Shipping to Cozumel
Living on an island in Mexico is not without its challenges, especially when you first move here. There are many things that you simply cannot buy here. That’s life on an island! Over time, I have found that you do adapt and find alternatives. And when you go to the US, you simply stock up and bring things back! However, sometimes you just can’t wait. So what do you do?
There are options available for purchasing items in the US and shipping them down. I’m sure similar options are available in other countries, but I’m just not familiar with them. Maybe one of my readers can share that information in another blog (hint, hint). So, here goes.
Some companies, like Target, have international shipping. I will tell you right now, though, it isn’t cheap! I wanted to purchase a small folding patio table at Target, but couldn’t get it in my suitcase. The table cost $22 USD. International shipping was $70 USD! I don’t think so. Next time I was in the US, I bought that table and a plastic cargo box that I packed it and several other items in. Checking it on the plane was a breeze!
Amazon.com will also ship to Mexico, but doing that from the US site is costly. Instead, check out Amazon.com.mx. The import/duty fees are already built in, and shipping is really inexpensive. Be aware that the selection of items isn’t as extensive as the US site, but they have a lot. This morning, I even found a cast iron skillet – a lot of you have been wondering how to get one here!
Another option is to contract with a mail forwarding type of company. We have one that we use. We get a US postal address (very convenient for mail service), and once a month we ship down the mail we don’t want them to trash (that is easily done on their website). The one we use, US Global Mail, is about $150/year right now, and you pay about $40 per shipment of approximately 2 lbs of mail. There is another service called MyUS that does the same thing, but will also send packages using your preferred shipping method. In addition to their annual fee, these are their shipping costs:
| Budget Economy | 7-14 days | $17.99 USD | < 10 lbs. |
| Small Pack Saver | 7-20 days | $20.62 USD | < 4 lbs. |
| UPS Expedited | 2-8 days | $28.49 USD | < 150 lbs. |
| UPS Wordwide Saver | 1-4 days | $28.79 USD | < 150 lbs. |
| FedEx Priority | 1-4 days | $31.44 USD | < 150 lbs. |
| FedEx Economy | 5-10 days | $31.48 USD | < 150 lbs. |
| DHL Express | 1-4 days | $31.85 USD | < 150 lbs. |
Whether you use UPS, FedEx, or DHL is up to you. However, I would recommend DHL. They are fast and reliable. If you’ve ever entered the chaos of the FedEx office on Calle 11, you’ll see how easy it is for your package to get lost for an extended period of time! Also, before shipping, go to each site and read up on what can and cannot be shipped, as well as a host of other information.
As a final option, I find the easiest thing to do is find someone who is willing to “mule” down whatever it is you are wanting. Simply ship it to them, and have them bring it. It’s a great way to meet new people if you ask for help in a public Facebook group. It’s also just a really nice thing to do for friends.
Happy shopping everyone!