1st experience with Social Security administration - they fail

[rayinpenn]

So my SS account information comes in the mail ... All is good, July I can start getting payments that will just cover our medical insurance (a rant for another day) . I notice my birthdate has the wrong month (of course) so I call ..."bring in two forms of picture I'd". I figure since I'm having surgery (heaven forbid) if anything were to go wrong I don't want her dealing with this wrong birth date.

So I take a vacation day and travel to the SS administration. I'm there at 9 and there is already a line taking numbers...Bam ten minutes later I'm sitting in front of the lady - I hand her my passport sync birth certificate. "I'm sorry sir your birth certificate doesn't have a registration number and the system won't accept it." Huh? "Yeah some times the old ones don't have it. You'll have to contact the NY State department of vital records and request a new copy." Yeah she said old ones! I come home go online and then call them $70 bucks. The SSA fat fingers my birth date and I'm out 70 bucks? That sound right?

It gets better - all this has happened in the last 2 hours. Five minutes ago my phone rings it's the surgeon they want $800 before the operation. Balance of deductible and 20% of fees ... I'm out $900 bucks and it isn't even noon.

Did I mention that my less then year old $25,000 roof is leaking? (No it isn't that big of a house).
Oh yeah it is the second time and yeah they just painted the ceiling where the first leak was. Oh and by the way they used the wrong roof vent (warm weather steep pitch) neither of which I have.

Not complaining mind you ...I'm just not picking up the phone for the rest of the day


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[rodi]

You are definitely off to a bad start to the day.

The good news is you found the SS b-day issue early.

Could you have used your drivers license as a secondary ID to your passport?

 

[rayinpenn]

I actually don't know but I believe you need that birth certificate.


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[Texas Proud]

Are we starting a new pet peeve thread


Just having a bit of a laugh at your expense.... I know it is not funny to you, but in time I bet it will be...



As to your doc... I remember taking my DW in for surgery and they required payment up front (while we were sitting there to get in) or she could not have her operation done today.... so I ponied up something like $1200.... months later we get or EOB and it should have cost us $400.... I was expecting to get the money back... but a couple more months and nothing... so I call... OH... the girl who handles that is on maternity leave... Say what? Only she can do refunds? What is she never comes back.... well, they would not do anything and I could not make them... finally got a check 12 months after I paid them the money....

 

[rayinpenn]

You could write a well deserved factually accurate review....bad service.
Truth be told I do find it all kind of amusing ... I'm just waiting for the next shoe to fall.


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[easysurfer]

Went to a social security office (to add the extra security since my tax info got hacked) a few months ago. I've been to one before (helping others) so knew what to expect as far as picking a number, then waiting as several different numbers are called. When my number was called and I spoke to the person who helped me, one of the first things she asked was "Why am I visiting her office and not one by my county?". I told her that I was visiting family (true). She did help but said that I should next time go to the county where I live. I politely said "Okay" but thought to myself, "What's the difference? As SS is national and not local".

 

[rayinpenn]

The trouble with taking away SS from high net worth individuals is that in order to generate meaningful savings the bar will have to be set pretty low. What is high net worth?

I've worked hard all my life. Community college, state university, a couple of masters at night. We've always been LBYM type of people coupons!, me he plumber, carpenter and general handyman. She the painter and sale shopper. Yeah we've got a decent pile so now you want to penalize us for living right...I paid in didn't I?

Edit: looks like I am responding to a reply that disappeared?
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[Revlefty]

Quote: "When my number was called and I spoke to the person who helped me, one of the first things she asked was "Why am I visiting her office and not one by my county?".

We did that in St. Louis. She asked, "Why didn't you go to the office in East St. Louis?" I said, "Because I'd have to go to the office in East St. Louis!" She said, " I understand." I may be a scaredy-cat, but E.St.L is a place you drive past on the Interstate Hwy.

 

[easysurfer]

Quote: "When my number was called and I spoke to the person who helped me, one of the first things she asked was "Why am I visiting her office and not one by my county?".

We did that in St. Louis. She asked, "Why didn't you go to the office in East St. Louis?" I said, "Because I'd have to go to the office in East St. Louis!" She said, " I understand." I may be a scaredy-cat, but E.St.L is a place you drive past on the Interstate Hwy.

Like you, the SS office closer to my county is definitely not as good as the office I went to. That was a factor of me just stopping by at the one I went to.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Be thankful you found this out now. The later the discovery, the bigger the disaster.

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[travelover]

I don't think I have my birth certificate, but I do have my original SS card. Should I be scrounging up a birth certificate in anticipation of filing eventually?

 

[fosterscik]

I don't think I have my birth certificate, but I do have my original SS card. Should I be scrounging up a birth certificate in anticipation of filing eventually?

I don't know the answer but it seems very unlikely that you must have a birth certificate. I'm a naturalized citizen and I don't know what they'd do with my UK birth certificate. Remember, people can claim SS as green card holders, so those people don't even have a naturalization certificate. Social security must accept other forms of ID,

 

[doneat54]

I'll tell you what I tell my wife when she is having a bad day: Just go to WalMart for a while, you'll immediately start to feel much better about yourself. ;-)

 

[Bestwifeever]

So my SS account information comes in the mail .... I notice my birthdate has the wrong month (of course) so I call ..."bring in two forms of picture I'd". ... I hand her my passport sync birth certificate. "I'm sorry sir your birth certificate doesn't have a registration number and the system won't accept it." ...
...

There's a picture of you on your birth certificate? Now that is fancy!

I had to bring my passport to SS to prove I am a US citizen (born outside USA), but that was all they needed. Too bad that won't suffice for you. But I would think a driver's license would serve better as a picture ID than a birth certificate anyway plus it has a registration number already.

Good luck.

 

[Walt34]

I'll tell you what I tell my wife when she is having a bad day: Just go to WalMart for a while, you'll immediately start to feel much better about yourself. ;-)

I've noticed it does have that effect.

 

[Dawg52]

And I thought I was the born loser. Go drink a beer.

 

[ejman]

Sorry the day didn't go well for the OP. Sometimes I think I'm the only person in the entire country that didn't have any trouble at all signing up for SS. I just sent in my current valid US passport along with the application and a couple of months afterwards the payments started showing up in my bank account. I'm not really the only one that didn't have any problems or am I?

 

[REWahoo]

I'm not really the only one that didn't have any problems or am I?

No, DW and I both signed up on line and mailed couple of items they requested. Simple and straightforward.

 

[meierlde]

No, DW and I both signed up on line and mailed couple of items they requested. Simple and straightforward.

I just e-filed and since I am and have been single it just went thru. It was the incorrect information that caused the problem leading to the exception process.

 

[Another Reader]

I have no idea where my birth certificate or SS card are, and figured a long search through boxes and file cabinets was ahead. I logged into my SS account, and there was an option to file on-line. Hmmmm...let's give this a shot before I launch the search. Filled the application out, hit the submit form, and it was accepted. I had to fill in when I would be available for a phone call, which I got several days later. Short conversation verifying the filing and explaining if I waited an extra month, my check would be $9.00 larger. Thanked the representative and declined the offer. The award letter arrived about a week later.

 

[rayinpenn]

There's a picture of you on your birth certificate? Now that is fancy!

I had to bring my passport to SS to prove I am a US citizen (born outside USA), but that was all they needed. Too bad that won't suffice for you. But I would think a driver's license would serve better as a picture ID than a birth certificate anyway plus it has a registration number already.

Good luck.

apologies I also had my drivers license...


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