Frustration Thread 4

[KnightOfFewWords]

The thing is - if I notify them to tell them I don't have a TV set, they won't be happy with that. They will insist that I allow an officer access to my home where he/she will search to make sure that I'm not lying.

I know someone who was getting harassing letters for ages, for an incomplete and unoccupied holiday home. This despite the fact they had written to the license people several times to tell them what the situation was. When speaking to them on the phone, the advice he kept being given was to ignore the letters!

They never sent anyone around to inspect the property.

[wicked woman]

Very glad you ain't dead Alanz.

My Windows Live work email is playing up again, shows me the inbox but won't let me open anything. Was mildly querky till they improved it a couple of months ago. Time to get a new one I think.

Switch to Skype. They're shutting down MSN in the near future.

I have done that to replace messenger. Is skype ok as email? Or is that a stupid question?

[Catch-up]

Tony, it sounds like the letters are just automatically generated. Not that that makes it any less annoying though. Hope you're able to just ignore it and not put any more time and effort into it.

[Jan Van Quirm]

Over here it's standard policy for large companies and/or debt collection agents to send out 'official' looking documents that look as though they might have come from a court document server as a final attempt to scare you into paying up.

They'll go to court properly as a next step if they're unsuccessful in triggering a payment and reasonably certain that they'll get an order in their favour, which they'll then hand over to bailiffs to enforce and it's then that they can get a warrant to enter premises, usually to seize money or goods to pay the debt or, in this case, search the premises for an unlicensed TV. The reason I said Tony ought to reply to their web contact is to make it clear to them, one final time, that he has no TV and does not wish to allow them access his home simply to satisfy themselves that he's telling the truth, which he's within his rights to do since he doesn't have a TV to pay a licence for...

It's a ridiculous situation and wasting Tony's and the court's time - in fact Tony, I'd also recommend you make a point of mentioning a countersuit for harassment and costs (and whistle-blowing to the press) if they do take it any further and force you to go to court over it.

[Bickaxe]

If the bailiffs come knocking Tony, you could offer your TV as payment

[serendipnick]

Soooooo I've been away for a while (preparing to move, which is a frustration thread all on its own...)

Just on your story, Tony - in Japan we have the Dreaded NHK inspectors, who come round at bizarre times to check whether you're paying your television fees. We don't own a television (I hear enough Japanese in my daily life... after 5 is English time!), and although I don't think they're technically allowed to demand entry to check, whenever we tell them we don't own a TV they get awfully suspicious and slightly aggro and trot out the questions... do you have a TV tuner card in your PC? Do you watch TV on your cellphone?? I mean... for serious?

[The Mad Collector]

do you have a TV tuner card in your PC? Do you watch TV on your cellphone?? I mean... for serious?

That applies here as well. It's not having a TV that triggers you paying the licence fee it's having the means to watch TV even if you don't use it. I always make sure that there isn't a tuner card in any PC I look at buying and you also get caught out if you are watching something on an internet catch-up service that is being repeated at the time you watch it because then they regard that as watching 'live' television which means you need a license

[ChristianBecker]

My advice for Tony has already been given by others. Ignore them. Worked here for some people I know.
Luckily we don't have that problem anymore.
You pay regardless of whether you have a TV, computer with or without TV card and or access to the internet, cellphone or whatever. It's called "household fee".
For people owning TVs and the like, it has some benefits. For example if my girlfriend had a room all for herself, like a home office, she'd have to have payed before this year if she had a computer or some such in that room. Now every household pays once and that's it.
The downside is, nearly everyone has to pay now, even people who don't have any means to receive any broadcast. I keep wondering why this is constitutional.

[Alanz]

I agree Tony, ignore them M8

[Cheery]

Sorry to hear about your TV license trouble, Tony, I hope that'll be resolved. Makes me really angry that they harrass people like this It's like it's forbidden not to own a TV. I:(

I've been having a bit of a frustrating time lately. Last Monday I had my second jaw surgery.
Maybe some of you remember me talking about it (a long, long time ago). I have an extremely underdeveloped bottom jaw and need surgery to correct that because of health issues. For instance, because my front teeth are useless I could get chronic arthritis in the jaw joint because of all the pressure that builds up in the back of my jaw, breathing problems because my bottom jaw squeezes my airway together, infections in my mouth from biting into my cheeks because my teeth don't have any space, blah blah blah. That sort of stuff. Untreated, I could have arthritis in my late twenties. And I'm coming to a point where I just can't take any more.

I've had to deal with braces and dental problems for 11 years. My whole childhood has literally been spent at the dentist's for hundreds of hours, I've already had jaw surgery twice and end of this year I'll have a third. I've been laughed at by people I know and strangers on the streets because of my face and last year I came dangerously close to depression because of a load of stuff that just went so wrong in my life and upcoming surgery and everything, that it was too much. I wished so strongly that I was another person. Looking back at that it really scares me.

I think the worst part about it isn't the pain or the problems that come with this, but the way I've had to deal with so much hostility from other people because of the way I looked. It all got a lot better after the first surgery I had in 2009, but the emotional scars stay. I'm still having extreme issues with self-confidence, I have trouble seeing things in a positive way and the worst part is that I'm unable to fully trust people and I'm very awkward around other people. That's probably the reason I hardly have any close friends. I think in the years when I was bullied, I built a wall around me to fight off all the bad things that were coming in from outside. And now this wall has grown so strong that I've closed myself in and I can't reach out.

I haven't been able to do much this week, because I was in a lot of pain and still am and I can't really sit for more than ten minutes cause I get dizzy. And I just had lots of time to think about things and all the troubles and problems and fears have bubbled up again. I'm just kind of sad because of all the stuff that's happened and what's hit me the most is that none of my friends have visited me yet. I don't know what I should think of that.

Sorry for just dumping this here, I know there are lots of people who have lots more problems, but it felt good just getting this off my chest...

phew, surgery sucks.

[Tonyblack]

Cheery, I was only thinking about you yesterday! It's always good to see you here.

I'm so sorry that you've had to go through all this and I hope the end of surgeries and dentists is in site for you. I can only imagine how frustrating it must have been.

*HUGS*

[Catch-up]

HUGS Cheery! I'm so sorry for all you've been going through. Being in that much pain, coupled with those experiences, must be really hard to cope with. Just focus on getting through your next surgery and healing. One thing at a time. More HUGS!

[cheery_j.]

That sounds horrible. Poor ((Cheery))! I hope you'll feel much betterer soon - painwise and emotionally.

[wicked woman]

Hugs cheery. I'm so sorry you have to go through that and that stupid people have made it worse for you. Hope you feel better and painfree soon.

[Jan Van Quirm]

Dumping with friends is good for you! Any long term health problem is hard to live with and depressing at times, but when it's all focused on your face you've nowhere to hide from stupidly cruel people it's doubly hard. So don't feel bad about having a good vent on here - we all do when we need to and it's good for the soul