Valued Contributor
Posted 08 October 2013 - 01:50 PM
I went to the CFE office yesterday to transfer the account into my name. They wanted a copy of my id, and I didn't have a copy (who carries copies of their id, anyway), and they couldn't make a copy, so I have to go back. Now I hear they want a deposit up front of 500 pesos or more to transfer the account into another name.
Does anyone know how much this deposit is, so I can have it with me when I go again?
Posted 08 October 2013 - 10:21 PM
Do you mean how much it is in dollars? They don't accept foreign currency, so you'll have to bring the $500 pesos. As I recall, transferring the electricity into my name from the previous owner was the easiest transfer. Gas was more difficult (piped in gas, not tank) and the water was... horendous. Is your landlord paying the water bill?
Valued Contributor
Posted 09 October 2013 - 01:03 AM
When I rented in Tijuana for 3 years, the water bill and CFE bill always came in the name of my landlord and I just paid from there as I knew my meter was for my apartment only. When I moved in, I made sure that the landlord had a zero balance on both CESPT and CFE accounts for my address.
My landlord never made me transfer over so I never bothered to transfer over, I just paid the bill under their name every month for 3 years. Are you sure you HAVE to transfer into your name? You might save yourself $40 dollars by not having to.
I am curious if other TJ renters on this forum did what I did or did they put CESPT and CFE accounts in their names. I realize that transferring accounts is customary for renters in the US, but I always assumed twas not in Mexico.
"YO heart BC"
Valued Contributor
Posted 09 October 2013 - 05:35 AM
you don't have to transfer over, just pay the bill , unless landlord asks you to. there's no benefit changing it over to your name
Valued Contributor
Posted 09 October 2013 - 06:14 AM
My landlord prefers that the tenants change it into their name, and that's fine with me. I'm trying to confirm whether or not it really is $500 pesos. I've heard that it is, and I've heard that it isn't. My landlord pays water, and I have a gas tank. There's a sign on the wall in the CFE office that the only accept pesos, and it's not a problem, I just want to have enough when I go again. Telnor came out the day after I moved in, and installed the internet. They were so anxious to install it, that they kept calling me every day for three days before I moved, asking me to stay home so that they could come. The tech showed up 30 minutes after I got here with my furniture, so I asked the him to come back the next day, which he did. That's pretty good service.
Valued Contributor
Posted 09 October 2013 - 06:33 AM
If you are worried the attendant is trying to rip you off and pocket the $500 pesos, I guess the safest bet would be to go with your copy of ID, the prior light bills, and the $500 pesos (NOT DOLLARS, CFE DOES NOT TAKE DOLLARS) and talk to another person there and see if they ask you for the $500 pesos for the transfer. If they don't, do not even bring it up. 
"YO heart BC"
Valued Contributor
Posted 09 October 2013 - 02:43 PM
My landlord prefers that the tenants change it into their name, and that's fine with me. I'm trying to confirm whether or not it really is $500 pesos. I've heard that it is, and I've heard that it isn't. My landlord pays water, and I have a gas tank. There's a sign on the wall in the CFE office that the only accept pesos, and it's not a problem, I just want to have enough when I go again. Telnor came out the day after I moved in, and installed the internet. They were so anxious to install it, that they kept calling me every day for three days before I moved, asking me to stay home so that they could come. The tech showed up 30 minutes after I got here with my furniture, so I asked the him to come back the next day, which he did. That's pretty good service.
3 yrs ago the electricity was shut off because he didn't pay a $5,000mxn bill. He told me somebody made a meter reading mistake or it was not working.
Valued Contributor
Posted 09 October 2013 - 05:44 PM
If you are worried the attendant is trying to rip you off and pocket the $500 pesos, I guess the safest bet would be to go with your copy of ID, the prior light bills, and the $500 pesos (NOT DOLLARS, CFE DOES NOT TAKE DOLLARS) and talk to another person there and see if they ask you for the $500 pesos for the transfer. If they don't, do not even bring it up.
