MazDee
Jun 2, 2005, 9:03 PM
Post #1 of 8
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Alison, I hope it is ok with you, I am answering your questions to another forum here, because they are about Maz, and I think you will get more local input. Plus, I am afraid of Bubba and intimidated about putting my comments elsewhere! He probably lurks here, too, doesn't matter! Just kidding!
BANKING
Bank of America, here in Olympia says they have ATM machines all over Mazatlan and have dealings with some of the banks there. If our checks are deposited directly into BOA here, would we have any problems drawing out money to pay bills etc in Mazatlan? If not, what is the alternative? Not going anywhere near California on the way so that's out, I guess. (Anne, what did you do)
Your BofA account is fine, lots of ATMS to get your money, but I got a Cal Commerce account and love it! I did this by mail, because their only office is in LA. They pay a small amount of interest on the Amistad account, where I have my SS and pension checks deposited. Since they are owned by Banamex (which is owned by Citibank) there are other advantages. I have gotten great service from Banamex when I had problems, and of course ATM is free as well as (I think) are wire transfers and other stuff I haven’t used. You can also call their toll free number and get good service there. (Most 800 numbers are NOT toll free here). An aside- Bubba hates this bank but Rolly uses it!
INTERNET PROVIDERS
AOL tells me that I would have to get a local provider and then get AOL again. Do I really need AOL? Who are the local providers and how much do they cost per month? Is everything DSL there?
You got good answers on the other forum. You must drop AOL. I use Megacable and like it pretty well. It costs about $30 US a month. I can pay them on-line. Telmex has 2 services, one is cheaper and most people complain about it (slow) and their Prodigy Infinitum (DSL) is probably the best in town and costs about $50 US a month. My computer is for fun, not business. So the Megacable is fine. One thing that you should know is that in some of the northern areas of the city, including El Cid, there is no cable. And, you cannot get cable service for your computer unless you have TV cable too.
U.S. ADDRESS
I've been reading that it is mandatory to have a stateside address. When we sell our home in Feb: we won't have a permanent address and if the Mexican mail is not very punctual and efficient, as some say it is, how can I pay my bills on time?
Pay on line, or have an automatic withdrawal from you bank. I have used my brother’s address for over 2 years, but have decided to change everything to my local address. Service is good where I live, even tho it takes up to 2 weeks to receive mail. I don’t know why it is mandatory, lots of people don’t have US addresses. Even ol’ Bubba. I put my Mexican address on my tax returns this year! Waiting to see what happens! I only have one US bill, Visa, and that is on an automatic pay plan with my CU. Anyway, my brother has been sending stuff to me every month or so, why not get everybody to send it direct. I will actually get it sooner. I am going to try it.
TELEVISION
Some of you have cable and some have saterllite (sp). We are die hard sports fans, especially football. I'm Oakland Raiders and Ed is Seattle Seahawks. We love our baseball and football and we both love the Mariners. So, which is better, cable or sat:? How much does it cost per month, for each service.
If you are sports fans, definitely get satellite! Or, you can go to a sports bar and see what you want! I am not a sports fan, nor a TV fan. Megacable has ESPN and such, but really not many channels in English. As mentioned above, you have to subscribe (another $30 a month) if you want Megared, their computer cable.
I hope other local expats will pipe up here for your edification. See ya when you get here! Dee
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