FBU Manila setup a phone appointment and they didn't call.

[gargamon]

Is this a normal occurrence? What is the typical outcome?

 

And I was impressed. Email on July 16 for july 17 phone call... Oh well.

[sqwakvfr]

I got an email in in late May for a July 22 phone call. Not impressed. 

[jeffandgop]

They didn't call at the appointed time as well...so I called them after hours and someone picked up the phone and said they were still going thru the telephone appointment schedule and would call me later that day...and they did....

[ricklev]

They called me in the late afternoon although I had a morning appointment. No apology but the interviewer was friendly and helpful and my social security application was properly processed although the wheels moved slowly. 

[sqwakvfr]

I got the call about an hour after the scheduled time  Checked on SSA.gov. No change on application status. The application has been stuck on "someone in Manila is reviewing the application" now for 5+ months. I would say this this definition of "slow". 

[gargamon]

They never called. Nobody answers when you call during the set hours. I've emailed but no response. Can't do walk-ins. Hmmm. I guess this is the new social security MOP. Make it so difficult to get money out of them you give up.

 

Lucky I don't need it at the present time and would actually prefer for tax purposes to get a lump sum payment for 2025 benefits in 2026. 

 

Good job Trump/Musk/doge.

[ThreeCardMonte]

I’ve heard similar stories.

 

A friend upcountry is trying to enroll in Medicare part B before his 65th birthday next month.

 

He filled out the forms at JUSMAG BKK.  They mailed them off.  He calls later.  Not received.

 

He contacted Manila .  They say he must enroll through them.  He does.  Calls later.  No  answer.  He’ll try again next week.

 

My advice is anyone planning on moving to or residing in Thailand many months per year is to take care of these matters BEFORE coming over.

Don’t burn bridges with America.  Can visit through the year to take care of matters.

 

It may make life simpler.  Up to you.

[thesetat]

24 minutes ago, ThreeCardMonte said:

I’ve heard similar stories.

 

A friend upcountry is trying to enroll in Medicare part B before his 65th birthday next month.

 

He filled out the forms at JUSMAG BKK.  They mailed them off.  He calls later.  Not received.

 

He contacted Manila .  They say he must enroll through them.  He does.  Calls later.  No  answer.  He’ll try again next week.

 

My advice is anyone planning on moving to or residing in Thailand many months per year is to take care of these matters BEFORE coming over.

Don’t burn bridges with America.  Can visit through the year to take care of matters.

 

It may make life simpler.  Up to you.

I tried to add my kids to my pension and it took many months.. Their system is set up to make it quite difficult to do anything. The worst thing is their limited working hours and days and the fact that the hotline for SSI can not help you if Manilla is handling your case. Also be warned, anything said in the phone interview may not be remembered. They told me what was required in documents and that they would send me a list and the forms needed. But each time I sent those in they replied with more forms or requests for other records. So just to get my application approved in their office took many months. 

Then once they received the approval from the US it took their office several months to process it and send the information to the SSI accounting so the money would begin to be sent. 

The old system of using the embassy was 100 times faster and more reliable to get your needs accomplished with them. 

[sqwakvfr]

1 hour ago, gargamon said:

They never called. Nobody answers when you call during the set hours. I've emailed but no response. Can't do walk-ins. Hmmm. I guess this is the new social security MOP. Make it so difficult to get money out of them you give up.

 

Lucky I don't need it at the present time and would actually prefer for tax purposes to get a lump sum payment for 2025 benefits in 2026. 

 

Good job Trump/Musk/doge.

My call (I timed it) lasted 4 min and 10 seconds.  All the rep from FBU did was review parts of the online application that I submitted over 5 months ago. She concluded with "now your application will be sent to the United States"????? I do not need the money but I cannot imagine being one of the many who actually need it.  I have a state pension and investment income so I am lucky.  I email FBU every 15 days for an update. All I get is "we are working as fast as we can and sending too many emails could slow down your application"??? Like it can't get any slower. 

[ThreeCardMonte]

20 minutes ago, thesetat said:

I tried to add my kids to my pension and it took many months.. Their system is set up to make it quite difficult to do anything. The worst thing is their limited working hours and days and the fact that the hotline for SSI can not help you if Manilla is handling your case. Also be warned, anything said in the phone interview may not be remembered. They told me what was required in documents and that they would send me a list and the forms needed. But each time I sent those in they replied with more forms or requests for other records. So just to get my application approved in their office took many months. 

