# How did TV licence inspector get my name .



## reddanmm

I got a letter today with my name but wrong address from the TV licence inspector saying he called to my house but did not get the opportunity to speak with me and that the house is not covered by a licence .
The question is the house he is talking about is next door to me and has never being occupied . The only way i can think of how they got my name is that i park my car there
do the TV licence  people have access to the vehicle registration dept and get non payers names from government databases. 
I rang the office and they do not know how they got my name they said to tell him the next time i see him that the house is empty . I have a licence so my name would not have being on his list .
 Am i being paranoid ?


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## Boyd

Doubt they have access to motor system. AFAIK once you sign up to sky/UPC etc they have your name that way.


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## tester1

I understand An Post is now responsible for this... ie postmen know what houses they drop licences to etc and they blow the whistle. Not sure if this is true but makes sense if you think about it


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## reddanmm

Ok i dont live in that house no one lives there. . I have a licence for my own address which is next door . So how did he attach my name to that address . The reason i got the letter in the first place is that the postman knows me and dropped it in to my house .


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## tester1

from rte.ie

*Who collects the TV Licence Fee?*
An Post, appointed by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, is the sole agent for the sale of TV Licences to the public. An Post maintains a database of both licenced and unlicenced addresses which is checked and updated regularly.
The Department of Social Protection (DSP) pays for TV Licences for a percentage of its clients who qualify for the "Free" TV Licence.

Licence revenue from both of these bodies is paid to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR). DCENR then makes a grant-in-aid of the appropriate amount to RTÉ.



*I think you got it in one when you said the postman knows you??*


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## reddanmm

It still does not answer the question of how my name is attached to this house . I dont live there. I have my own licence. I am  not claiming any social welfare payments . And the reason i got this letter is the postman prob just looked at my name on the envelope and put it in my letter box


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## theoneill

I would have thought they work on the assumption that all homes have a TV.

But I do remember those adverts from the 70's that featured the detector vans. I have always liked the idea a crack team of TV licence agents in their radar vans prowling the neighbourhood in the search for the "evil" evaders. It gave me an Orwellian warmth.


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## JJDoherty

I would suggest emailing the An Post TV licence section, tvlicence.web@anpost.ie, and if you do not get a satisfactory explanation then you could make a complaint to the Data Protection Commissioner on their website, dataprotection.ie (can't post full link), or email your complaint to info@dataprotection.ie.

Hope this helps.


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## truthseeker

Write to the tv licence people requesting all data held on you under the Freedom of Information Act.


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## reddanmm

I think you got it in one when you said the postman knows you??

Maybe i am missing something but what has the postman got to do with it . Why would he tell the inspector i live there when he knows i dont.  I dont like the thought of my name being attached to a property that has nothing to do with me .


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## dereko1969

Maybe it's a clerical error, these things happen you know. It doesn't all have to be a conspiracy.


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## reddanmm

Thanks for the replies i will keep an eye out him and ask him how he got my name apparently he is stalking the area . Could not understand why they could not remove my name from this address when i rang them.
They said i had to speak with him myself


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## STEINER

I completely understand that you don't want your name associated with the next door property. 

There is obviously no way you are liable for the licence fee.  I would let An Post and the TV licence dept. know this as other posters have indicated.  Also I would point out to the local sorting office/postman that the postman has delivered next door's post to your address.  The postman has to deliver to the address on the envelope.  

Let the tv licence inspector merrily waste his time with it all.


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## reddanmm

Hope i dont get a property tax bill for that house as well . Thanks again for the replies .


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## roker

It was a mistery to me when a few years ago I moved house, and within 2 weeks the TV license inspector called to check, it could only come from the post office.


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## reddanmm

When i moved in to my house first he was around after a couple of weeks looking for my licence . The licence was for my old address he hounded us till we got it changed to the new address


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## Time

The postman is the link here. They are given a few bob extra to supply these details to the licence people.


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## STEINER

nothing to do with TV licences, but I had an amusing address mix-up experience ten years ago.  In my renting days I moved house once and I was waiting on a deposit cheque to arrive from the letting agency.  After a week of waiting, I rang the agency to see where my cheque was.  They had sent it out to the wrong address.

These are not my actual details, just to illustrate that my name is quite uncommon.

Sebastian Dunne
34 Cedarwood Road

they sent the cheque to Sebastian Dunne, 34 Cedarwood Park which was just beside my road.  I called around there and the guy there gave me my letter.  He had the same name as me, Sebastian Dunne!


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## SparkRite

Time said:


> The postman is the link here. They are given a few bob extra to supply these details to the licence people.




OH Dear God, give me patience............

Did you even read the thread??


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## Kkma

Time said:


> The postman is the link here. They are given a few bob extra to supply these details to the licence people.



Is this for real? Are they on commission for catching people? I find it hard to believe the postman gets extra for passing on info to anyone else. I do accept that An Post have a tv license role and indeed a few years ago after moving house to a rural area I did see the tv license guy travelling around with the postman, clearing checking names and addresses as he paid us a visit shortly after... But I can't imagine the postman got anything extra for it!