I'm not worried about being ripped off, I was only trying to confirm the amount of pesos that I need to take with me. All of this was stated in my original post, and I know that CFE doesn't take dollars. The person that I spoke to said that I had to pay, but she didn't tell me how much I had to pay. Paying isn't a problem, I was quoted 500 pesos by someone else, and I was trying to find out if the amount was correct.
Valued Contributor
Posted 09 October 2013 - 05:46 PM
3 yrs ago the electricity was shut off because he didn't pay a $5,000mxn bill. He told me somebody made a meter reading mistake or it was not working.
Whatever problem(s) you had with my landlord when you lived on the property was between you and him, and is now in the past. No one else seems to have any problems.
Posted 10 October 2013 - 03:30 PM
I went to the CFE office yesterday to transfer the account into my name. They wanted a copy of my id, and I didn't have a copy (who carries copies of their id, anyway), and they couldn't make a copy, so I have to go back. Now I hear they want a deposit up front of 500 pesos or more to transfer the account into another name.
Does anyone know how much this deposit is, so I can have it with me when I go again?
Posted 10 October 2013 - 03:31 PM
Instead of having people make a guess on the amount of deposit, why not just take an adequate amount with you, over what you THINK it might be. Doesn't make sense that the CFE office would not quote you a deposit amount. ???
Valued Contributor
Posted 16 October 2013 - 05:28 AM
The deposit will be the easy part. What may be hard is the ID.
When I transfered a CFE bill into my name it was hard. Any ID wouldn't do. It had to be either a voter id (for Mexican citizens) or a Mexican visa for Gringos.
Please let me know if these days they take an easier to get ID.
Valued Contributor
Posted 16 October 2013 - 11:17 PM
I went to CFE again today. I gave them everything that was requested, and now they want a receipt from my landlord, which I had, but it wasn't acceptable to them. My id didn't seem to be a problem, though, and the deposit is $174 pesos, not $500.
I'll post an update after my next visit.
Posted 17 October 2013 - 10:34 PM
Wow, the requirements must depend on who's working the desk. I used a CA drivers license and converting the power to my name was very easy (I had a copy of the escrituras for the house I bought though). And I do think the fee was $500 pesos if I remeber correctly.
Valued Contributor
Posted 17 October 2013 - 11:14 PM
Yes, it depends on who you get, and if they feel like doing their job (young kids). I'll be going back next week with a copy of the latest CFE bill. If they tell me again that there's a problem, I'm asking for a supervisor. I have everything that they need, including $500 pesos, but I was told that it's $174.
I'll post an update after my next visit.
Valued Contributor
Posted 17 October 2013 - 11:47 PM
Thanks for keeping us up to date tijuanahopeful. I hate the bureaucracy in Mexico, its not just the government (CFE), private companies put consumers through hell as well.
"YO heart BC"
Valued Contributor
Posted 28 October 2013 - 09:07 PM
I finally got the CFE bill transferred into my name, without a problem. I took the copies of the following documents with me: my lease, my id (driver's license & passport card), most recent CFE bill, rent receipt, and letter from my landlord to CFE to stop the auto payment from his bank account.
The cab driver didn't take me to the CFE office in Zona Rio, he took me to a smaller one, and no one there spoke English, but it got done without any problems.
Valued Contributor
Posted 27 November 2013 - 07:15 PM
Now make sure you pay every other month without fail. They WILL cut you off +/- 7 Days after the due date. When I first moved to TJ I never saw the bill and they shut me off for failing to pay $140mx.
Valued Contributor
Posted 28 November 2013 - 05:02 AM
Now make sure you pay every other month without fail. They WILL cut you off +/- 7 Days after the due date. When I first moved to TJ I never saw the bill and they shut me off for failing to pay $140mx.
My bills are always paid on time, and if mine didn't come, no one else that lives here would get one either. If that was the case, CFE would get a visit from me, and a couple of others.
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