Florida power & Light
 

I live in the UK, have just completed a purchase on a vacation home in Naples Florida, I have set up an online account with FPL so I can manage my bills from the UK, but I cannot log in to the account as system is requesting my SSN which I don't have as I'm not a US resident, which they are aware of as I had to email my passport to them as proof of ID, I've phoned them several times and am just passed around departments, no-one seems to know what to do, they haven't responded to emails.

Is there any other overseas purchasers who have had the same problem? If so please let me know how it was resolved.

I'm an FPL customer in Florida. Given what you have said here is what I would do: I'd call ONE more time (since you say they are not responding to e-mails) and I would get the person's name who answers.

If they start the "passing around" and "don't know what to do" number I'd mail a letter to the President of the company and I would include the name of that person "who didn't know what to do." I'd include all the details of the non-answered e-mails, etc., and wait.

I suspect it may not be a long wait, either.

Probably the best advice!!

https://www.facebook.com/fplconnect

I have found that asking a question on facebook will get you some great results. I got the runaround with Ikea over missing parts to a bed and they kept sending the parts I already had. One post on FB and the parts were overnighted.

If you are not eligible for a Social Security # you may have to apply for an ITIN. https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Gene...IN-Information

Frankly, I suspect that FPL might very well be able to eliminate the requirement for a social security number in the OP's account should they decide to do that. I would not do anything else until the power company <B>states</B> that in order to manage the account on line a social security number is absolutely required.

The website is handy if you are monitoring power usage and also can be used for service interruptions. However, the OP might want to consider simply having the power bill deducted from a specific bank account automatically on a monthly basis.

That may, however, require a US-based bank account.

Some power companies will automatically charge the monthly bill to your credit card (I have all my Caribbean utility bills charge to my US based credit card). You could try contacting FPL's billing department to see if they can set up this type of payment service for you.

Also, have you tried contacting the FPL "tech support" department for assistance in setting up an online access account? It's worth a try.

Dukey and flpab have given you probably the best ideas.

(Tom -- the OP has no need for (and probably can't get) an ssn or a Taxpayer ID number . They are Brits . . .)

As a long time customer of FPL in Naples, Florida (welcome, louiedaisyheidi) let me say first I am not surprised. Just today a renter of mine who is moving out called to cancel her service and asked it to be switched back to me as the owner and they said they needed my social security number. Huh? I have another account with them and have had service at that address on and off for over 30 years. And they also do NOT take credit cards for automatic payment (unless that was recently started). It's one of the very few companies I must do a bank transfer for automatic payments.

Let me restate that. They will take a credit card, they just charge a fee for using one.

Don't you have someone in Florida who is looking after the home periodically? Could that person be the one who pays the bill and you reimburse?

Some times a work around is 999-99-9999 if a number is not available.

Nothing new about companies passing on credit card fees.

It is technically illegal to require a SSN for something like a phone connection. I refuse to give mine, though admittedly I don't always win the resulting argument.

As janisj says, the OP is not eligible for an ITIN, although not because he's a Brit.

"IRS issues ITINs to foreign nationals and others who have federal tax reporting or filing requirements and do not qualify for SSNs"

I'm a little surprised about this problem. FL has a fair amount of real estate owned by foreign nationals using FPL as utility. (I personally know of at least three such people.) So it's not as if this is the first time FPL has dealt with this. I know it's frustrating, but I think you have to be a bit more persistent with Customer Service. (See below.)

>>It is technically illegal to require a SSN for something like a phone connection.<<

It's a little more complicated than that. First of all, it's not illegal. Some phone providers do a credit check, and need an SSN to do that. You can refuse, but they likewise can refuse service. It may be that FPL wants it for the same credit-check reason -- I honestly don't know. But when you contact CS, ask why they need it and what can be done in its stead. As I said, it's been done before.

Thank you for all your replies. Phoned them again and straight away I was told as I don't have a SSN number all I had to do was enter my year of birth!