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kosika

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I am no longer able to rely on others to ship any important mail from the US. 
I have heard about Ishop and Handy Mail but know nothing about them and would appreciate any info you could give me as to how this works.
I would have only occasional mail and no packages.

Thank you in advance
 

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Used HandyMail for 6 years, switched to Sol y Luna 2 years ago.  Both give same service.  My reason for switching was traffic, driving from Ajijic to SAT has become a headache.  I can walk to Sol y Luna.  

My only suggestion is that you pick a provider close to where you live.  As I said, service-wise they are equal.  You can sign up for a month, or get a discount for 6 or 12 month terms.  

 

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How has Sol y Luna been for you?  They didn't seem well organized when I visited them.  Would be nice to be able to walk to.  

Handymail used to charge 10 pesos to take a post paid letter to the border, now 60 pesos. How much at Sol y Luna?

Since Dryden passed away they are much less customer friendly IMO.  

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Living in Ajijic, I changed from Handy Mail" to Sol y Luna some 6 years ago . Both provide good service. It was simply a matter of Sol Y Luna was so much closer to home. And another advantage was/is that the costs were and I presume still are slightly less for the annual dues and costs of sending mail to the US than the competition. Sorry I don't remember the exact costs. You might give them a phone call and check the cost of their services. According to a 2018 phone book, their number is 376-766-5850.

Why the old phone book? I'm in Seattle waiting for the Corona virus to either calm down or for a vaccine shot once it becomes available.

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54 minutes ago, Mainecoons said:

How has Sol y Luna been for you?  They didn't seem well organized when I visited them.  Would be nice to be able to walk to.  

Handymail used to charge 10 pesos to take a post paid letter to the border, now 60 pesos. How much at Sol y Luna?

Since Dryden passed away they are much less customer friendly IMO.  

My only peeve is that they shortened their hours from 9-5 to 10-4, but have learned to live with it.

Friendly, but a different business model....no boxes/keys, they keep mail behind counter and you ask for it.  It's been awhile since I mailed something; I think it was 30p but that was several months ago. 

Sol y Luna does not ask you what is in an outgoing envelope, or ask to see its contents.  Handy Mail wanted outgoing mail presented in an unsealed envelope, looking for checks and would assess you aduana fees if you were mailing a check northward.  Not sure if that is still their policy.  

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2 hours ago, Bisbee Gal said:

My only peeve is that they shortened their hours from 9-5 to 10-4, but have learned to live with it. 

 

the last time I checked mail at Sol Y Luna before going north for the summer was sometime in April and I was told that they opened at 10 AM on Saturdays but 9 AM on weekdays, Is there any chance you only went on Saturday?

Or, is it now 6 days a week at 10 AM?

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I have used Handymail for over 15 years.  Because they do not accept packages in Laredo the mail does not pass through Aduana thus it is at least a day quicker. Sometimes I receive mail 3 times a week.  They send out emails of each arrival with which boxes have mail. They also accept Correos de Mexico & packages shipped directly to your box in Mexico. 

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42 minutes ago, johanson said:

 

the last time I checked mail at Sol Y Luna before going north for the summer was sometime in April and I was told that they opened at 10 AM on Saturdays but 9 AM on weekdays, Is there any chance you only went on Saturday?

Or, is it now 6 days a week at 10 AM?

So far as I know, as of a week ago for sure.  They shortened their hours during the initial shut-down here.  Rarely go on Sat.  I was there 3 times last week as I had Amazon packages shipped directly to their office at Bougambilias plaza.  

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FYI, when I decided to try Sol y Luna I kept my Handymail box simultaneously for 2 months.  Deliveries more or less the same while I tested them against each other.  

No beef with Handymail, it is more a matter of not having to drive from Ajijic to SAT.  I can walk to S&L from my home.   

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Nothing wrong with iShop or Handy Mail. At one time  iShop was more expensive than HandyMail. And both are were more costly than  Sol  Luna. I understand that Sol y Luna is still the most economical. And sometimes iShop seems to have slightly faster service when it comes to packages.

But I live in Ajijic and often had breakfast at Scallions (before Corona) and found and after Corona will find it much easier to walk a few yards down the street after breakfast to pick up my mail than having to drive to and from San Antonio for my mail.

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I have found what I consider a better option.  I use www.travelingmailbox.com.  No need to go anywhere.  I am notified when mail has arrived. I then select what I want done with it: view, print, delete, shred, forward, etc. and it is done.  What I need a paper copy of, I print on my home printer. If I receive a check, they handle the deposit for a small fee.   It is less costly and incredibly efficient.

 

I would really consider that instead of the local shops.

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For the several years I used iShop, very pleased. Checking postmarks, mail takes a bit less than a week to get to Ajijic. I quit sending packages via Laredo as the cost of shipping and customs was quite high. Now Amazon(both US and Mex) and Costco ship directly to the Ajijic iShop at no cost to me.

Regarding checks sent north, very little need for that as more and more financial institutions allow deposits via a smart phone. 

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23 hours ago, Bisbee Gal said:

FYI, when I decided to try Sol y Luna I kept my Handymail box simultaneously for 2 months.  Deliveries more or less the same while I tested them against each other.  

No beef with Handymail, it is more a matter of not having to drive from Ajijic to SAT.  I can walk to S&L from my home.   

Where is Sol y Luna located?

 

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We have had Sol y Luna for 10 years. Used to be good, but since the pandemic they cannot be counted on. They are having trouble getting mail and packages from the U.S. I had a credit card Fedexed to their Laredo address and told them locally to please get it here ASAP. It took a month. They are only getting one to two boxes of mail per week. Another piece of mail I was waiting for I finally got 2 weeks ago. It took 3 months!!! I think these mail forwarding companies have to have someone that is considered “essential” in order to go back and forth across the border. It’s time for me to have a chat with them. I have only received mail 3-4 times since the pandemic started. 

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9 hours ago, tomgates said:

For the several years I used iShop, very pleased. Checking postmarks, mail takes a bit less than a week to get to Ajijic. I quit sending packages via Laredo as the cost of shipping and customs was quite high. Now Amazon(both US and Mex) and Costco ship directly to the Ajijic iShop at no cost to me.

Regarding checks sent north, very little need for that as more and more financial institutions allow deposits via a smart phone. 

There isn´t any IShop store in Ajijic, only in San Antonio T. and San Juan Cosalá. Also 3 stores in Guad.

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I misspoke Pete. It is in SAT. I originally went with iShop because they could ship prescription drugs which some of the others could not do at that time. It is also handily located because SuperLake, Tony's meat market and the fish market are all there. 

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Forgive my ignorance, but because of unforeseen circumstances, I am about to lose my US address that I use for my US bank accounts.  I only get a few pieces of mail a YEAR and am looking for a way to obtain a US address for receiving new credit cards, checks, etc. without having to pay for a box at iShop (my banks will not mail to Mexico).  Someone told me there is a way to get mail at iShop without having to pay for a box.  Thanks for your advice. 

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