Floodfamilyagain Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 Hello I have read through the FAQ but still cannnot find the specific info I need. We purchased a french tv for our old french address and as expected have now had the request for payment through for a tv licence ( sent to the old address). We have since moved, but our TV at our first and subsequent address was and still is used only for videos and DVDs as we had no aerial or dish in the gite where we were living and we still only have videos and dvds here as we cannot get any sort of signal from the aerial that is on the roof, it needs attention but we have got so used to not having Tv now that it is not a priority. So should we be paying for this licence regardless of the fact we do not receive french TV or do I state this on the form in the bit that says 'autres usage'? I think that the owners of the gite itself where we were living have a licence for there own separate dwelling - our gite was under the same ADDRESS - does this mean it would have automatically been covered if it needed one anyway whilst we were living there ?But what about now, the rental accomodation we are in does not have a tv licence in place by the owners as they have never lived here yet and we are not receiving french tv or anything else for that matter so what should I write on this form ? Help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 You need to contact the Service de Redevance and explain your situation, the number will be on the bill you have. They may or may not let you get away with not paying. You bought a tv here and you were automatically put on the system. When renting, one still has to have one's own tv license, if one has a tv. Doesn't matter who lived there before etc etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 Hello - I have moved this from the FAQ section, as posts in that section than only be replied to if you go through admin, and I'm sure you'd appreciate getting a response more quickly - but once your question has been answered we'll add the points raised to the FAQs.My understanding is that if you have a TV in France, regardless of whether or not it is capable of receiving French TV, you must have a licence for it. The licence is for the household rather than the address; it's common in France for several homes in a locality to share the same address, the only thing that distinguishes them is the name of the occupier. If I was you I would return the form, with the 'address' section corrected to show where you are now living. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernice Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 I've heard that the cost of the TV licence in France is reduced (or free?) when you are over 65. Is that true? If so does it only apply to permanent residents?Bernice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redcap Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 I would imagine that it is the same as in the UK, that is if you have any sort of TV receiver, you must have a licence. This is regardless of whether you actually use the TV. There has been lots of discussion on this elswhere in the past in the UK, where people have beleived that because they don't watch BBC, then they reckoned that they should not be paying the licence fee, whether we agree or not, the law is, own a TV, must have a licence!I expect you will find it the same in France.Regards,Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 Even further than that Redcap. In the U.K. if you were to have a VCR (video recorder) and no TV you would still have to have a licence, because the VCR is a TV receiver. Although why you would have that combination I'm not sure? So any type of receiver needs a licence.We are waiting for the forms to arrive after we bought our TV here in France a week or two back. Anyone know how long they take? John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floodfamilyagain Posted August 31, 2004 Author Share Posted August 31, 2004 Hello John, ours took 4 months to arrive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian 56 Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 [quote]I've heard that the cost of the TV licence in France is reduced (or free?) when you are over 65. Is that true? If so does it only apply to permanent residents? Bernice[/quote]This is in the archives somewhere and I forget the exact details. However the lower age limit is at least 70 and to qualify your income must be below the level at which you pay income tax in France.ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnM Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 [quote]Even further than that Redcap. In the U.K. if you were to have a VCR (video recorder) and no TV you would still have to have a licence, because the VCR is a TV receiver. Although why you would have th...[/quote]Back in the early 80's when I bought my first TV, I bought black and white (it still works very well) - however when I bought a VCR in '84 it was capable of recieving colour so I had to have a colour license!John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnM Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 [quote]Hello John, ours took 4 months to arrive.[/quote]In the summer of 2003 I informed the French authorities that I had bought a TV. They got round to sending the bill in April 2004, they final got round to taking the money in June AND then reinvoiced for 2004/5 in July! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 We got into similar state, and we were also surcharged because they sent the bills to our French address when we were in England, but I wrote and complained and they sent me my cheques back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 [quote]I would imagine that it is the same as in the UK, that is if you have any sort of TV receiver, you must have a licence. This is regardless of whether you actually use the TV. There has been lots of di...[/quote]Bob,You are a hundred percent right, it's for the TV, nothing to do with what you use it for and it's only 116.50€ which is cheaper than the UK.What never ceases to amaze me is thet people come to France and continually try to find ways to 'beat the system' with health, car, tax and even a thing as stupid as a TV licence. If they are not stupid then they must be skint so why come to France. Does it never dawn on them that in the UK they have to pay these bills so why do they think that they don't have to here.I reckon at the old Tresor Public they have a right laugh when the brits phone up trying to get out of paying. I wonder if they have a book of excuses, you know, like they used to have for driving accidends in the UK "I swerved several time before finnaly hitting the tree" etc.Moan over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floodfamilyagain Posted September 1, 2004 Author Share Posted September 1, 2004 Thankyou for all of the responses to my original posting. Form now completed and returned with payment. natalie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghound Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 [quote]Bob, You are a hundred percent right, it's for the TV, nothing to do with what you use it for and it's only 116.50€ which is cheaper than the UK. What never ceases to amaze me is thet people come to...[/quote]It's not just the British. The French could teach the British a thing or two about payment avoidence. They have it down to a fine art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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