what is the best way for me to get important mail from nj? how long will it take?? where can i get a mailbox??
I use a service which used to be Mail Boxes Etc, but have now changed their name to Mail Center Incorporated. Telephone is 998-884-8328. They have 2 branches, one on Tulum where you can never park and the other at Ave. Xpuhil 3, SM 27 right next to the Checondale restaurant. It's expensive, around 300 USD a year, but reliable as rain. You get an address in Laredo, Texas. Your mail is picked up in Texas 2 or 3 times a week and brought to the store. They charge extra for packages and packages are insanely expensive, so just use it for envelopes and magazine delivery. Packages as small as a softcover book would be cheaper by FedEx than having Mail Center deliver it. They won't call you, so it's best to check in a couple of times a week by phone. If you have important mail for the States, they will mail it for you in Texas for 40 pesos per envelope. This service is also as solid as can be and I've never lost anything I've mailed this way. If you are a regular customer they will also mail to Europe for you, but you'll have to negotiate your own rate. If your volume of mail doesn't warrant the yearly fee, you are stuck with one of the express carriers like FedEx or DHL. UPS doesn't have local facilities in Cancun, so stuff sent via UPS takes longer to arrive. The last bit of advice I can give you is do not use the "normal" mail for anything. I'm still waiting for birthday cards from 3 years ago and a Visa card sent out in 2004. That card was used to buy several cameras on Mercado Libre before I saw my Visa bill and shut the card down. Which reminds me, it's also a good idea to go paperless on as many accounts as possible. Your normal bill contains enough personal information to make it valuable to someone who steals it and it will get stolen.
Agree with Mixz1 on the normal post service, my mum sent a letter to my mother in law 2 years ago and 2 months later my wifes cousin was approached by his friend in the street with something in his hand, it was a letter and photos of us, thankfully he recognised the name, thing was he lived 1km away from where it was supposed to be delivered, so the postman probably just checked it for money and dumped it in the street! Mexian post office, probably on a par with the Italian post office and to think in the UK we give the postmen grief when they deliver 99.98% of the mail correctly and on time! My sister sends stuff here DHL, it's quite cheap apparently and got here in a few days, Fedex is a rip off, even if you have a business account it's still really expensive, okay for letters but parcels are stupid money, the best service though.
My parents just sent me a small package "Priority Mail" from Detroit and it only took a week to get here. Cheaper than Fedex and apparently safe. I've received several items this way with no trouble. Regular mail, fuggedaboutit. If it's really valuable (documents, etc.) I would stick to Fedex.
I'm going to guess that whatever your folks sent you was of no interest to the postal worker who pawed at it before you got it. I've had various small computer and photographic accessories sent by Priority Mail and forwarded directly to the Land of No Arrivals until I just got tired of begging vendors to re-send stuff, filing claims, etc and now I just specify FedEx or DHL or even UPS. I'm sure that within the Mexican postal service there are honest, dependable people. Maybe they're in Merida, but certainly they're not here. There's a reason Scotia Bank delivers my checkbooks and MasterCard by messenger.
Mix- Definitely the case, I guess the postal workers weren't looking for a Superman costume and Spiderman pyjamas that day. I would certainly not use it for anything of great value!
Kathy, There is a Mail Box etc type of place in Plaza Hollywood, on the Coba side. Many friends have used that without problem and I am pretty sure they have the mailboxes. Fernando used to have a virtual office upstairs, in the far right space, in Plaza Hong Kong but I have not heard from him in a while. He had mail box service, mini suites, conference room rentals, etc. May be worth a look next time you are in the area. Mix and Canuck - Mix, you are right but I bet Canuck had some "Vickie Secret" items that got by the postal thieves some way. Probably not hidden inside any Superman stuff either.
I don't know if one day Correos de Mexico will understand that correspondance is confidential. The guy who delivers here either gives it to the gardener, or just throws it on the stairs (outside). I already made several complaints to the manager, he told me I was the only one with problems :shock:. So maybe it would be a good idea to support Moreover, when the gardener is in bad mood, which is a lot of time, he keeps it or trashes it. I stay months without bank statements, regularly. I asked Banorte NOT to mail my statements, they say they have to :roll: . And in Europe it is the law to mail it to the fiscal address, so I have no other choice. Some do online service but not all. And sometimes they have to send letters anyway. This month I didn't receive my Telmex invoice, which I don't care, I receive it by email too and pay online. But my statements, YES :evil: . I am not talking about other kind of letters, which I will always ignore. I have even especially installed a mailbox on my door so it is easier for delivering :lol: So I would be very grateful if you can deliver many complaints to their office (not put it in a red mailbox!) His name is C. Jose D. Balam Chemul Administrador de Correos I don't know who is higher. Thanks in advance. That can help us all. Maybe one day.... manana!
Nope. Never. Nunca. Jamas. Nor will they ever understand that we customers do not have ESP and need to be told when there is something to be collected before a certain date lest it be returned to sender; they will never understand that blaming Aduana for any delays to outbound international mail doesn't wash; they will never understand that having the Carteros beg for tips once a year does not endear them to the public; they will never understand why using burros is not an effective means of transport for inter-city mail (sheesh! SIX WEEKS to get a letter to Monterrey, 5 hours away); they will never understand that 'Priority' mail (for which they charge more) means they have to hit the burro a bit harder... SEPOMEX is obviously full of loafers as 'service' provided by Coreos de Mexico is of ineffable crappiness.