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## reddanmm

My daughter and her friend spent 10 minutes hiding behind the couch while the inspector was banging on the window. They had no time to turn off the telly so the having no telly excuse would not work . They also had a sky dish right next to the front door.


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## Crunchie

Time said:


> The postman is the link here. They are given a few bob extra to supply these details to the licence people.



Of course they are  And they ask dogs if they have licences too and report back if they're black and white or colour!


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## shigllgetcha

Dont think it was the postman, in the last three years weve only gotten dear occupier on the notices

We arent registered there for the electoral register.


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## reddanmm

I found out how my name was got . As i said the house next door to me is empty i changed my bin provider and put the old bins  in to the house next door  to await collection .
When the inspector came he got no answer and took my name from the wheelie bin . So no big conspiracy on the poor postmans side  all he did was put the letter in to my address not next door.


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## hippy1975

If I were you iwodnt like the sound of that, inspector sneaking around taking names off bins, I'm pretty sure that contravenes the Data Protection Act in that info must be obtained in a correct manner, I would make that point to the inspector.  Next they'll be looking IN bins to find a letter with someone's name on it - not right at all.


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## truthseeker

reddanmm said:


> I found out how my name was got . As i said the house next door to me is empty i changed my bin provider and put the old bins  in to the house next door  to await collection .
> When the inspector came he got no answer and took my name from the wheelie bin . So no big conspiracy on the poor postmans side  all he did was put the letter in to my address not next door.



How did you find that out? I cant imagine them admitting to that!


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## reddanmm

Hi truthseeker no i had no more contact with them,my husband pointed out to me that my name is on the wheelie next door. I am presuming thats how they got my name seems the most logical. I have not seen the inspector since. I am twitching the curtains waiting to pounce on him with my flashlight to extract the info from him


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## notvlicence

hello, I had a t.v licence inspector who called to my house roughly a month ago. He asked for my name which I did not give, he requested to enter the house to which I declined permission. After his attempts of friendly negotiating failed, he stated with the threats, telling me that because I had a arial attached to the house I needed a licence. He told me that he would get my name from the voters register (I don't vote).

I do have a television but I do not have ANY digibox, all I have is my laptop + broadband, a dvd player and a radio.


Today a letter arrived from an post t.v licence services. The second name on the letter is spelled incorrectly and missing a character. I have not opened the letter. I do not agree with the t.v licence, especially since I don't watch live television. I feel like I am being bullied into buying something that I do not need/want.

what advice would anyone have as to what to do next. When the inspector comes back with a warrant, the name on the warrant will most likely be incorrect, can the warrant still be executed? Under law I have not committed a crime and if I do not consent or enter into contract with the inspector/garda what will most likely happen when I am called to court, when the documentation presented is not correct. what counter measures can I take? should I return the unopened letter to an post, with a note '' not known at this adress''.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## Leo

notvlicence said:


> I do have a television but I do not have ANY digibox, all I have is my laptop + broadband, a dvd player and a radio.


 
 So you do possess covered apparatus as details in the TV licence legislation, so you are legally obliged to buy a TV licence.


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## notvlicence

yes, but the television is not mine, it is the landords, If I have him remove the television am I in the all clear?


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## Purple

notvlicence said:


> yes, but the television is not mine, it is the landords, If I have him remove the television am I in the all clear?



You have the ability to receive and watch a TV programmes. You should pay your way.


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## Woodie

Purple said:


> You have the ability to receive and watch a TV programmes. You should pay your way.



+1 Currently if you have a TV (even broken) on your premises you are obliged to pay.   You also state "especially since I don't watch live television" does this mean that you watch streamed on demand shows?  If so you are nit picking again; you have a device capable of receipt of TV signals.   I know that currently there is probably a loophole in this area but as you already have a TV on your premises you have been liable up to now.   The loophole will be replaced soon as so many new ways of watching are now available.


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## Leo

notvlicence said:


> yes, but the television is not mine, it is the landords, If I have him remove the television am I in the all clear?



As the others have pointed out, you still need to pay. The legislation covers rented accommodation, and says the tenant must pay, even where the landlord owns the equipment.


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## Gerry Canning

theoneill said:


> I would have thought they work on the assumption that all homes have a TV.
> 
> But I do remember those adverts from the 70's that featured the detector vans. I have always liked the idea a crack team of TV licence agents in their radar vans prowling the neighbourhood in the search for the "evil" evaders. It gave me an Orwellian warmth.


 ............................................................................................

It was back in 70,s more hi-tech than that.
Some of the then P&T lads would blacken out a couple of windows in the van. Then stick on a Rabbits Ears Antenna on the top of the van.

They would then sweep (i like that word) a couple of the estates in a furtively slow manner.

Sure nuff , new licenses appeared within the week.

And all this happened before 1984 !!!

God Knows there are probably DRONES doing it now !!!

Be afraid , be very afraid !!!


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