BajaNomad

Mexican Customs Dept-U. S. Mail

SteveD - 10-3-2008 at 08:35 AM

We have just been informed by our association that the Mexican Customs Department is checking all of the mail brought down from our US Post Office Box. They are opening (and reading) all of the letters and tabulating the amounts of checks sent for our association dues to levy a tax against it. Has anyone else experienced this before? I sounds illegal to me, just a money grab by some offical.

A bit far-fetched

Dave - 10-3-2008 at 09:11 AM

Customs has the right to open mail. Never heard of them auditing. Usually they just take out any checks and cash them. :lol:

Personally, I would NEVER send a check through customs or the Mexican mail.

Bruce R Leech - 10-3-2008 at 09:15 AM

I agree with Dave, why would you ever send a check thrugh the Mexican mail?

bajabound2005 - 10-3-2008 at 09:23 AM

Read the post. It's not going through the Mexican mail. It's going to a US Post Office Box and being brought down to Baja, probably via a mail service. If the driver gets the red light...well, you know where it goes from there.

Bruce R Leech - 10-3-2008 at 09:38 AM

that is an illegal service and very dangerous to use. even more reason to not put checks or meds or anything else important in it. you are paying someone to smuggle your things across the border

Dave - 10-3-2008 at 09:49 AM

I've subscribed to a mail service for years. The owners are personal friends. They tell me about what happens at the border. Packages are occasionally opened but mail never is...At least in their experience.

Knowing a bit about how aduana works, the idea that customs would open then record check amounts for future tax purposes is absurd.:lol:

Bruce R Leech - 10-3-2008 at 10:09 AM

as long as your service is taking your things through Aduana each time you have a good service. if they are trying to beat the red light like Bajabounds service you are playing with fire. it would be a good idea for everyone who uses a service to ask there provider how this is handled.:light:

Dave - 10-3-2008 at 10:23 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bruce R Leech
as long as your service is taking your things through Aduana each time you have a good service. if they are trying to beat the red light like Bajabounds service you are playing with fire. it would be a good idea for everyone who uses a service to ask there provider how this is handled.:light:


Of course they stop. They usually have a van full of mail and packages. Customs inspectors know them and they have an established track record. They usually just get waived through.

Mail services are illegal, however. Everyone knows this but accomodations are made.

Bruce R Leech - 10-3-2008 at 10:26 AM

not all mail services are illegal

All the Mom & Pops, Are.

Dave - 10-3-2008 at 10:34 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bruce R Leech
not all mail services are illegal


Only international carriers are legal. I suppose a small service could register with Aduna but regulations, duties and customs theft would put 'em out of business quickly.

Bob and Susan - 10-3-2008 at 12:01 PM

you probably DO NOT have a US PO Box...

otherwise ALL your receivers would HAVE to go
to the US Post Office and show their ID WITH you in tow...

since 911 the rules are VERY strict

you probably have a Private Mail Box...PMB
and he has a po box
he's your agent

Now...

Once the mail is delivered to the PMB it becomes
"private property" and is NOT US Mail...

so...

if it's stolen or opened
it's just like someone taking a grocery bag from your car
or taking something from your house

it's NOT mail anymore

Aduana has EVERY right to open EVERYTHING in the car or truck...

and...

take ANYTHING they deem illegal

let me tell you...i wouldn't want to be the guy who transports packages across the border from a mailbox place...

this is how much of the drug traffic is done:light:

SteveD - 10-3-2008 at 12:19 PM

The mail goes to a U. S. Postal Box, not a private one. There are several "Services" in the Rosarito area that pick up your mail in the US and bring it down to their office where you can pick it up. Many Mexican companies have US Postal Boxes (Banamex, Lloyds, etc.) Now some of you are telling us that (1) it is an illegal service and (2) Mexican Customs can take whatever they want.

bajabound2005 - 10-3-2008 at 12:37 PM

We, personally, have a PMB. Many others use a USPS POB. The mail service has the key to the USPS POB. At the PMB, the owner there knows who can pick up our mail -by previous arrangement.

