I know i’m a crybaby, but last night was so wild i need to share with you guys and ask for some advice.
I’m a girl, having just moved to a Leopalace for almost a month. I’ve heard about this nhk thing before and dodged it successfully when i lived in my old apartment.
I forgot to said i don’t have a tv, so this guy kept asking me to sign it. The rest of the conversation went like this.
“Please sign this”
“I want to call leopalace first to ask about this, and will sign tomorrow. Please come back again”
“No. Sign this”
And then he used rude words like 書け、逃げるな、 and he even called me OMAE.
I threatened to call the police but he was like just call, you are the one who is breaking the law and kept blocking my door.
When i was at my limit, i dashed into my room to get my phone, but he already ran away pretty quickly.
Should i pay for this Nhk?
When you want to cancel, is it easy to cancel? Or they won’t pick up your phone at all?
I plan to get married in 2024 Jan, so if i pay for nhk , i only want to pay until Jan. But what i’m worried is that they won’t allow me to cancel after that. ( i read lots of topics about not being able to call nhk)
Also, i heard that a new law is being enforced from April, that those who dont do 契約 (not those who already do 契約 but don’t pay) will be fined. Is it true?
31 comments
If you do sign up: DO NOT SIGN UP WITH THAT PIECE OF SHIT
You can sign up online without giving him a commission.
Don’t be intimidated by the NHK mafia. Just say “I don’t have a TV.” and nothing else. Don’t negotiate, don’t give information, keep your mouth shut.
Do not pay, there is nothing they can do about it. If same guy shows again, just call police. Better if you speak in foreign language to them, so they will feel awkward and leave
P.S. Most likely they guy was not from NHK but contractor/agent for NHK contracts.
No, don’t sign and don’t pay for anything. The best way is to not answer your door the next time he comes around. Even if he saw you enter the building, you’re not home.
>Should i pay for this Nhk?
Technically you are required to pay for it if you have a device capable of receiving it. In reality it’s on the honor system. Actually using the device isn’t relevant it’s simply having a device capable of receiving it (so technically we should paying because we have an auto navi that will receive it). Since I believe Leopalace provides TVs technically someone is supposed to pay for it.
>When you want to cancel, is it easy to cancel?
It’s easy enough to cancel if you return your bcas card. If you move they’ll want to transfer the contract to the new address.
>And then he used rude words like 書け、逃げるな、 and he even called me OMAE. I threatened to call the police but he was like just call, you are the one who is breaking the law and kept blocking my door.
They’re paid on commission, if you do decide to sign up and pay do so online so they don’t get their commission. You shouldn’t reward bad behavior.
1. If you don’t know who it is don’t answer your door.
2. If you do answer your door keep your phone with you.
3. If he comes back immediately take his picture and call the police, they hate the NHK guy as much as you do, the law you are “breaking” is civil not criminal, the police can’t do anything to you for not contracting however they certainly can do things to him for trespassing.
4. Do not engage or even talk to him if he comes back. Simply follow the advice in #3, tell them someone has come back to bother you at your apartment after you told them to leave, AND BE VERY FIRM AND CLEAR YOU TOLD THEM TO LEAVE AND NOT RETURN – don’t waffle on this true or not, and you want the police to help you get them removed. Make sure you get a picture of him, especially if he’s blocking your door, so the police have something to use when they contact NHK about him because the second you call the police he’s going to pull a runner again.
Do you have a TV? If so, then go online and sign up there.
It’s really too bad they hire those goons making people not want to pay even if they are obliged to
Get your phone out, and record any such situations in the future.
NHK guys are always really rude to everyone. The best way is ignoring them.
If you have a TV in your room, you have to pay. It IS true.
However, NHK guys are NEVER allowed to enter your room without your permission, so they can NEVER check whether you have a TV or not. Just ignore them. Never talk to them. Treat them like a rubbish on the street.
It’s extremely HARD to cancel it once you make a contract. I called a correct NHK branch when my acquaintance from abroad wanted to cancel his contract. The branch gave a different phone number and I called the different one and it gave another phone number.
Finally, I called the right department but they asked us to prove that my acquaintance didn’t have his TV in his room anymore, which was technically impossible. I really aggressively asked them to send him a document for cancellation and repeated it so many times and they finally allowed him to cancel the contract.
Again, All what you need to do is ignoring them.
If you actually have a TV in your room and don’t mind paying, make a contract ONLINE.
In any case, you never have to talk to these NHK guys.
Wondering what will happen if you try to close the door on him, and he puts his foot in, but you just walk away? Like will he stand there with his foot in the door till he gets tired? He wont have the balls to barge in to the house right? I’d just sit on my sofa, let him stand there and have my phone on me to record if he ever makes a move…
Here we go…this is going to be a rant story. First – what a jerk. Don’t sign, don’t pay, and don’t answer the door unless you know the person.
I have zero problem paying for NHK when they change the system to: a) a government bond funded amount, b) a special consumption tax on devices or internet c) a tax line item d) an invoice that is centrally sent to ALL households, not just the ones that succombed to the NHK guy.
The last time we had a guy at our house, we didn’t realize who he was (btw, they can be a bit tricky about it). He started saying that it was the law, and I told him, “ok, go to the Koban and bring an officer”. He then said it didn’t work that way. So I said, “if it is the law, report me and send an invoice”. It didn’t work that way (because it doesn’t – you are supposed to agree to a contract).
