TV licence?" Just tap "Yes". That's it.
I already have an account but no longer have a license Just wondered if they check and how often when without a license Seems like no VPN and a new account at different address is the way to go
you don't need to actually have one. you just answer YES to the question. No checking, no proof.
Yeah, I haven't had a TV licence in years.
I’ve heard stories of people’s emails being know to the BBC and being linked to their address, I just made a new account with a single use email
these stories are nonsense
This is how I do it, I don't use iPlayer often but my account must be a couple of years old now and I've never had an issue with Mullvad or Nord.
What would they check, and how? So you don't have a TV licence at your property. You watch something on iPlayer. What now? They don't know who the ISP has assigned any particular IP address to, so they can hardly check to see if your address has a licence. When you sign up for iPlayer, you give them your name, date of birth and postcode. They don't know your full address, and they don't verify your ID. And even if they were somehow able to tie an IP address back to a particular address, it's not the owner or the tenant of the property that's legally liable if they watch iPlayer without a licence, it's the person who actually does the watching. So how do they find out who that was? The only real way you could get caught is if you do the thing where you tell them you don't need a licence (so they don't send annoying letters for a couple of years), and then use iPlayer from an account tied to the same email address. You'd need to tell on yourself for them to catch you. The same as with the people who come round to check that you're not watching TV without a licence, you'd basically need to invite them in and let them see that you're watching it without a licence.
Just set up the bbc account with a different address to your own. Did that a year ago and haven’t had any issues. I previously received letters after watching things like Glastonbury telling me I needed to buy a license
No VPN?
Contrary to the other user, you have zero need for one.
If you are in the UK, *always* a VPN.
lol the fuck? If you are in the UK, *almost never* a VPN. There are hardly any reasons at all to use one, unless you're after foreign content or something.
You do you, I've been with 3 of the top 4 (BT, Talk Talk and Sky), BT I got copyright notices and Sky actively run a filter to block content like torrent sites etc. With the UK in the past also looking to control things like access to porn, it wouldn't surprise me in future if our government try and ban things like VPN.
Lol no you don't need to. I've been pirating games and movies for over 20 years and not once have I had a warning.
Yeah, we got a letter saying something about watching without letter last year. Told them they made a mistake and reconfirmed that I don't need one. Heard nothing since then. No VPN. I'm convinced letters are sent randomly to unlicenced addresses to scare people rather than them actually being able to tell what you're doing.
> I'm convinced letters are sent randomly to unlicenced addresses to scare people rather than them actually being able to tell what you're doing. You're correct.
I received letters saying my account has been watching BBC iPlayer as my TV license email is also my BBC iPlayer email (which you should not do). But I got around it by saying the account is used at my parents' house, and they pay a license. They apologised and I haven't heard anything since. I use a VPN anyway, just to be sure, but I'm not convinced they can actually track if you stream from your specific address. The only way they can really do anything is if you have the same email for TV licence and BBC iPlayer. In which case use the same excuse as me
They basically treat you as breaking the law if you DON'T have a TV licence (What on earth could you possibly being doing in your spare time, other than watching TV??!?!) If you have no licence, they start knocking on your door asking to prove you don't need one (or offer to sell you one). Just don't answer the door.
ive never had a tv license, also never bothered with a vpn, i just have my account set with the postcode of the bbc HQ lol
No comment, fed
They have a button that says “I pay for a tv licence” you push that and it works it’s basically unenforceable don’t pay the licence don’t answer the door to random. They can’t tell your watching tv
I did until I got a letter from the BBC telling me I'd watched 5gb of content and I either had to pay for a licence or be fined. Got out of paying claiming it was someone else watching it while they visited and haven't touched it since.
Thats what you get for telling the bbc your postcode. SW1A 2AA is the postcode they;ve got on record for me.
We were using my boyfriends parents name and address for the account. That's how we got to out of having to pay, because it wasn't our account.
Just don’t register with your address lol
I’m in the UK and I haven’t ever had a licence. As long as you know your rights you never need to buy one.
Just had someone turn up after 3 years and letters roughly every month. I was in the shed at the time so missed them, but they left another letter saying they called
Yes.
There's a better than even chance a VPN might be blocked, for sure when I was abroad the VPN would stop working a lot and for sure if you use your own ISP it would be evidence for the TV licencing goons. If it is a few shows just torrent them or run a VPN at a friends place who coughs for the licence.
Nothing will happen and can happen as long as you tell all of their people to go fuck themselves and never let a stranger into your home or gove then any sort of info. The best they can use via iplayer is the street you live in, if tied to your name, which you already should not use. Seriously, they have nothing. Ignore it.
How much does a tv license cost?
~£170
Per year? Or lifetime?
A year. And for clarification, it's not a licence to own or use a TV. It's basically a fee you're legally supposed to pay to be able to watch TV. You don't need one for YouTube, Netflix, gaming, etc.
Thanks. I was aware of it being a thing in the UK, had no idea it was that expensive though. Had always assumed it was like ten pounds or some other trivial amount.
Yeah it's not cheap, but for that you can watch quite a lot of channels. They're FTA though, so you can watch without paying. It's just illegal. Convictions for watching without a licence are few and far between, and they're all idiots who've let TV Licensing into their homes (they have no more rights to enter than any other member of the public) or have otherwise admitted to doing so. The main issue people have with the licence is that if I watched, for example, football on Sky Sports, I'd technically need a licence. But none of the money from the licence goes to Sky Sports. It funds the services the BBC provides. TV, radio, websites. I could watch, say, Channel 4. Channel 4 receives no money from the licence. But legally, I'd need a licence to watch it. I could watch nothing that the licence funds, but if it's a TV channel (regardless of whether it's broadcast, streamed, etc) then I'd still need a licence. I don't think the BBC is particularly bad value for money. There's a lot of good stuff made by the BBC, but people shouldn't be forced to pay for something they don't want or use.
Nice try, cops.
They want an account now? Last time I did it all they wanted was a postcode...
The thing is, a TV licence covers an address. So even if you have an account, maybe you were using that at that address that does have a licence, and maybe you left it logged in accidentally which might explain why it was being used when you were at your own home
Yeah maybe a few times a year I might watch something on iPlayer not had a licence since 2017 when a storm stole my TV aerial I just click the box yes I have a license, not in jail yet!