Those who live in Mexico can sometimes run into long lines for a number of routine things required by life here. In offices like INM (immigration), I sit down, cross my arms across my chest and close my eyes. It's my theory it distresses the people who work there to see me like that and they give me attention quicker than I would get it otherwise (perhaps they're just checking to see if I'm still breathing!) In all seriousness, I thought it might be useful to compile a list of experiences of good times to call on the various offices, using our posters' experience; for example- Cablemas: I went there at around 10 AM, last Saturday, to pay my bill. There was no line, and no waiting. CFE: twice I've gone there for various things, arriving just prior to closing at 3 PM, and there was no line, and no waiting. AguaKan: there is never a good time, in my experience! Set aside two hours for this one if you have administrative details to take care of. INM: I prefer to arrive just before closing time, which is 1 PM, and often have a short wait. Registering for IMSS, INAPAM and other government programs, I've found it works better to go around 2 PM, or so. I went to IMSS administrative offices today at 1:30 PM, and there was no line, and no waiting.
Have never had to go to any of those (except Aguakan... ick), but I can confirm that going to INM after 12 pm can drastically reduce waiting time.
You can pay CFE and Aquakan online which omits all the waiting - can probably do the same with cablemas as well.
Jen: I believe they can all be paid at the Oxxo as well. (am i right?) My husband still hates those occasional cases when he has to go in person, though haha
It's certainly true about not having to stand in lines just to pay bills, in many cases: when I started this thread, I had in mind those times when there was a reason it was necessary to deal with things in person. One of my recent examples was when I needed to pay a Cablemas bill that was a couple of days overdue: OXXO cannot take payment, in those cases. Not having a bank account from which to make an online payment, I had to go in person to pay. Other examples of times when you must go in person included a trip to CFE to change the responsible party on an electric service account.
Aguakan down the side street of Yaxchilan, at the corner where Los Arcos is, has much fewer customers than does the zoo on Nader. jen*** - Where have you been lately? I don't think you can pay CFE or Aguakan online except with certain Mexican bank credit and maybe debit cards. Last I checked I could not pay with US cards. BUT with Cablemas, I have them set up with an "auto pay" kind of deal with a US Mastercard. I actually get 2-5% discounts that appear on my statements. I don't remember ever having a payment issue with them. I DO remember finding duplicate charges for the same item more than once over the years. Now if they would just give us back our ABC and NBC stations that they stealthily (Is that a word?) took away from us when we traded in our old boxes for the new POS digital ones. Can you say C-R-A-P?
Hey TJ, I've been here apart from 2 weeks in England - we just got back a week or so ago. Just lurking with nothing intelligent to say usually Yes you could be right about CFE - I pay from my Mexican bank account. I picked up a flyer from Aquakan last time I was there and they were advertising payments online - you could be right that they won't accept some credit cards though. I assumed the post was aimed at people who live and work here who would have nomina accounts but that's not always the case of course. Oxxo is a good option too, saved my butt many times. Good to 'see' ya TJ!:aktion069:
