# Customs' fees on packages mailed to MX



## travelinhobo (Sep 17, 2010)

Does anyone on here make purchases on-line from businesses in other countries? I'm needing to buy shoes on Amazon (yes, it's a need), but would like to know how much Customs is going to charge me when it arrives in MX. I've searched the internet for fees/taxes, but am not coming up with much. Previous posts on this topic here are at least a year old and don't give specifics. I don't have any means to get them into MX any other way, so at this point I don't have other options. Thanks.


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## sunnyvmx (Mar 14, 2010)

Ordering on Amazon is definitely the way to go. When you order the total includes the duty so you know up front what you are paying. Later if the duty you were charged is less, then Amazon returns the difference as a credit to your card. I have had as little as $1.30 to as much as $16.92 returned on my many purchases. The package is delivered on time and you can track it right to your door. They will try three times and will leave you a notice when they will return.


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## lhpdiver (Jul 30, 2014)

travelinhobo said:


> Does anyone on here make purchases on-line from businesses in other countries? I'm needing to buy shoes on Amazon (yes, it's a need), but would like to know how much Customs is going to charge me when it arrives in MX. I've searched the internet for fees/taxes, but am not coming up with much. Previous posts on this topic here are at least a year old and don't give specifics. I don't have any means to get them into MX any other way, so at this point I don't have other options. Thanks.


In nearly two years I have had maybe 20-25 things shipped into Mexico. I have only not received one thing - some batteries I purchased from a guy in Canada on ebay. Amazon seems very selective as to what they will/will not ship here. I haven't figured it out. Once I did purchase something from Amazon and they shipped DHL and I received it in like 3-4 days. I have never been charged duties on any of the items. Only once I was asked to complete some Aduana forms. Very seldom the sender has honestly completed a declaration form and that was that - no duties. We have purchased from LLBean (flat $35 USD for shipping - no duties), ebay (I skip right over any listing which say "customs services provided..."). Apparently Ebay and Pitney Bowes reached some sort of agreement for international shipping. It is ridiculously expensive. I have purchased Nike sneakers (size 13) on ebay - asked the seller to take them out of the box and ship them. No problem. It generally takes 4-6 weeks for us to get stuff - but we live out in the boonies. It is just my sixth sense but I think as long as you are not bringing stuff in for resale they really don't care about a few pesos duty...


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## michmex (Jul 15, 2012)

You should be ok with imports of individual shoes. More than a pair or two may arouse their inclination to consider it a commercial shipment which could result in duties being assessed. Imports from China at below reasonable market prices recently caused a reaction from Mexican officials intent on protecting their domestic shoe industry.

Mexico gov't imposes tariff of up to 30 pct on footwear imports | Fox News Latino

Buying from a source like Amazon which is experienced in international shipping is your best bet.


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## lhpdiver (Jul 30, 2014)

So - just for giggles I went to Amazon's website and added a pair of these sneakers to my cart : Nike Men's Air Pegasus 30, PRIZE BLUE/BLACK-DARK ARMORY BLUE-BLUE HERO, 13 M US 

When I go to checkout I get the following message : "Sorry, this item can't be shipped to your selected address. Learn more. You may either change the shipping address or delete the item from your order. You can also see if this item is available to ship to your address from another seller. "

I was attempting to ship to my Cuernavaca address.

Hmm - at the same time it has no issues shipping these sneakers to Cuernavaca : Salomon Men's XA Pro 3D GTX Trail Running Shoe,Black/Black/Pewter,13 M US 

Guess it has to do with the actual underlying seller... Ahhh but they want to charge $13 USD shipping and $50 duties...


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## sunnyvmx (Mar 14, 2010)

Amazon has a deal with sellers to warehouse their products. They then take the orders and ship them. Individual sellers will most likely not ship to Mexico although Amazon takes the order. If you go down the far left column and check mark Global International Shipping then only items that can be shipped to your Mexican address will be listed. I bought 4 pairs of TEVA sandals without any problem.

Shipping and Handling is usually $15. The duty they have charted will be included in the total and as I said, if the duty is overcharged, Amazon credits you back with a refund. I have received several emails detailing the reason for the refund and when I should expect to see it appear on my statement.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

When I lived in the US, I bought a lot of my clothes from Lands End. Since moving here, I haven't been able to because they wouldn't ship to Mexico. Now they do, but the shipping and customs charges can double the cost of the items you're buying!


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## travelinhobo (Sep 17, 2010)

Wow. Thanks for all the responses and positive ones at that. I'll put the order in this afternoon! As for what I'm ordering, yes, prior to bothering to look at the sandal selection, I checked "deliverable to Mexico". So I already know I shouldn't have a problem with that. Amazon only charges $5 + $3/lb. for int'l delivery which is cheap compared to other companies who do a flat $50 (well, I guess if you're ordering minimal, it's cheap). Thanks again.


