LOST AND ABANDONED BY CFE

I live in Central Ajijic, where we had a big power outage about a month ago. Half of ours went down. We waited, and waited, figuring the rest of the neighborhood would be complaining. After days of moving heavy duty extension cords around the place to use the half we did have, we called our electrician. He checked it all out and called CFE, had a work order set up, was promised........and another week passed. Two more open work orders later......we're still limping on one leg.
Is anyone else in the Ajijic area in this reduced power state, or do we have a unique problem? Doing a one person picket line in front of CFE office would look silly.........but what to do now?

Have you gone to CFE and had a face to face with a manager? Did you cry? If you can squeeze out a tear or two that might help.
I can cry on cue if the situation requires it.

I tried that once....didn't work......they couldn't stop laughing....maybe a gender thing. YA THINK?

Naw. I can't cry on cue and mi esposo is slightly deaf......so we have been relying on our fluent Spanish speaking, enthusiastic Mexican electrician and his lengthy phone calls ........without effect so far. He gets work order numbers and empty promises from them. "Yes, it will be on in less than eight hours". Uh huh.

Went over to an eye doc appointment at Ajijic Clinic a week ago and the doc had the same problem in his office: one working plug. Curses.

Just wanting to check in and see if we are alone in our misery.

Jim W wrote:I tried that once....didn't work......they couldn't stop laughing....maybe a gender thing. YA THINK?

You shouldn't have used the lace trimmed hankie.

Jim W wrote:I tried that once....didn't work......they couldn't stop laughing....maybe a gender thing. YA THINK?

Jim, maybe you just need to work on your delivery. It is an art.

Gringal, you are going on 2 weeks now...you gotta go down and get in someones face. It doesn't matter if you can hear them or if they can understand everything you say, they will get it. Or you can stand out on the street and wave $200.00 peso bills at men in CFE trucks. The squeaky wheel (or the guy with the $200.00) gets the grease.

Gringal.... U might just have hit the nail on the head.... " on one leg "

That happens to be what the two halves of your power box are referred to as... " legs "

Check one side by switching on and off on your service panel.... then the other side... if the circuits out are all on one side... U have a bad connection with a main wire in your service panel...

A quick fix for any Electrician ( upon re-read... Hoxx will add the word " GOOD " to Electrician ... thank you )

Our guy did all this and it's out at the pole. He checked the wire going to the pole with his electronic meter. It was dead at the pole; dead at the meter.
But thanks for the suggestion.

gringal wrote:Our guy did all this and it's out at the pole. He checked the wire going to the pole with his electronic meter. It was dead at the pole; dead at the meter.
But thanks for the suggestion.

If it's dead at the pole ... you won't be the only one without power...

But still.... same thing for CFE... its just one little wire... oh well.... welcome to Mexico...

Gringal if it's any consolation the power has been out totally for days in half a million homes on the eastern coast of the US due to storms.No AC in a heat wave ,they are pissed!

Get together with your neighbors and make a massive compliant to the CFE. Director of operations in Chapala. Across from IMSS. If none of your neighbors are affected, just whistle over there yourself.

Alternatively the telephone number for power failures is 071, trust me I know. I call them and if I don't get any action I call over and over and over until they get sick of my calls.

Good Luck

I usually call the regular number and we'll get service. I have others in the Community call too. You will need your electric bill with it's service number. They will give you a report number, so if you call back you can report it again. You should call in the AM, then call back again at 2:00 PM when the shift changes to make sure the new shift has your report.

viajero wrote:Gringal if it's any consolation the power has been out totally for days in half a million homes on the eastern coast of the US due to storms.No AC in a heat wave ,they are pissed!

We know. We have a daughter who was sweating it out there. Steaming.

E-raq wrote:Get together with your neighbors and make a massive compliant to the CFE. Director of operations in Chapala. Across from IMSS. If none of your neighbors are affected, just whistle over there yourself.

Alternatively the telephone number for power failures is 071, trust me I know. I call them and if I don't get any action I call over and over and over until they get sick of my calls.

Good Luck

Strangely, the neighbors who were affected got power back, including LCS. They CFE guys came by and checked the situation, disappeared and never returned. Anyway, thanks for the hint and the number. Will get going on some of these suggestions.

Maybe I could try slicing a raw onion, taking if up to CFE in a baggie and trying the crying act.

I agree, time to get very aggressive! Your electrician can't, or isn't willing to, fix it himself at the pole?

I've flagged down the trucks and paid them too, it works! Try that.

Good luck, Gringal. Go postal in the office, it works.

Trailrunner wrote:I agree, time to get very aggressive! Your electrician can't, or isn't willing to, fix it himself at the pole?

I've flagged down the trucks and paid them too, it works! Try that.

Good luck, Gringal. Go postal in the office, it works.

Electrician would need a bucket truck to get to the pole. Not a possibility in this case. Probably "can't" is the word.
We'll go for the squeaky wheel approach. Haven't seen a truck to flag around here lately. It's one of those narrow streets trucks avoid if they can.
I don't think I can pull off "going postal" in the office......though if this goes on much longer....it's a possibility.

Any good electrician, such as the one the OP has, can hook her up with full use of her electricity with little risk that she will be caught. Had to do this a few years ago, myself. CFE sent me an outrageous bill. I went in to Chapala to dispute it and was told not to pay it but to come back in ten days after they had a chance to check my meter. Four days later, they came out and cut me off. Within an hour, I was at the Chapala office, caved in and paid the bill. They told me power would be restored the next day. After buying a 100 foot extension cord to reach my neighbor's place and running that one plug to my fridge, computer, TV on an as need basis, finally hired an electrician. This had to be at least three years ago and CFE still has not shown up, but I have full electrical. chico

An interesting suggestion, but I think I'll pass, at least for the time being.
We do have power and plenty of extension cords to the "one leg".

PMd you.

HelperGuy wrote:PMd you.

Received and answered. Thank you......I think you've sent the solution.

I had a similar situation a few years ago. Whole neighborhood got power back after the outage and I had one line that would not work. I had a regular electrician and he told me the problem is at the pole but he couldn't fix it. Gave me the name and number of a former CFE employee/electrician - so I called and he came right away. Said I had a bad wire and connection at the pole and he replaced the wire and I had electricity. Hope this number still works

Bernabe Lazcano 766-1274
cel 333 447 8103

Thanks, Simpsca.

I just hate it when someone pours their heart out asking for help and then someone sends them a PM and then they post "thank you for solving my problem" and we do not have a clue. The courtesy of an explanation of how the problem was solved, should not be too much to ask from those of us that posted a public response in our attempt to help someone. chico

I understand your objection, but when someone comes up with a solution which involves another person and chooses to let the OP have the information by PM rather than posting it for all to see.......I have to respect that.

It's up to HelperGuy to post the information on here if he wants to.

My sincerest thanks to all who have offered me help. I appreciate it.

Sorry, I didn't think anyone would be particularly interested. I know a great guy who is considering putting his perfect command of both languages to work, helping out those who have problems like this. In this particular case, he is particularly well-versed in the ways of the CFE, having dealt with them about problems like this and like over-billing so much that they know him and, if not fear him, certainly wake up when he walks in. Today he helped another woman who, on TOB, somehow ended up with a $6,000 pesos CFE bill. She has minimal Spanish, and really needed someone to help.

His background is in the hospitality business, and the international moving business, and he could have saved that grocery store out in La Huerta a couple of years ago with his knowledge of border paperwork and the like.

There's a large number of my computer clients who often ask for this kind of help, and don't really want the impersonal, over-priced services of some of our so-called "expediters" around here. If anyone would like more information, I will be happy to provide same.