'The Direct Debit for your TV Licence number ********** from account ending **** has been cancelled. This means we won’t be able to take your next payment. To remain licensed, please set up a new Direct Debit. It’s quick and easy to do online. Please take care of this straight away or we may be forced to cancel your licence or pass your details to a debt collection agency.'
My licence is fully paid and valid up to 31st October 2020, puzzled why they say I HAVE to set up a new DD or be threatened with my licence being cancelled and possibly engaging a debt collection agency - why? Surely I am not legally obliged to have a direct debit as a condition of having a licence, their email seems very threatening. Any comments appreciated.
This is typical of TV Licensing. They have always adopted an aggressive tone. They're one of the most unpleasant organisations to deal with. I've had no end of trouble with them over the years. This included having one of their people turn up on my doorstep demanding that I buy a licence from him. I'd had a licence continuously for about 25 years at the time, and it wasn't due for renewal for about six months.
If you're licensed to the end of October, you don't need to take any action at all until about mid-October. And that action need not take the form of a Direct Debit. If you pay yearly, there's nothing to stop you from, for example, paying by bank transfer instead. (As it happens, that's what I do.) I'd expect that you'll get a renewal notice then.
My guess is that you've received a standard letter based on the (apparently incorrect, in your case) assumption that your DD is for payment by instalments.
Personally, I'd ignore this letter. You could, if you prefer, reply, telling them to get lost, and pointing out that you have a licence valid until October. If my eperience is anything to go by, they'll ignore such a letter. However, it does give you something to point at if they do escalate things.
