TV licensing direct debit con

criticaldensity · 2005-06-08T15:23:25+00:00

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that the TV Licensing people's monthly direct debit is a con? This is what it says on their website: ------------------ Pay monthly You'll pay for your first licence by Direct Debit in equal monthly payments within the first six months. If you don't already have a licence, or your current licence has less than six months to run, you'll make fewer but larger payments. After this, you can start paying towards your next licence in 12 monthly instalments of around £11 per month (six payments before it begins and six after). These payments will always add up to the same amount as the annual licence fee. ------------------- It seems to me that you pay for your first licence in the first six months. You then pay half of the next licence in the next six. This means after a year you have paid 1.5 TV licenses. It appears to me that they always (after 6 months) have half a license worth of money of yours which you'll never get back. This is just for the ability to pay in easy instalments. If you were to pay immediately, of course they effectively have the whole license money immediately, however you'd never pay more than one license in one year. The whole thing sounds like a con, especially for those with low incomes. The text is misleading by saying "These payments will always add up to the same amount as the annual licence fee.". Well, I'm paying annually by credit card and keeping the 1%, thank you, not that I mind paying for the BBC (despite the number of crap reality shows they keep pumping out). cd

Jun 08, 2005 21 Replies

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Aztech 21 years ago

Don't worry James... the renewal just came in, when I slap down my 126.50 I'll be thinking of you. Bottoms up!

Az.

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Zoe Brown 21 years ago

you could always sign up for DD, pay the first 6 months and then cancel and do the same the following years, this way you are paying by 6 month 0% installments.

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