rhintransit - 3-10-2011 at 09:06 AM
this is an actual post from LPG (La Paz Gringos Group) titled "FM3 Horror Story." am still shaking my head . names removed for obvious reasons...
"My wife and I are in the midst of getting our FM3s. Filled out all forms, paid and in one week I got mine. BUT, my wife did not get her's because at
the Nogales crossing coming down, we did everything correct except the person issuing the visas did not stamp the date on her visa. So, we had to
compose a letter saying she was sorry and did not intentionally not have the visa stamped with the date! Another trip to IMS and then they told her
that in listing her hight she needed to carry the meters out to two decimal places! So, had to fill out that form again.
She had a medical emergency and, since she had to fly back to the states and had no visa, we returned to IMS and gave them the corrected form (and
another letter because the 1st one was not exactly correct - all in Spanish by the way) to get at least her old visa (with the unstamped date) so she
could fly to USA. They would not give it to her. They said that they were sorry but she could not legally fly back to the states. Because now that
everything is hooked up to computers, she was stymied. And, if we did not complete the original request (with all supporting documents because of
their error (not stamping the date)) we would loose our about $150 USD application fee. She had to leave because of medical emergency! They said she
could not leave legally. After two hours at IMS and many talks at the window, the manager (nice guy) wrote a letter allowing her to travel on a
medical emergency BUT we lost our money and will have to start all over again when she comes back! She is flying so at least (hope, hope) she will
have a new visa that is dated correctly. I wanted her to have her FM3 so that she could get senior card. Now we will be out our first payment for the
application we abandoned and, when she comes back, the money for a new application. I figure she will have to live to about 110 to break even.
She left yesterday on the shuttle to the airport. However, she got on the wrong bus ( the one to Cabo instead of the shuttle) and when they told her
she was on the wrong bus, she was so flustered that she left her computer on the Cabo bus when transferring to the shuttle. Then, at the airport the
lady handling the shuttle (extremely nice!) made some calls and they found her computer and brought it to her at the airport!!! Again, super polite
and very, very helpful (no one took the computer on the wrong bus). Then she left her purse in a restaurant at the airport - returned and found it
where she put it. What a day!!
Why didn't I drive her to the airport? A mans got to do what a mans got to do - I went fishing and caught a giant yellowtail!!!!
Two things: 1. Make sure you are on the shuttle to the airport and not the bus to Cabo (they leave at approx. the same time in the morning)
2. Make sure they stamp your visa properly when you enter Mexico
And #3 which is important. The people at IMS were very, very nice and spoke English but were absolutely inflexible.
AND #4, THE LADY AT THE AIRPORT AND TAXI DRIVER WHO BROUGHT THE COMPUTER TO HER, EVERYONE, WERE HONEST AND WENT THE EXTRA 10 MILES TO GET HER COMPUTER
BACK TO HER - Mexicans are great people! (you need to speak their language and be polite).
BE POLITE AND REMEMBER TO ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES - NO UGLY AMERICANOS, POR FAVOR.
vandenberg - 3-10-2011 at 09:15 AM
A Murphy's Law anecdote.
Lauriboats - 3-10-2011 at 09:45 AM
Sounds like a happy ending to a bad start.
BajaBlanca - 3-10-2011 at 10:10 PM
ohhhhh what a horror story with a pretty good ending .... catch 22 at la migra tho' ....
krafty - 3-10-2011 at 10:43 PM
Attitude is everything and you have the right one-when given lemons.....
go with the flow! saludos!
Woooosh - 3-10-2011 at 10:58 PM
HUH? Didi I read that right? Who lets a wife with a medical emergency take the bus to the airport? He went fishing? yeah, for a new wife. If your
FM3 or Visa is no longer valid- wouldn't your status revert to simple tourist? Wouldn't a tourist get permission to fly under a medical emergency?
It was very nice she got the computer and purse back- that part I liked.
grace59 - 3-11-2011 at 07:20 AM
This is why I use a broker when I first applied for the FM3 and each time I reapply. The slight fee is worth it for me. Each year I get an email
telling me of any changes, I then show up at her office with the list of things she asked me to bring....she takes care of everything...I pick it up,
walk over to IMS and I'm done for another year!!!! So worth it!!
rhintransit - 3-11-2011 at 07:50 AM
hum...
I was more shaking my head at the use of the words 'horror' and 'emergency,' when obviously neither applied.
Bajatripper - 3-13-2011 at 09:33 PM
Great story. Just one small point; you seem to imply that the IMS office was being nit picky with carrying out her height (in meters) to two decimals.
How else would you list your height in meters? If you carry it out one decimal space, you would be dealing in tenths of a meter (decimeters), each of
which equates to roughly four inches, so using hundreds of a meter (centimeters, which are a little less than half an inch each) serves a pretty vital
purpose of narrowing it down further.
I do admire your spirit!
dtbushpilot - 3-13-2011 at 10:27 PM
Welcome to MX, been there, done that, still doing it.......dt