Receiving Mail in Quito

2POSTS

13 years ago

I am new to Ecuador (only 2 months!) and have a friend in the States who wants to send me a package here. The problem is that where I am living I do not have a reliable address to receive mail. A local friend suggested that she could send the box to Mariscal Sucre, but I am slightly hesitant since that airport is no longer in use, and I'm just not used to having a package sent to a random address (or lack of address, since my friend said just to put "Mariscal Sucre Airport, Quito, Ecuador" on the shipping label!!!) without someone there to pick it up asap.

So I'm wondering if anyone has had much experience receiving mail from out of the country? Where did you send it? Is the old airport the best way to go? ANY thoughts or advice will be much appreciated. Thank you!!

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ZenSPIKE Serial expat

826POSTS

13 years ago

Well,
I'm not seeing many replys, so I'll give it a go. Is there a local shop owner that you do business with that you trust? I would think they would have a solid address. Maybe you could ask to use their address? Even offer them a buck or two if need be.
Don't know if this would work in your case, just a suggestion.
Good Luck,
Neil

Molari Active member

42POSTS

13 years ago

I asked a few similar Mail questions in another thread that 'might' have useful info for you.

Click here --> http://www.expat-blog.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=232323

Nards Barley ViP

1633POSTS

13 years ago

I rented a p.o. box at the local post office in Cuenca and have mail sent there.

ZenSPIKE Serial expat

826POSTS

13 years ago

On average, how long would you say it takes to get a letter from the US? I'd never considered it, but it might come in handy. Would you mind my asking the fee?
Thanks,
Neil

Nards Barley ViP

1633POSTS

13 years ago

I have mostly used fedex or club correos while living here. All my U.S. mail gets routed to my mail service in Houston and then I either read it on-line or have it fowarded in a large envelope using fedex or a cheaper and slower alternative.

The slower alternative was about 3-4 weeks I recall.

chrisf29 Member

13POSTS

13 years ago

Zenspike, a regular envelope is pretty fast, maybe about a week. packages sent through the post office can take two weeks to arrive in the country, then another week until it gets through customs. if it's tiny they'll deliver it to you, if not then they send you a notification to pick it up at the post office close to you.

arnoldbria, can you send it to your work or to a friend's house? I have no problem getting mail at my apartment building, the guards take it and give it to me when I come home. if it's being sent fedex or something similar, could you pick it up at the office in Quito? (I don't know if this is possible, usually my packages are sent by US mail)

ZenSPIKE Serial expat

826POSTS

13 years ago

Thank you Chris, I really appreciate the information. I never expected service like in the US, but I was actually pretty impressed with approximate 1 week for a letter. Pretty cool.
Again,
Thanks,
Neil

arnoldbria Member

2POSTS

13 years ago

#10

Wow, thank you all so much for the information!
I'm looking into renting a post office box or having the mail sent to a local shop/my office. I'm hoping I have as much luck as the rest of you had, I'll be sure to report back my findings

It's so nice to know there are others here that I can ask for help. Thanks again!

ZenSPIKE Serial expat

826POSTS

13 years ago

#11

Hey Arnold,
Nice of you to respond with a " Thank You ". Seems so many people come on and ask for advise, or help, get responses, and never acknowledge it. The majority of us are in, or have been in, the same boat. It's nice to have a forum to discuss and help one another. I'm moving to Cuenca in June, so I'll probably have a huge up tick in questions. Perhaps, you being a seasoned expat by then, can give me some advice. < GRIN >
Stay Well,
Neil

BryonDavis Active member

45POSTS

13 years ago

#12

Hi Gang,

What about larger packages? Has anyone used an air carrier like FedEx, or DHL, to mail in household goods? How costly is that? How much trouble is it?

dhennis New member

6POSTS

13 years ago

#13

You can also have mail sent to South American Explorers if you're a member. It's $60 for the year and you get a lot of perks/discounts out of it. I normally have all my mail sent there, since I've had to move around a little.

chrisf29 Member

13POSTS

13 years ago

#14

Ok, I'd like to add to my above post, but about sending mail! I sent a letter via certified mail at Correos del Ecuador on April 1st, and it should finally be delivered TOMORROW. It took over THREE WEEKS to get to Cleveland, and actually about three weeks just to get to the U.S. I was stressing out that it wouldn't make it, but I am breathing easier now. And FYI I called Correos last Friday to try to get more info and the woman I talked to was pretty rude when I asked her to clarify if it was supposed to take 15 business days to arrive to the destination or only to the U.S.
I sent my absentee ballot in October via the same service and it took only 2 weeks to get to Ohio and I've received mail in the same amount of time from the states...so I don't know what the problem was this time...

Moral: give yourself a long time to send and receive mail. Or use Fedex, lol.

