From: Hubert Mania (mania@welfen-netz.com)
Date: Sun May 12 2002 - 11:40:18 MDT
> I accept the luddite label, if you convince the GEZ* that I don't
> have a television. They don't seem to believe me.
That`s a fact. They don`t believe you don`t have a TV set. It`s beyond
their imagination. Someone without a TV set is suspected to hide his radio
and TV before the eyes of the authorities.After a while they will probably
send an agent to your door who will try to convince you to let him have a
look into your living room. That`s no joke. I have experienced this in
those years when I did not have a TV set. The agent will keep on talking :
if you got nothing to hide. . . bla bla bla. Tell him politely that he
should go to hell. The only way - as far as I know - to get rid of these
fees is to tell them you have moved to your partner`s home and even then
they will send someone who is trying to verify it and take a look - as I`ve
experienced it just one year ago. I did not let him in, though my partner
and I actually only have one TV screen.
> Here, one must pay the GEZ to use one's own radio and television. Fees
> charged per number of radios and televisions, including, those in your
> workplace, in your vacation home, and in your car. If some knowledgeable
> German person on this list can tell me what is the purpose of
> this assinine law, I would surely appreciate it.
The two big public TV companies (ARD and ZDF) get sponsored by these fees,
because they only send a limited amount of commercials. At least that`s
what they say. Reality is a little different. But that`s common law. If
they think you lie, they probably will keep bugging you, until they have
their
information. But you cannot be forced to open your door.
Good luck
Hubert
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