Fuck you, GIS. Fuck you.
Posted on:September 24 2009
Somebody ringing you out of your bed, threatening you to enter and inspect your apartment tomorrow together with the public authorities and against your will can really destroy the fun of your remaining whole day.
Happened to me this morning. It was a guy from the Austrian GIS (people from the public television and radio fee collecting company demanding money from you for owning a TV or radio) and he didn't like that I refused to let him take look into my apartment. Then he came up with this 'I'm going to bring a charge against you and raid your apartment together with the financial agency'-thing I've never heard of before. And after studying his pre-printed forms, it looked like he really meant it. After discussing a bit with him he explained to me that the ORF (austrian public service broadcaster) desparately needs money and now started doing stuff like this. Incredible.
Happened to me this morning. It was a guy from the Austrian GIS (people from the public television and radio fee collecting company demanding money from you for owning a TV or radio) and he didn't like that I refused to let him take look into my apartment. Then he came up with this 'I'm going to bring a charge against you and raid your apartment together with the financial agency'-thing I've never heard of before. And after studying his pre-printed forms, it looked like he really meant it. After discussing a bit with him he explained to me that the ORF (austrian public service broadcaster) desparately needs money and now started doing stuff like this. Incredible.
Comments:
OMG! you have to pay for tv in austria?!
dan
Quote2009-09-24 12:36:00
The same happens down here in Italy for public television (RAI)... Funny thing is, they want you to pay even if you actually do not own a TV, but just a PC (with no TV tuner)...
Sickbyte
Quote2009-09-24 13:00:00
Lol, They're all at it - Here in the UK, they're now trying to scam £150/year out of each and every student because the BBC now broadcasts it's signal over iPlayer (internet tv streaming) and because a laptop is "capable" of recieving this "signal" all laptop owners must also pay! How about implementing a simple login form that requires your tv license number before viewing instead of just assuming everyone even wants to watch the crap they broadcast.
Chris
Quote2009-09-24 13:56:00
Yeah, same in Germany. And for freelancers/independents they even try to get them to pay twice(!) if they have a TV and a PC (maybe because the "work" PC can be used to watch TV with the other eye - only guessing here... ). Though this is mostly a case for courts atm as lots of people refuse to do that and it looks like courts give the people right so far. Lucky for me my TV broke down last year, so I only have to pay once anyway. Though even that still sucks - because I don't watch TV with my PC and the web-streaming offered by the state-sponsered TV-stations is only available by zattoo which stopped supporting the Linux client recently.
It would be ok if the money would at least be used for stuff which I use - like the stuff I get from p2p. But so - I'm just forced to pay for something which I didn't use in months and don't plan to use and don't want to use and... yeah.
It would be ok if the money would at least be used for stuff which I use - like the stuff I get from p2p. But so - I'm just forced to pay for something which I didn't use in months and don't plan to use and don't want to use and... yeah.
CuteAlien
Quote2009-09-24 14:07:00
I was going to say exactly the same thing as Sickbyte: the situation is rapidly going out of control. But you know, I really believe they should blame themselves if things don't go the right way: the quality of TV programs on the national channel has gotten worse and worse over the years, the other channel I don't really mind watching... for what reason in hell should I pay?
It's sad to know that all across Europe they are trying to do the same thing, it means the system is really on the verge of a huge crackdown.
It's sad to know that all across Europe they are trying to do the same thing, it means the system is really on the verge of a huge crackdown.
NeXuS
Quote2009-09-24 16:16:00
had a similiar experience a few months ago (I had no TV set that was working at the time), discussion at my door went like this:
"..bla bla.. you have to register for GIS and pay..bla bla.."
-"I'm not going to register and pay."
"we will have to sue you then"
-"right on, do it. bye"
never heard of those guys again.
"..bla bla.. you have to register for GIS and pay..bla bla.."
-"I'm not going to register and pay."
"we will have to sue you then"
-"right on, do it. bye"
never heard of those guys again.
rainer
Quote2009-09-24 18:01:00
Same thing is happening in Finland. They're now trying to put up a general "media-tax" to fund public tv, Yle. Right now you pay 224e a year for the normal tv-license. But because not all pays that, regardless that you have or don't have a tv, they want to turn it into a tax, so everyone will pay it. Then it costs only 175e a year or so.
Biggest problem with that thing is even if you don't use in any way Yle's services, you still end up paying it :)
Biggest problem with that thing is even if you don't use in any way Yle's services, you still end up paying it :)
Masfo
Quote2009-09-24 18:40:00
GIS should stop giving half the collected money to the bundesländer for financing "brauchtumspflege" (crap like schützen,...). then the ORF would have enough money. hopefully they will never visit me. :p
hubert
Quote2009-09-24 19:25:00
Here, in Brazil, unbeliveble things happens, but that is ridiculous... so sad!
Daniel
Quote2009-09-24 20:08:00
Here in Sweden we also have to pay a tv-license (you don´t have to pay a tv-license for owning computers yet). However someone went to court claiming that the "inspector" couldn´t see the difference between his computer monitor and a flat screen tv, so atm the court has decided that the "inspectors" can´t really see the difference. =) And well, both the swedish "justice" system and the political system are nothing but a big joke.
Marcus
Quote2009-09-25 14:02:00
Yikes that's crazy. I heard once from a friend a cop tried to force enter in to a house without the proper warrants and everything. The Dad brought a gun out, arrested the guy under citizen's arrest and called the cops on the other cop.
Last I heard, the cop was stripped of his badge.
I'm hope they don't go through with it.
Last I heard, the cop was stripped of his badge.
I'm hope they don't go through with it.
Jonathan Snyder
Quote2009-09-25 21:49:00
Move to Australia. TV is free. Radio is free. Beer is good ;)
Ash Moollan
Quote2009-09-28 05:22:00
In France, it's the same but a bit more fair: you pay the fee if you own a TV (and it's automatically signaled by the shop where you buy it to the administration), currently...
Ziple
Quote2009-10-04 14:10:00
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