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YucaLandia

Dec 8, 2010, 8:08 AM

Post #1 of 16 (4699 views)

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Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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It's X-mas time, and we are working through shipping issues to get presents et al back and forth between our US and Mexican families. We've heard various opinions on shipping in the past, yet we'd like to hear about current shipping & Aduana conditions. My wife's laboratory has been shipping and receiving equipment, samples, reagents, and documents for roughly 20 years into and out-of Mexico. They have historically found that Fed Ex and UPS repeatedly give almost no support to resolving issues when Mexican Aduana holds things in Mexico City. They have also found the DHL has much better general records (near perfect) at getting packages into and out-of Mexico for the same goods for which Fed Ex and UPS fail.

In a different twist on the same subject, I talked this week with a good friend who as worked at various consulates across Mexico over the past 3 decades, and this friend reports that he and his State Department co-workers found that for non-rush shipments, US Postal Service (USPS) Priority Mail service has even better performance than DHL when shipping from the US into Mexico. He understood from the shipping pros that the Mexican Postal Service and Aduana treat US Postal Service Priority Mail packages with a lot more deference than they do for private carriers (professional courtesy of one Govt agency by another?). This long-time shipper of packages from the US to Mexico also reported that since the Mexican Postal Service does not offer services equivalent to all the categories of USPS Priority Mail, Registered Mail, Certified Mail etc, that the Mexican PS tends to deliver USPS Priority Mail packages faster and sooner than other categories of packages. He also reports that the Priority Mail stuff was rarely opened, and that it almost always arrived in very good condition. (Again due to professional courtesy between the employees of Govt. agencies?)

What are other people's experiences with this common issue?

Do we have any official word on when things need to be shipped for delivery before Dec. 25'th?

Happy Holidays,
steve
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Read-on MacDuff
E-visit at http://yucalandia.wordpress.com/

(This post was edited by YucaLandia on Dec 8, 2010, 8:16 AM)

Rolly

Dec 8, 2010, 8:42 AM

Post #2 of 16 (4678 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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I have had several packages sent from the USA via Priority Mail. The delivery was quick, and the packages were unopened, hence no duty on clothing items. One Priority package from Dallas arrived the next day. Others have taken two or three days.

My experience with UPS has been much less satisfying. UPS once delivered the next day; a couple of times it took over a week. Most UPS letter envelops were not opened; all larger packages were opened and duty charged on clothing.

UPS costs substantially more than Priority.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

joaquinx

Dec 8, 2010, 10:48 AM

Post #3 of 16 (4656 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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I just received a package of clothing via USPS duty free and delivered to my door. It took 2 1/2 weeks shipping from Maine to Veracruz.

skier14

Dec 8, 2010, 1:16 PM

Post #4 of 16 (4634 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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If my memory is correct DHL quit US service.

RickS

Dec 8, 2010, 1:17 PM

Post #5 of 16 (4634 views)

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Re: [joaquinx] Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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Rolly, joaquinx...

I may need to have an 'business envelop" delivered from the States to me here in Ajijic.

Based on your comments about the USPS Priority Mail delivery to your house, do you 'regularly' get mail delivered 'to your door'? If so, is the delivery 'normally' pretty reliable? Friends tell me that sometimes their mail delivery here in Ajijic is spotty; others get it pretty much without incident. My alternative is FedX, but the rate from the US to here is upwards of $70!

(This post was edited by RickS on Dec 8, 2010, 1:19 PM)

joaquinx

Dec 8, 2010, 1:32 PM

Post #6 of 16 (4630 views)

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Re: [RickS] Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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In Reply To

Rolly, joaquinx...
Based on your comments about the USPS Priority Mail delivery to your house, do you 'regularly' get mail delivered 'to your door'? If so, is the delivery 'normally' pretty reliable? Friends tell me that sometimes their mail delivery here in Ajijic is spotty; others get it pretty much without incident. My alternative is FedX, but the rate from the US to here is upwards of $70!

