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What do you use for a U.S. mailing address?

Discussion in 'Expat Section' started by devildog4, Apr 21, 2013.

  1. devildog4

    devildog4 DI Member Veteran Marines

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    For expats, what mailing address do you use in the States for important mail? SS statement, bank statements, IRS stuff, etc, etc? Will the U.S. Govt pay extra postage to mail to the PI? Just wondering as I retire soon...
     
  2. swampstar

    swampstar DI Member

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    Try earthclassmail
     
  3. redneck

    redneck DI Forum Adept

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    After not getting a couple of very important social security forms, which resulted in major delays of payments, I now use my P.O. box here in Dumaguete and yes, the U.S. govt will mail your documents here. My pearls of wisdom...if you ever need help with social security issues, call the social security office in Manila. They corrected my problems on the phone and within a day or two, while I was still waiting for the documents to arrive from the U.S. to fill out and mail back (would have taken weeks!!). I forgot to add that we were using one of those U.S. mail fowarding services, usglobalmail, and they chose to send my social scurity documents back to social security!! For the most part were happy with the mail forarding service, but decided to end it. We have any other important documents mailed to family. But we do get all of our social security documents here.
     
  4. onlymichael

    onlymichael DI Member

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    I have heard so many negative things about failure to deliver mail here. I had one bank statement delivered, for which I tipped the postman 20p. After that, NOTHING. Guess I did not pay enough.
    What would lead me to think renting a p.o. box would make delivery any better? I think the cost of a P.O. box last time I checked is about 1000 a year. I have important mail sent to a relative in the U.S. and she sends it to me registered. I have never had anything fail to be delivered that way but it's expensive and others have even posted they had registered fail.
     
  5. redneck

    redneck DI Forum Adept

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    Just posting my personal experience. For the past year, since using the P.O. box here...no problems getting social security and pension statements and documents. Everyone has to figure out what works for them, and this is what has worked the best for us so far. I am not offering speculation...I am giving my actual experience. Yes, we pay 1000php a year for the box...well worth the money.
     
  6. OP
    OP
    devildog4

    devildog4 DI Member Veteran Marines

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    When visiting my then Fiancé, she received a package of chocolate I had sent about two weeks earlier. She had to pay a few Pesos (I forget how much) to get the package. I told her when I mailed it in the US I paid postage to have it delivered to her Po Box in Dumaguete. She then told me she had to pay every time I sent something. Pretty typical I guess...
     
  7. redneck

    redneck DI Forum Adept

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    I have no experience with packages being delivered to the P.O. box...learned early to only use LBC (Fed-Ex), or balikbayan box. I do know we have never been asked to pay for regular mail. We did have to pay a duties tax on a package we received from the states when we lived in Manila. I think that is standard here (duty fees) to be paid by the receiver.
     
  8. onlymichael

    onlymichael DI Member

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    Yeah it might be that a P.O. box will work for documents such as SSA stuff.
    Really it's hard to know what works here, I spent a couple weeks researching it all and reached the following conclusions (your mileage may vary). Fedex and DHL are worthless unless you must have the package quickly and even then they may delay, also they are way overpriced and are prone to excessive custom bribes (also called 'duties'). International priority postal is cheaper and somewhat slower and also can run into custom extortion and excessive delays. With the corruption in Customs here and the poor postal service, there is no really reliable way to get stuff here except by private jet/courier. But I notice the banks don't have any trouble with check transferrence, they must not use mail but do it electronically, my guess. Certain cities in the U.S. also have their problems with delivery reliability, but there is really no comparison between U.S. and Philippines in that regard.
     
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