Panama’s Postal Service
An alternative to Panama’s national postal service, which is not the World’s fastest, nor its most reliable, is a P.O. Box in Miami with a forwarding service to Panama.
There are a few private companies who make this process a very simple one, pricey, but simple. Aerocasillas and Mail Boxes Etcetera are the leading providers of this mail service. Sending and receiving mail through these companies generally takes about 3 to 5 days longer than it would if mailed within the United States and costs about 30-40 percent more.
As a rule these mail forwarding services are fairly, reliable and quick, and although a little expensive, currently the best substitute for FedEx, DHL and Panama’s national postal service.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007 at 2:21 am and is filed under Services.
October 23rd, 2007 at 4:41 pm
My experiences with the Panama Postal system, especially out of Bocas del Toro, Isla Colon has been horrible. Only 1 out 10 pieces of communication has arrived in the United States. On the other hand I have very good luck sending out mail through Changuinola. I have a subscription to Mail Boxes Etc which is tremendously expensive, but mail can go out and can be received in a timely manner, and mail does go to where it is sent and received. But I notice that the customs charges by the gov of Panama are much higher when packages come through Mail Boxes Etc than it is through the un reliable Panama Postal system (if packagaes arrive)… Still am wondering why that is… ??? Could it be because the PA gov knows that 99% of MBE customers are gringos using this service and automatically boost the tax? This type of behavior seems to be the norm here in Panama, at least from my experiences over the past 6 years. If you are a gringo, the price and fees double or triple automatically in all areas of business and dealings with the government, a sad comentary, but true in my experiences….
November 12th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Like they say in the “Good Ole U.S.A”, it you don’t like it (Panama), leave it. Please don’t do us any favors with your garbage about how terrible Panama’s postal system is.
Whenever my relatives in Panama send me mail to New York, I usually receive them 90% of the time, and usually in 4 to 5 days (airmail).
The postal system here in the U.S. is not only atrocious — as any honest person will testify to — such as mailmen/women stealing the mail over here to support their drug habits, mail delivered to the wrong addresses or mailboxes, (40% of the time), or packages not being delivered at all, but can be located in the post offices if you dare to pursue the matter diligently.
So, like I said, “Why bother to knock Panama’s postal system when your own postal system over here usually stinks to high heaven?”
Just do as the natives do. Accept flaws — as flaws are worldwide — and learn to either live with it, or go home!
February 26th, 2008 at 9:50 am
i have had only one experience with the panama postal system. i sent a package to russia for business and it arrived there as quickly as the mail i send from the u.s. i just sent another parcel so we will see. overall i like panama - a little rough around the edges but they get the job done with a happy smile on their face.