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## sunnyvmx (Mar 14, 2010)

When I order from Amazon, I always figure it's going to cost double and then I'm happy when it doesn't. No matter, I want what I want, when I want and I'm not going to the border to get it. I don't fret if the bank charges me 3% for pesos, it's all the cost of living in paradise.
As long as the SS checks keep coming, I have excellent health and there's money left over at the end of the month, life couldn't be sweeter. Unless, of course, you were one of my birds or my pup and then you would think, "It doesn't get any better than this."


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## lhpdiver (Jul 30, 2014)

sunnyvmx said:


> When I order from Amazon, I always figure it's going to cost double and then I'm happy when it doesn't. No matter, I want what I want, when I want and I'm not going to the border to get it. I don't fret if the bank charges me 3% for pesos, it's all the cost of living in paradise.
> As long as the SS checks keep coming, I have excellent health and there's money left over at the end of the month, life couldn't be sweeter. Unless, of course, you were one of my birds or my pup and then you would think, "It doesn't get any better than this."


Watch the pennies and the dollars take care of themselves...

(We couldn't possibly have a more different view of handling our monetary affairs - good luck).


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## dwwhiteside (Apr 17, 2013)

I am just curious. This weekend I spent some time in the el centro part of Colima. It appears to me as though there are ALL KINDS of shoes available here for extremely reasonable prices. I guess if I really, REALLY wanted some particular kind of athletic shoe it might be more reasonable to buy from Amazon or some other online retailer. But, for general wear shoes and sandals, why would you NOT buy something made and sold here in Mexico?


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## lhpdiver (Jul 30, 2014)

dwwhiteside said:


> I am just curious. This weekend I spent some time in the el centro part of Colima. It appears to me as though there are ALL KINDS of shoes available here for extremely reasonable prices. I guess if I really, REALLY wanted some particular kind of athletic shoe it might be more reasonable to buy from Amazon or some other online retailer. But, for general wear shoes and sandals, why would you NOT buy something made and sold here in Mexico?


I'm size 13. Largest I've seen here is 11.5 ??


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## sunnyvmx (Mar 14, 2010)

I have bought sandals here and the sole separated and then separated again after being repaired. I then had two pair of leather guaraches handmade and I love them, but they are tight and hurt my feet. As a last resort, I ordered the TEVA sandals and they appear to be very durable and fit my feet perfectly. What more can I say?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

sunnyvmx said:


> I have bought sandals here and the sole separated and then separated again after being repaired. I then had two pair of leather guaraches handmade and I love them, but they are tight and hurt my feet. As a last resort, I ordered the TEVA sandals and they appear to be very durable and fit my feet perfectly. What more can I say?


I buy running shoes in the US. I have one brand that I have run in for 40 years with no foot or knee problems. Until recently they were not available in Mexico at all. Now they are available but the cost is about twice the US price. I usually buy two pairs whenever I am in the US.


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## michmex (Jul 15, 2012)

lhpdiver said:


> I'm size 13. Largest I've seen here is 11.5 ??



Size and maybe styles are the issues with buying shoes. I have a common size but my feet are a bit wider than is common in Mexico. My feet won't fit into many of the shoes here. The Flexi brand seems to give me the best luck but not always in all styles. Athletic and tennis types are OK but seem to be a bit longer in length when converting sizes.

My wife who is from Mexico City had a devil of a time finding footwear when we were living in the USA. Her feet are quite a small , especially in relation to women in the USA which most of the time relegated her to the girls section which did not please her at all. She was, however, extremely fond of the sales that department stores would periodically have on shoes even if she could not find many in her size.


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

My Austrian friend was looking forward to her trip to Mexico this past summer because she was planning to find a custom shoemaker who could duplicate her favourite sandals that were falling apart from age. She met success in Mérida, and was very happy with the result. If a custom shoemaker can duplicate existing footwear, they can surely make them any size and any width. 
What might be harder (or impossible) to find is a shoemaker who does athletic footwear, since the materials and construction are so different from leather shoes.


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## manuel dexterity (Oct 2, 2014)

lhpdiver said:


> I'm size 13. Largest I've seen here is 11.5 ??


Same here. And it is common to find differences in the same size between one brand and another. I make infrequent trips to the US so always take advantage of the trip and come back with several pair. Our size just isn't available here.

A few years back I needed a pair of dress shoes for my daughter's college graduation. Had to settle for a pair about one size too small. Wearing them for only about 8 hours caused me to suffer from foot problems for a number of months.


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## travelinhobo (Sep 17, 2010)

OP here. Why am I ordering from the U.S. rather than buy here? (Uh oh, I've caught the question-before-the-answer virus) Because the sandals I want, athletic/sports/whatever else they call them aren't sold here (or in Turkey for women, or in Viet Nam, etc.). Yes, I know the Mexicans have a large shoe industry and one can find a shoe maker to make personalized shoes. But those aren't what I need or want. I have semi-weak feet in addition to having an arch, and those flats just don't cut it for hours of usage. And yes, I have searched and searched downtown Mexico City for anything that resembles Teva's, Columbia, etc. They don't exist here (one way you can quickly identify a foreigner on the street!). 

Flexi makes a decent sandal which I bought a few years ago, but it has a bit of a heel, and was hell breaking in. It's what I would have bought had I not been able to order from Amazon. Hope that answers the question.


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