After living in several 3rd world countries in Africa and Asia, I learned to avoid their postal services because you never knew if your mail had been pilfered or stolen or simply thrown away.
Is the mail in Ecuador reliable? I am particularly interested in small packages sent from purchases made outside Ecuador on the internet. How are customs fees paid? Does one need to rent a box or is delivery made to an address?
John, you won’t be surprised to learn that mail service is also unreliable in Ecuador. For small packages, check out . I’ve never personally used it (we go back to the States pretty often) but some of my amigos have had success with it.
Gracias for your prompt reply. You are right. I am not surprised. I checked out the link and $400 for 4 kilos is even more expensive than UPS overnight here is the states.
The thought entered my mind that this might be an entrepreneurial opportunity, but I quickly forgot about it. The government is usually involved in postal services and import/export customs and to compete with them can get one introduced to the police or military. Or the Ecuadorian equivalent of the Zetas. I am not that adventures anymore.
I don’t think it costs $400 to send 4 kilos, you might want to check that again. I think there is, though, a rule about not sending anything with an invoice of more than $400… And you might check at gringotree.com — there are other mail services you can use, too.
Karen, you can get Amazon deliveries through clubcorreos, etc. And most people get a P.O. box in whatever Ecuador town they live in… and have mail sent there. Or you can get a service like EarthClassMail.com that will scan your mail if you like and send it to you electronically… then you can decide if you need it physically or not…