GEZ, do i need to pay??

Question

few days ago a guy from GEZ come to my room and asked me to pay 17,02 eu/month for tv and laptop that i have. Since my Deutsch is not good and i never heard about it, i signed the paper that told me to pay the fee from last year.

After that i asked my friends and all of them said that i don't need to pay that, no one pay to gez. specially since we are student who live in dormitory.

However, i already signed the paper and he said in a few days i will rcvd a rechnung and i have to pay directly after that.

what would happen if i don't pay the fee????

Answer 1

You do NOT, and I repeat NOT have to pay GEZ. The GEZ is a privately owned company for whose agents I only have one answer: "Leave my flat IMMEDIATELY, or else I'll call the police or let the dog out."

When you received a Rechnung from the GEZ, there's an answer form attached. Tell them you don't have a TV and never had one; but they'll charge you for an internet-connected PC. That's around 5-point-something euros a month, but you don't have to register.

Next time the GEZ guy comes along, really let the dogs out, or be a *****. Showing your teeth in a serious way makes them leave quite quickly.

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@eelliko,

why? You could have thrown it away, or the electronics might have failed. Whoever knows?

Answer 2

Yes GEZ sucks! You might have to pay the 17 per month from now on since you let the guy in so he saw that you have a tv. However you shouldnt pay the money from last year. You should have said that you just got the tv from yesterday. But as you already signed it you can only say that you didnt understand it and the guy explained wrongly or something.

Write a complaint to them saying the guy cheated you because you understand few German and that you are not going to pay it. Until they react to that nothing should happen if you dont pay.

Good luck!

Answer 3

On top of the information given to you. Being from out of the country and not fluent you can go to City Hall or to Management of GEZ and explain to them you simply did not understand the rule.

I had a similar problem 12 years ago with a bus ticket. They gave me a fine for a mistake I knew nothing about and I fought them with a local friend at City Hall and they removed the fine and yelled at the bus ticket checker for being that way to a tourists. She was almost fired.

So you can do something about it, but listen to the advice above!!

Answer 4

I know. I lived there too. I couldn't wait to come back home. Yes everyone is required to pay 17 euros (25 dollars) per month even if you have a WALKMAN! It sucks but they need the money to help the poor people in the East. They best thing to do is leave Germany and come back home!

Answer 5

Unfortunately everyone has to pay GEZ, but there are exceptions.

First of all call them (with a friend who speaks German) or write a letter and say you won't pay for last year, because you didn't have a TV then.

It helps if you can prove that you just moved here or you have an invoice when you bought your TV/laptop, etc.

Second go to the "Sozialamt", because under certain circumstances you can be extempted from the GEZ fee.

Have someone go with you who speaks German.

Here is the link for the excemptions:

http://www.gez.de/door/gebuehren/gebuehr...

Good luck. And next time, don't let them inside!!

Answer 6

Everyone who owns a tv/radio/computer in germany is legally obligated to pay GEZ fees unless he is to poor to afford and can prove it.The tricky part for them is to prove you do have one of the aforementioned devices, since they cannot enter your apartment unless you allow them to.Since you already admitted to have them, however, and even let the GEZ employee see them, you can't lie about that anymore., so don't try that, thats an offence.