Shipping stuff to Mexico
 

Be aware that our Mexican regular post service is a real Snail Mail.
If you use US postal service and they warranty you a 3 day delivery to Mexico, they will, but that is to his partner Mexican Postal Service, and once in Customs it will take more than 2 weeks to be actually delivered to the destination.

Use DHL, Fedex, etc. It is real fast.

Also when exporting something to Mexico, eventhough it is personal items, always declare a very very low value in the shipping slip.
Who receives it will have to pay as much as 23% of the value you declared, to release it from customs. Even for used clothes! and more than that for stuff that is not considered under the NAFTA agreement.

Have you had any bad experiences yet?

MoroCycler

I shipped my bike to Veracruz in 2002, tooked me 3 days to get it out of custom!
The problem was on the papers was written "motor" and not motocicletta and they can´t give me a motorbike if on the papers stands only motor (engine)!

We tried to get some stuff shipped to us with DHL and put it down as personal items with a low value on it and it sat in Mexico City customs for about 12 days. When I called up and asked if there was a problem, they said it should arrive manana and that all was fine. A few days later it was returned to the states, apparantly because their was no Mexican phone contact number. On DHL's advice we had used our friend's number in the states as we have no cell phone and customs thought this was unacceptable. DHL then told our friend that almost all packages they had sent to Mexico recently had been returned in this way - don't know why they didn't mention that at the time of sending!
We were going to have it sent to us in Guatemala but at $700 and with no guarantee that customs won't return it, we figure it is going to be just as easy (and cheaper!) for one of us to fly to the states and get it!!!
How have other people coped with getting stuff sent to them?

Hi all,
I actually had pretty good luck with DHL...Alaska to San Cristobal in 6 days. I had the envelope delivered to the DHL office in San Cristobal and used their phone number. Just like Twintraveler suggested. Then I kept calling and showing up at the office until unbelievably it arrived. I seem to have the luck of the Irish.

It's really too bad that Nina and Jeff have had not shared my success but they have a hell of a story.

By the way, where are you guys? I'm on Roatan until Friday then head to Tegus... Maybe we'll meet along the way?

Suerte
Susan