I used to get my statements from my bank delivered by post and they usually arrived four weeks after the postmark. There are not too many companies that ship to Mexico, but LL Bean does. I have received packages sent by USPS/MexPost and the postman usually tosses a slip of paper through the gate onto the driveway stating that a package awaits me at the postal annex. I then have to either take a taxi or drive to the annex and pick up the package. I was expecting that slip of paper when the front bell rang. It was my old postman on a motorcycle with a package. I was dumbfounded as this home delivery was totally unexpected. The package took 2 ½ weeks to arrive, was not opened, and was duty free. Now the package was shipped “air freight” and I believe that MexPost will deliver such items while normally sent packages still must be picked up at the annex. Bank of America sent me a new debit card by the slower/cheaper method and that letter was found tossed on the driveway.

Rolly

Dec 8, 2010, 2:16 PM

Post #7 of 16 (4621 views)

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Re: [RickS] Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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Mail never come to my house, so I use the address of a friend in el centro where home delivery is dependable.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

RickS

Dec 8, 2010, 2:18 PM

Post #8 of 16 (4619 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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Thanks, guys....

YucaLandia

Dec 10, 2010, 5:38 AM

Post #9 of 16 (4546 views)

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Re: [skier14] Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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In Reply To

If my memory is correct DHL quit US service.

DHL still provides their very reliable service throughout the USA, and is ranked as the number 1 international shipper. (DHL did close one of its US service centers 2 years ago, in a cost-cutting measure during the global recession.)

Our lab just sent 2 more packages yesterday to the USA using DHL.
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Read-on MacDuff
E-visit at http://yucalandia.wordpress.com/

skier14

Dec 10, 2010, 2:28 PM

Post #10 of 16 (4502 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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I stand corrected. Thanks.

chinagringo

Dec 10, 2010, 3:06 PM

Post #11 of 16 (4498 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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Interestingly, I placed an order with a Kirkland, WA company to be shipped here to Albuquerque. They sent me notification of shipment via DHL. When clicking on the track shipment link provided, it took me to a tracking number with USPS. So I assume that will be the way it arrives?
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

DavidHF

Dec 10, 2010, 4:12 PM

Post #12 of 16 (4490 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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I encountered something similar a year or two ago; tracking something sent to a friend in San Antonio, TX via UPS. The shippers (UPS, DHL) offer a service to businesses where they carry the package to the nearest Post Office and USPS takes it from there.

N2Futur

Dec 11, 2010, 11:17 AM

Post #13 of 16 (4402 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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We have all our mail, incl. magazine subscriptions, send to a mail forwarding service in South Dakota (Americas Mailbox). Once a month they forward our mail via USPS Priority mail to our address in Melaque. It takes anywhere from 2 - 6 weeks to receive the package. Our mailman delivers to our house on his moto. So far we have received every package and none of them have ever been opened.

Elke
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"When choosing between two evils, I always like to pick the one I never tried before." - Mae West

Maztex

Dec 12, 2010, 7:19 AM

Post #14 of 16 (4350 views)

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Re: [N2Futur] Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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Are you sure your mail is being sent "priority?" I would guess, based on the wait time of 2 to 6 weeks you're experiencing, that it is being sent first class (regular mail).

MazTex

macanri2002

Dec 12, 2010, 9:53 AM

Post #15 of 16 (4324 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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Hi Guys, just to add a little info regarding DHL. I ordered some auto parts in the USA, got them shipped from USA to Leon, that cost $85. the delivery was prompt. But the kicker was I had to pay 500 Pesos (Aduanas ) ??????? to DHL for Duty. I contested this with DHL, because they supplied me with THEIR invoice for the money.Approx. 6 weeks later and dozens of emails, they finally told me it was duty for the parts. By the way, I paid $60 for the parts................Viva Mexico......Happy Xmass to all.jk

mazbook1

Dec 13, 2010, 2:36 PM

Post #16 of 16 (4218 views)

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Re: [Maztex] Shipping to and from Mexico: DHL, USPS, Fed Ex, & UPS

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Maztex, No, first class mail takes longer! I have received many, many U.S.P.S. International Priority Mail (in the approved U.S.P.S. envelopes or boxes that have a flat-rate charge, no matter how much you stuff into them—they do have an upper weight limit, but it's darn near impossible to exceed) and the quickest I have ever received one was 12 days and the longest was slightly more than 4 weeks. According to the various stamps on the packages, they do get priority treatment in the U.S. and arrive in México in one or two days. But then they are handled by Correos de México, which doesn't seem to honor the "Priority" part and from México City (or sometimes Guadalajara) to Mazatlán they take about the same time (very variable) that ordinary Mexican mail takes.