Finally, I had enough of the imposition on our time and I said, “Ok, we’ve got other things to do” and started closing the door. He put his foot in it and tried to open it which for an American is a total red line (and would likely be criminal in the US) so I absolutely screamed at the guy – full on – to GTFO (in Japanese), pushed the door out towards him, he lost grip and I slammed it shut. Then screamed again.
Haven’t seen another guy in 4 years.
> I’m a girl
If you’re a minor, let your parents handle it.
Call the police regardless.
This is all very easy to avoid by signing up online, and having paid your fees before they even have the chance to come by.
For the rude behavior, I have a theory on this. Sales people in Japan often work on a commission base. The ease of doing everything (often even cheaper) online, is really making these people’s jobs a lot harder, often making them desperate to get their sale. I know this is not an excuse for their behavior at all, but it is a possible explanation at least. It’s not just NHK, I literally lost count of the times I’ve had pushy salesmen trying to sell me an apartment at my door. Like, seriously, who even decides on the ring of a bell that they want to buy an apartment?
As I understand it, as long as you don’t [sign a contract,](https://flipjapanguide.com/nhk-reception-fee/) you don’t have to pay.
**”But here’s the loophole: there are** **no penalties for** ***not*** **signing with NHK in the first place. Though Article 64 says you have to, it lists no penalties or charges for if someone refuses to obey. So while Article 64 is a law, it’s somehow also not, and this ambiguity is what makes this whole issue so confusing and frustrating.**
**If you haven’t already signed the contract,** **NHK can’t technically force you to pay** **when they show up at your doorstep. They’re just very persistent and will repeatedly tell you you have to, even if you tell them you don’t have a contract with NHK.”**
Happy to be corrected if this is wrong.
I also cried, and was shaken when anyone rang the doorbell for years after, because I don’t like confrontations. It happened to me when I was also newly moved in and because my apartment is given to me by my company I called my company and asked them to talk to him on the phone. I told him I wasn’t going to sign anything unless my company said so.
I could hear my boss talking to him very quickly and angrily and it scared him off.
I would love to know if it’s legal to break their foot as they were never invited in the property, and are preventing you from securing the door. Just slam the thing so hard they have to go to the hospital and see what happens 😛
Sorry to hear that. NHK uses real mafia extortion methods and only because of that they should not be paid a single yen.
Feel free to call police and tell them a person is trying to get into your house, don’t elaborate on NHK. They will settle the matters quickly.
Also, if you feel confident, feel free to speak back using their own methods, that is rude language. It works.
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Sorry to hear this happened to you. It’s a common story, unfortunately…
I don’t pay NHK. Don’t care about the having-a-TV- rule. I don’t watch it. never have. Never will. Not going to pay it, even if it’s “what society expects.”
What I do have is a pair of 40kg Japanese Akitas. We get very few solicitors. Even the JWs stay away.
I’m sorry you had to experience this guy’s asshole behavior.
He most likely thought you were an easy target and could get his way by being forceful.
If he comes back you should get revenge in some way…
逃げるな
Lmao, are you sure that wasn’t the Gestapo?
Just say すいません and close the door. They’re not supposed to be rude or aggressive. Don’t say anything, don’t sign anything.
Wow. Would you let any random person demand money from you and talk to you like that? You know, racketeering is a thing. Tell him to fuck right off next time. Sorry to be harsh, but that’s outright bullying.
**Do not sign anything.** You cannot be forced to do that, but if you do – there’s an oblgation and potential legal repercussions if you don’t pay when required – also cancellation is gonna be a pain in the ass.
As far as the NHK “law” is concerned – if you don’t watch TV, just don’t pay. Reminds me of this: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LweldrmZh50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LweldrmZh50)
If you are threatened like that again, call the police and a friend.
Japanese here. Say you don’t live there or you don’t have a tv and they will leave. Don’t pay for that shit ever! If you search “NHK撃退” on YouTube or tiktok, you’ll see a lot of people arguing with NHK sales people. It’s pretty funny and everyone joke about it 🙂 please don’t take it personally!
If it makes you feel better I scared mine so bad he was literally shaking and they haven’t come back.
Absolutely do not pay. Do not reward this kind of behavior.
DO NOT SIGN. Call the cops on him. You got this. You are stronger than that jerk. Don’t let him bully you.
Ummmm fuck that guy. Don’t even give him the honor of speaking Japanese. Speak English and bitch him off your front door step. If he tries pressuring his way inside have your phone in your hand and call the cops. Also ask for his badge; because most of the NHK guys going around are scammers. They are not legally allowed to step 1 FOOT inside your home.
If they were that rude to me, I’d just start saying unspeakably disgusting things to them in Spanish. They probably won’t understand it, but it’ll make me feel better.
It’s your choice, but as other said, don’t pay him directly or he’ll get commission. Only pay a respectful person or online.
If you say “お帰りください／okaerikudasai “ then they MUST leave your door. If they refuse it becomes trespassing and you’re within your rights to call the police . You don’t need to engage , discuss or negotiate anything with them at all. Just politely and persistently ask them to leave and threaten to call the police if they persist.
To any question about the NHK, their system or their fees, the answer is “no, don’t open your door”, it’s as “simple” as that. They can’t enter, they can’t force you to listen, then can’t force you to open your door, they can’t force you to do anything. Your only answer should be “no thx, I don’t have any TV”
I had a similar experience a few years back with one of those NHK dudes too. He pounded at my door and screamed loudly, it was really scary. I’m sorry this happened to you
If he blocks the door, I would definitely be calling the police.
The NHK contract itself is a civil matter and will not be enforced by the police, but trespassing is a crime.