Then once they received the approval from the US it took their office several months to process it and send the information to the SSI accounting so the money would begin to be sent. 

The old system of using the embassy was 100 times faster and more reliable to get your needs accomplished with them. 

Wow!  Good information.

 

Do you feel it would have been easier to handle these matters in the USA.

 

Even if on a week or so visit?

[gargamon]

Just now, ThreeCardMonte said:

Wow!  Good information.

 

Do you feel it would have been easier to handle these matters in the USA.

 

Even if on a week or so visit?

Even if you're in the US, if you use a foreign address in one of the 43(?) countries handled by Manila, it all goes through Manila so the bottleneck will be there

[ThreeCardMonte]

15 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Even if you're in the US, if you use a foreign address in one of the 43(?) countries handled by Manila, it all goes through Manila so the bottleneck will be there

A digital mailbox can be beneficial.

 

IMO best not to burn bridges 100 %.  But, up to you.

 

 

[gargamon]

1 minute ago, ThreeCardMonte said:

A digital mailbox can be beneficial.

 

IMO best not to burn bridges 100 %.  But, up to you.

 

 

Illegal though, as it's a felony I believe to say you're living in the US on those documents when you're not.

[ThreeCardMonte]

17 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Illegal though, as it's a felony I believe to say you're living in the US on those documents when you're not.

perfectly legal to have a US address if you’re a US citizen.

 

Mailing address.   
 

Where are you getting this information from?

[gargamon]

3 minutes ago, ThreeCardMonte said:

perfectly legal to have a US address if you’re a US citizen.

 

Mailing address.   
 

Where are you getting this information from?

A US mailing address doesn't mean your social security will be processed there. You fill out 2 addresses on the forms, residence address and mailing address. The residence address is what they use to determine where your paperwork is processed. Good luck if you say you're living in a PO box...

[ThreeCardMonte]

5 minutes ago, gargamon said:

A US mailing address doesn't mean your social security will be processed there. You fill out 2 addresses on the forms, residence address and mailing address. The residence address is what they use to determine where your paperwork is processed. Good luck if you say you're living in a PO box...

How long you been out of the USA?  Sounds like a long time.  
 

The digital mailbox I recommend is not a PO Box.  A real address.

 

I took care of SS and everything else before I moved to Thailand approximately 9 months every year.

 

The guys that burn their bridges and vow never to return.  Good luck!

[thesetat]

1 hour ago, ThreeCardMonte said:

Wow!  Good information.

 

Do you feel it would have been easier to handle these matters in the USA.

 

Even if on a week or so visit?

Much easier before to do it. The same process I did with all these problems with dealing directly with Manilla I had done 2 times before when the Embassy submitted the records for my cchilds birth in Thailand and registering them with the SSI department and adding them to my disability. And I did not have to do anything after I went to the Embassy in Bangkok. The system they have now is quite ridiculous as well as difficult to contact the Manilla office and slow to get anything done. There was also information they fail to tell you that is needed and request them one at a time causing many months delay in completing the applications. Most of which, I did not have to do when dealing directly with Manilla. 

I can not say if returning to the US and dealing with an office there will be any faster or easier. Since I have not done that before. 

[Dcheech]

On 7/17/2025 at 1:02 PM, gargamon said:

s this a normal occurrence? What is the typical outcome?

They did it to me. As last appointment of THEIR day, when I finally called back, after waiting diligently for their call, they were gone. I got back in touch days later & made made a new appointment, two or three weeks down the road. They apologized and claimed they had the wrong number. Strange, as they had called me up to verify the number, and appointment, two weeks prior to that failed online interview. They had the correct number then.

I do not believe one word of the bull---- excuse they gave, but,  what you going to do. Not surprising that the Manila office is up to their old tricks. 

[thesetat]

1 hour ago, Dcheech said:

They did it to me. As last appointment of THEIR day, when I finally called back, after waiting diligently for their call, they were gone. I got back in touch days later & made made a new appointment, two or three weeks down the road. They apologized and claimed they had the wrong number. Strange, as they had called me up to verify the number, and appointment, two weeks prior to that failed online interview. They had the correct number then.

I do not believe one word of the bull---- excuse they gave, but,  what you going to do. Not surprising that the Manila office is up to their old tricks. 

