How does the mail work?

[carolnewb]

I know it does, well, at least where I live in the south of Mexico City but what services are available for general mail such as small packages that's secure but inexpensive (international)? I'm considering starting a small mail order business for some extra cash. My post office is small & the staff doesn't seem very experienced with international mail so just refer me to expensive couriers. I had a colleague a while ago who had a similar business & was using a good mail service but I lost contact with him so can't ask. Ideas anyone? Thanks Carol

[Penguins_Pet_Pumpkin]

Hi Carol, and welcome to the forum.

So are FedEx and UPS too expensive? That's something that can be included in the cost of whatever you're selling. Have you ever noticed that S&H costs usually seem like a lot more than is warranted? Could be because of courier costs. I'd consider those and any other similar services anyway.

Come back and check again. I'm sure others around here have more, and maybe better, input for you. Good luck with it!

[synthia]

A lot of times, at least for domestic US shipments, people sell things at a really low price then overcharge for shipping to make a profit.

[carolnewb]

Thanks for the replies. The post office wrote down the rates for me which are more expensive than usual. The minimum rate is approx. 450 pesos for packages weighing up to 500g. From 1kg to 2kg, it's 550 pesos which is not too bad. The courier is called Mexpost but she said it's a US company. That 450 peso rate will put anyone off buying smaller items & I don't think incorporating into the total cost would work much. Isn't it strange there seems to be no normal mail service for international packages? - although as I said before, I thought there was. I keep asking this when I'm at my post office because they have a chart on the wall which gives rates for international packages that are much lower than this but they keep telling me it doen't apply to me,,I think my Spanish isn't good enough to understand why but they are starting to hate me for asking the same question always! Thanks again. This is really a nice forum. Carol

[bournemouth]

Carol - the other problems is reliability of mail unless you are using a courier service. There is a person in the Lake Chapala area who sells on Ebay regularly but has the items taken to Laredo in a bulk container and then shipped from there. The things sold are unusual enough that people are willing to pay the costs, which are high.

[synthia]

When I was in South America last year I was shocked at the price for even a post card. I've read that the internet has replaced so much mail that the handling charges for individual pieces has become really high, and that has been refected in increased costs. That, of course, will force more people to use e-mail, and it will continue to escalate.

There used to be special rates for small packages, but those seem to have disappeared, since the major cost now is in the handling.

You should ask about international express mail. That sometimes has a fairly high weight limit, a couple of pounds, and I think you can use it for anything. I sent a package home express mail from India a couple of years ago because it was cheaper than the package rate, which had a high minimum.

[carolnewb]

This is what I don't get. My post office never gives me any other option, not even international express mail. They just point me to the courier section (EMS, I just found out). I wonder if they're just being lazy. It's not 1 of those tiny post offices tucked away in a little town either. I think I'll try another post office although they are very far from each other

[carolnewb]

In case someone might find this useful, I went back to my post office with the Sepomex (Mexican postal service) rates for small packages I had printed from their website. These were the rates the same post office kept telling me that they were unavailable for items other than books, cds, etc even though the website doesn't mention this restriction. When I showed them the printed rates & asked if they were still current & if I could use them for any small package, I was told yes. This was the same officer who had told me about that non-existant restriction a number of times before. I was able to send a small package that day (as a test) which weighed 500g & cost me 135 pesos to Australia. Previously, they would have told me I could only send it with Mexpost which would have cost approx. 450 pesos.
The main restriction with this service is that the weight limit is 2 kgs & then Mexpost has to be used for anything over that.
I think post offices dislike dealing with this service & direct people to Mexpost instead but I don't know why. I was told by 2 different post offices about that restriction which is not true. I was given at least 20 stamps for my little package! Perhaps that's why they prefer not to use it? I read somwhere that the government wants post offices to use that service for small packages but they didn't say why they weren't doing it anyway.

[GringoCArlos]

I don't think the problem is with the Mexico Postal system, the problem is with Mexican Customs - they want to inspect all packages, hence the high cost. That's why your friend sends everything to Laredo in bulk, to get cleared, and then shipped onward.

I checked with UPS in the US and they want about US$125 for a 5 lb package to MX. I have also been warned by friends that it is possible that half the goods will "disappear" enroute to me, haha.

[RVGRINGO]

it is probable that the the postal workers were trying to hint that their service 'wasn't for you' because of the high rate of vanishing packages. Courier services are much more reliable.