Rarely are things coming through, via our mail service, that are declarable items. Books, CDs, DVDs and meds are allowed through without any duty. If duty is imposed, the service pays it and divies it up amongst all the clients. If customs opens any mail or package and finds over $10k in cash (or check), then there will be a problem because then you have to declare. They aren't looking to tax the HOA...that's not their job. They are looking to collect duty. I doubt very much that your HOA dues are that much!

Is the HOA using a Mexican or American bank? If American, have the dues deposited directly to the account.

Bob and Susan - 10-3-2008 at 12:53 PM

yes why are people "mailing" checks??? :?:

bank transfer is easier even to mexico

you do it on your computer at home...

EVERYTHING mailed can be subject to duty

Dave - 10-3-2008 at 01:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajabound2005
Books, CDs, DVDs and meds are allowed through without any duty.


We're not talking about personal items that you, as a tourist, can bring in your luggage.

If I order a Book or CD from amazon it is subject to duty.

bajabound2005 - 10-3-2008 at 08:44 PM

nope, Dave...don't think so. I'm not talking about stuff in my luggage either. I mean MAILED stuff. Even the mail service people tell you what they can bring in.

I've orderd from Amazon (DVDs) and had it sent to a Mexican address as a Christmas gift. I ordered one season of one show....Amazon sent it through, no problem. They won't even accept orders for other things...only media. If I'd ordered 100 copies...that might have been stopped the border.

akshadow - 10-3-2008 at 08:54 PM

If you owe the tax it should be paid,

bajabound2005 - 10-3-2008 at 09:02 PM

yes, it should -but in this particular case, it's not OWED. The HOA, I assume, is registered with Hacienda...and that's where their tax, if any is due, is paid. Not at customs.

Bob and Susan - 10-4-2008 at 05:49 AM

like dave says this is NOT vacationers taking stuff across for vacation use...

this is a business DOING business...probably legally

fees are due...

i know at the usa border you'd be "looked at":light:

The Gull - 10-5-2008 at 10:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SteveD
The mail goes to a U. S. Postal Box, not a private one. There are several "Services" in the Rosarito area that pick up your mail in the US and bring it down to their office where you can pick it up. Many Mexican companies have US Postal Boxes (Banamex, Lloyds, etc.) Now some of you are telling us that (1) it is an illegal service and (2) Mexican Customs can take whatever they want.


Sounds like your HOA has been doing illegal things for years. Nothing new, excpet they are just getting caught. Nothing new for the pompous attitudes of the typical Americans who hide in the American campos, making the little world of theirs in Baja, look and operate like their smaller world in the USA.

Vaya con Dios.

The Officers of the HOA better hope they have good attornies as they will need them soon or find the TJ jail an accommodating place.

SteveD - 10-6-2008 at 08:25 AM

As usual some of the Nomads respond with a "We're smarter than you" attitude when anyone tells of a problem in Baja. No, our HOA has NOT been doing anything illegal, we have been using a legitimate mail service in Rosarito. In the 50+ years I've been coming to Baja the only "pompous attitudes" I have ever come across are on this board!

DianaT - 10-6-2008 at 09:00 AM

Curious about one thing and cannot find the answer---maybe didn't look enough. :lol:

Is it legal for someone to have a US Post Office Box (not a private one) if one does not have a residence in the US>

I ask this because when we lived in Calexico, there were of course, many, many people from Mexicali who had post office boxes. And there was a sign in there that stated one must have proof of a US address in order to obtain one. Just curious.

OH, just a side note about Private Mail Boxes---we had one for a while and when we stopped it, they would not forward any of our mail---maybe it was just ours.

Sorry you are having a problem with the opening of mail---hope it works out in a positive way.

Diane

Bob and Susan - 10-6-2008 at 10:48 AM

cant have a po box WITHOUT a verifiable address in the usa

to forward out of a private mailbox you NEED to make a deal with the owner $$$

the post office DOES NOT forward mail from a PMB

DianaT - 10-6-2008 at 11:53 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bob and Susan
cant have a po box WITHOUT a verifiable address in the usa

to forward out of a private mailbox you NEED to make a deal with the owner $$$

the post office DOES NOT forward mail from a PMB


Thanks, I thought so.

The owner of our PMB company would not cooperate in anyway and claimed he told us that when we closed the box out, the post office would not forward----we did not remember being told that, but the old memory is not always reliable. :lol:

Diane