Yes, I have caught them in many lies in what they say or need only later to be told something different. I wanted to file a complaint against them but to do so was even more tedious and difficult as you need to call the same office and find a supervisor, then nothing happened so I tried the main number for SSI and they referred me to call Manilla office. I finally found a way to complain but it was with another government entity and was asking too many proofs to send when a lot of manillas problem was done by phone first. No way to prove alot of it. 

[Dcheech]

 

On 7/28/2025 at 10:59 AM, thesetat said:

I finally found a way to complain

Good on you for making a complaint. I put all the information about this fun little event/transaction & emails, in a word doc, stored in my SS folder. I'm obsessive like that. However at the end of the day, just sucked it up and did the new appointment, gritting teeth. It is such a long process, this was the proverbial frosting on the fricking cake. Grrrrr  but did it, never want to talk to those clowns again

Meanwhile, the R U Dead form should be out about now. Arf  

[thesetat]

6 hours ago, Dcheech said:

 

Good on you for making a complaint. I put all the information about this fun little event/transaction & emails, in a word doc, stored in my SS folder. I'm obsessive like that. However at the end of the day, just sucked it up and did the new appointment, gritting teeth. It is such a long process, this was the proverbial frosting on the fricking cake. Grrrrr  but did it, never want to talk to those clowns again

Meanwhile, the R U Dead form should be out about now. Arf  

I do not usually get those until February or March.. You will find that any mail from SSI will arrive after 6 weeks. Usually i have to send it back the same day by airmail to ensure it is returned without delay in my income. Sometimes though, it has taken 3 months to arrive to me and i had to call the call center in the US to tell them I mailed it back to them late. 

They say, if you do not mail it back, they will not stop funds initially and will remail you a notification and a new form before they pause any funds to you. . But I have never had that happen yet.

[sqwakvfr]

Had my FBU Manila phone call on July 21, 2025. At the conclusion of the phone call the rep said "all in order and your application will now be sent to the US.".  

 

Today (Aug 6) I got an email from FBU that I am scheduled for my phone interview on August 7 2025 between the hours of 0600-1200 Manila time;  

 

To me it looks like FBU is operating like S.N.A.F.U and is now on the road to F.U.B.A.R.  I guess if you just turn the letters around on FBU you can easily get tot FUBAR.  Anyway now on month 6 of this application and no progress. 

[sqwakvfr]

Just got a phone call from this number: +1 202 237 06451.  It rung once and the caller hung up. .  I think it was the US Embassy in Manila.  Then I got an email from FBU that stated : " we called but you did not answer".  Ok, kind of hard to answer after only one ring. Just as Dcheech said I don't believe anything these clowns say 

[gargamon]

I still haven't received any communication since the purported call was supposed to arrive July 17th. Tried calling a number of times but that is futile as it plays the message a couple of times then hangs up the call. I've emailed requesting a new call but no response.

 

Worst case scenario: wait until they do another remote face to face where they set a day and address social security problems in person. They had one in BKK a while back I think.

 

Sure glad I don't need the money for day to day living...

[sqwakvfr]

1 hour ago, gargamon said:

I still haven't received any communication since the purported call was supposed to arrive July 17th. Tried calling a number of times but that is futile as it plays the message a couple of times then hangs up the call. I've emailed requesting a new call but no response.

 

Worst case scenario: wait until they do another remote face to face where they set a day and address social security problems in person. They had one in BKK a while back I think.

 

Sure glad I don't need the money for day to day living...

The email said they will call me on August 7 2025 between hours of 0600 to 1200 Manila time.  This is a long time frame to recieve a call. I wonder if they are trying to get their act together? 

[gargamon]

3 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

The email said they will call me on August 7 2025 between hours of 0600 to 1200 Manila time.  This is a long time frame to recieve a call. I wonder if they are trying to get their act together? 

That's pretty early, 7:00 am in the Philippines. I doubt they're in the office at 7:00. Maybe it's a call from the US. My call was supposed to be from 8-11am Philippines time.

[sqwakvfr]

5 minutes ago, gargamon said:

That's pretty early, 7:00 am in the Philippines. I doubt they're in the office at 7:00. Maybe it's a call from the US. My call was supposed to be from 8-11am Philippines time.

I have sent numerous emails to this address([email protected]) and got the email for the phone call on July 21 in late May. I send one email every two weeks to the same address requesting an uipdate on my application.  I do not call them because they same thing that happens to you happens to me as well.