BobH Serial expat

841POSTS

13 years ago

#15

Consider yourself lucky. I'm in the Philippines, and a Christmas card that was mailed in the States in late November got to me in February. I'm told that's fairly typical.

I have what little mail I get these days sent to my sister's address in Phoenix. She throws 90% of it out because it's junk and lets me know if there's anything of interest in the remainder (e.g., if the IRS is after me).

I'll probably use the same approach when I'm in Ecuador, since it seems to work pretty well.

Bob

drbill Member

16POSTS

13 years ago

#16

I am having my fiance's diamond ring sent here to Quito from the US. What is the best way to have that done? FedEx? DHL? Is it safe?
Many thanks in advance.

fdmcg Serial expat

201POSTS

13 years ago

#17

Dr, I suggest you have a friend hand carry or plan on honeymooning in US and give it to her there.

drbill Member

16POSTS

13 years ago

#18

That bad, huh? Even with FedEx or DHL?

dalupus Member

24POSTS

13 years ago

#19

I have had packages sent directly to the fed-ex offices before when in a hotel or something. I can check online when they arrive and then I just go pick them up.

As far as delivery to where you are staying it just depends on if the delivery person knows where the address is. With both UPS and FedEx I had to call the office and explain where my house was.

I have no experience with the general post except that I know that things for my neighbors were quite often put into my mailbox. Quite often found some bills rain soaked in the garden (even though we had a box to put mail into)

Denise in Denver Active member

77POSTS

13 years ago

#20

Hi DrBill, I live in Quito, Lapampa area and we get mail to our front door. If you need to have an address, I would me more than glad to share ours. Please just pm me if you need the information.

sincerely,
Denise not in Denver anymore!!

Nards Barley ViP

1633POSTS

13 years ago

#21

Denise,

Aren´t you suppose to be in Cuenca? What changed your mind?

Denise in Denver Active member

77POSTS

13 years ago

#22

You are absolutely right!
The course we enrolled in "Minimalism" was a hard learned lesson. Getting rid of the years of stash was just unbelievable. But.... absolutely freeing.
The last week, asking my darling to pack was a mute point, I could see us getting in to the plane and asking the stewardess to please find someplace for his things still on hangers.
We had 4 hours in our layover in Atlanta that totally disappeared due to the original flight in Denver being delayed, and the embargo on pets started the next day on the 15.
The Quito baggage claim was a hoot! 4 dogs, 10 bags and a husband that looked grey.
So..
When we got to the Bonanza Hotel in La Pampa, near Pomasque, it was like a all paid for vacation.
We get 3 hot meals a day, a huge suite, with internet and use of the house anytime, it is a very place for people who need to stay a while.
so..... we decided to in the Quito area in the mountains for a while until we see all the sights around here (The Galapagos and the Amazon and then roll down the country.
We have a house rented in the La Pampa area, and would love to have you visit, it has plenty of bedrooms. But to make a very long story short, yes, we are in Quito for a little while, please feel free to come and enjoy a visit in the clouds.

Denise not in Denver!

Denise in Denver Active member

77POSTS

13 years ago

#23

Sorry, I got a new computer and it's keyboard is a little different. I will edit more carefully next time!

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

3 years ago

#24

Mail service resuscitated?

I am reviving this thread from 2013

because I have just received my first

half dozen letters from the U.S.

since 2019.

Several weeks ago, there was a report

that the Ecuadorian government had

renamed the old postal service

(Correos del Ecuador) to Servicios Postales ..

was starting to deliver U.S.-packages

addressed to to larger cities in Ecuador.

Still, I was surprised to see that

letter service has resumed, at least

for now.

One of the letters was from the

U.S. Treasury Department stating that

my tax-year 2020 refund check from

the IRS had expired uncashed. The

obvious reason this occurred is that

letters were not being delivered to

Quito.

I also received a timely birthday card

from my 93-year-old Aunt Lila

in Sleepy Hollow, New York.

cccmedia in Quito

Guest7953 Guest

0POSTS

3 years ago

#25

@cccmedia Did they ring your doorbell?

cccmedia Ecuador/Colombia Expert

10285POSTS

3 years ago

#26

Not exactly. Mail is delivered to the 24-hour guard station

at the condo-complex main entrance on García Moreno,

not to residents' apartments.

When I got back from Colombia more than ten days

earlier, I had asked if anything had been delivered for

my apartment during my two-month trip. No, nothing,

I was told.

Then, this weekend, one of the 'vigilantes' approached me

with the half dozen letters, most of which did not have

clearly-marked postal dates from either the U.S. point

of origin or Ecuador.

cccmedia in Quito

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Guest7953 Guest

0POSTS

3 years ago

#27

@cccmedia I figured it wasn't the case, but not far off. I actually assumed you went to a physical location for the new postal agency and withdrew your mail from a window.