Shipping packages to Honduras and Guatemala.?

Question

Any recommended companies to use to ship small packages to either of these countries? I have used USPS several times and those going to Guatemala have been lost or stolen? It seems postal service in those countries is not the best option for mailing a letter or shipping a package.

Answer 1

I have used both UPS and DHL for shipping to Mexico and Central America with no incidents.The postal service is absolutely useless.Have you reported your losses to UPS they,and DHL, have state of the art tracking equipment for all packages.If there is a problem with theft they "should" be able to find it and stop the problem quickly.

     http://www.dhl-usa.com/home/home.asp

Answer 2

I don't know...but here is an idea.  I don't know how big they are but you could always ship them to me here in the states and I could take them on my plane trip at the end of May...

Send me a message if interested.

Answer 3

I have completely been in your situation!  My Children's Church group sent about 5 boxes of children's Christmas presents to Guatemala in November 2006.  We had a Guatemalan contact (that I know personally) and she was going to pick up the packages.  We used UPS and paid a large sum of money to have the packages delivered.  

Long story short.....my friend was FINALLY able to pick up the packages nearly ONE YEAR LATER at the Guatemalan airport!!!

The boxes had been rummaged through and many items had been stolen.  The boxes arrived at the airport through UPS without a problem.  However, the airport personnel put the boxes in "storage" and would not relinquish the boxes unless we paid nearly $1,000.  They tried to say that we hadn't paid yet.  It took us months to PROVE that UPS had already been paid.  Then they said they wanted the $1,000 for a "storage fee".  

We finally had to get in contact with SOSEP in Guatemala City.  I'm not sure what the letters stand for, but they worked in our behalf to get the boxes out of the airport storage.  Of course half of the items were already gone.  

A tax also had to be paid to pick up the items.  

My suggestion for sending items to Guatemala (not sure about other Central American countries) is to try to find someone that may be traveling there.  OR, travel there yourself.  You can take 2 suitcases/boxes per person for FREE.  If you have more than 2....the others will be a $100 per box fee to transport to Guate.  

Recently I traveled to Guatemala and filled my "two free suitcases" as full as possible for the children that we sponsor in an orphanage there.  Then I only used my carry on for items I needed for myself.  I came home with empty suitcases except for some gifts for my kids.  

Then my Guatemalan friend who runs the orphanage we help came to stay with me for a couple of weeks in February.  We sent 4 extra boxes of items (clothes, medicines, shoes) back with her.  At $100 each box plus the one airline ticket....it still cost us LESS than sending the packages through UPS.  There were no taxes on the items this way AND we were sure that the kids were getting ALL the items at the necessary time.  

Sorry this is so long.  I just could really relate to your frustration.  My husband and I are already planning on another trip this summer to take more things down.  It has been really wonderful getting to know the kids personally that we are sending things to and I have fallen in love with the country of Guatemala....even though their postal service is less than to be desired.  

Good luck.

PS.....I just remembered.  If you need to get items to both Guatemala and Honduras you do not need to take TWO separate trips.  Tourists WITH PASSPORTS are allowed to travel from Guatemala to Honduras (and vice versa) with no problem.  So, you could fly to one country and then take the items to BOTH without making another flight.  Just a thought.