| You are doing business with a company in Mexico. | | | | you are virtually guaranteed you will get your |
| You need to receive documents from this company | | | | documents. |
| or a government office. Who do you call? It is | | | | The reverse is also true. If you are going to send |
| probably not Mexico’s postal service unless you | | | | documents to Mexico, use an international carrier. You |
| like living on the edge and wondering if your | | | | may be thinking, “Who wouldn’t use a |
| documents will ever arrive. | | | | service such as FedEx, UPS or DHL?” You might |
| | | | be surprised. |
| Mexico’s Postal Service, SEPOMEX | | | | Don’t let this happen to you! |
| In the March 25, 2006 issue of the Economist, an | | | | A few years ago, I was assisting a well known |
| article focused on Mexico’s national mail service, | | | | German medical device company. They had an office |
| Servicio Postal Mexicano or Sepomex. The focus of | | | | in the U.S. that was getting ready to market one of |
| the article, “On Mexican time” was an | | | | their products in Mexico. The product required safety |
| evaluation of the efficiency of Sepomex today | | | | testing and certification before it could be shipped |
| compared to years past. Sepomex, much as the U.S. | | | | and sold in Mexico. |
| Postal Service, constitutionally has a monopoly for | | | | The Mexican certification process has time limits. If |
| delivery of letters and small packages. | | | | the testing and documents are not received and |
| Gonzalo Alarcon, General Director of Sepomex, is | | | | approved by the appropriate certification agency in |
| quoted as saying “Delivery times are | | | | Mexico City within the established time frame, the |
| acceptable.” Government statistics seem to | | | | testing can be voided. If this happens, the |
| support this statement showing 95% of the mail | | | | certification process has to start all over again |
| arrives between one to ten days to the intended | | | | including paying for the testing, documentation and |
| destination. | | | | approval process. |
| Worry if they say it’s in the mail | | | | Testing was done quickly. Test documents were |
| However, in a June 2005 article titled “Aviso: `el | | | | properly signed and notarized then sent to the U.S. |
| correo mexicano no es confiable`” (Warning: | | | | executive overseeing the process. Documents were |
| Mexican mail [service] isn’t reliable), journalist | | | | sent overnight. The executive signed the documents. |
| Samuel Garcia of “El Observador” starts with | | | | A few days later, the package had not arrived at the |
| a couple of questions. “Do you have trust in the | | | | Mexico office so our company contacted the |
| Mexican mail service?” and more importantly, | | | | executive. Yes, the documents had been signed. Yes, |
| “Do you trust that your documents and | | | | he had told his secretary to mail out the documents. |
| information will arrive at their destination?” | | | | We learned a week later that the secretary was not |
| According to Sr. Garcia, the majority of those polled | | | | made aware of the importance of these documents. |
| gave a resounding “NO”. | | | | She had sent the documents including the original |
| Sr. Garcia wrote that during a candid interview, Sr. | | | | testing documents with Mexican government seals |
| Alarcon said that Sepomex is incapable of supporting | | | | and signatures with only first class postage to |
| their service obligations. The inefficiencies and | | | | Mexico. The documents finally arrived after three |
| security risks were seen as very grave. During a talk | | | | weeks even though first class postage is insufficient |
| that same month with the Commission de | | | | for international delivery. The company was lucky and |
| Governance of the House of Deputies, Sr. Alarcon | | | | was able to receive their certification. |
| said he could not guarantee the safe delivery of | | | | Mailing recommendations |
| electoral (and highly secret) documents for the | | | | If you are in Mexico and want to send documents or |
| upcoming 2006 presidential election. | | | | a small package back to the U.S., use a delivery |
| These documents only have to go from the Mexico | | | | service. If you are sending documents, especially |
| City International Airport to the offices of IFE, | | | | those that are time sensitive, absolutely use a |
| Mexico’s Federal Institution of Elections, and yet | | | | specialty carrier. Your business is too important and |
| the security of these documents was definitely in | | | | the risks too great to gamble with normal mail unless |
| question a year ago. Electoral documents apparently | | | | you are doing a direct mail campaign. |
| were delivered without issue during the 2006 | | | | As a finally note, educate those in your company |
| presidential election. | | | | who will also be involved in working with Mexico. Let |
| How to mail it with confidence | | | | them be aware that mailing a letter or package |
| So you may be asking, “What does this have to | | | | internationally isn’t the same as mailing it |
| do with me and my company?” It means if you | | | | domestically. Sending documents with the appropriate |
| want to receive documents from Mexico, you should | | | | postage and service will ensure the mail is one less |
| request they be sent using an international carrier | | | | issue you have to worry about as you do business |
| such as FedEx or UPS. One excellent benefit with | | | | with Mexico. |
| these services is the tracking. Another benefit is that | | | | |