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Doug67
  2/24/2017 03:20 EST

Hello All. I would like to ask fellow American expats who presently live in the Philippines how you can get mail such as bank cards sent to you from the united states. If anyone could help me out with this question it would be greatly appreciated thanks again.

James F.

charkee
  2/24/2017 03:34 EST

My experience with the Philippine mail is it takes 6 weeks for a postcard to arrive from Canada. Some letters to me have been lost or stolen.

I would never use the mail for any important documents. But I have heard that Fedex works well.

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TeeJay4103
  2/24/2017 04:53 EST

For important documents like bank cards, we use either UPS or DHL. Yes they are a little pricy, but we always receive the item at our door. We used these services twice last year.

You can also use a mail forwarding service such as usabox.com
https://www.usabox.com/

I know of one expat who says he has used their services for 7 years without issue.

Whachay
  2/24/2017 05:35 EST

I also use Fed Ex when sending mail to Canada.

Yeochief
  2/24/2017 07:24 EST

I have been sending cards from Meridian, Mississippi to Manila, first class mail and they have been taking less than 14 days. Have sent over 20 so for.

Yeochief
  2/24/2017 07:24 EST

I have been sending cards from Meridian, Mississippi to Manila, first class mail and they have been taking less than 14 days. Have sent over 20 so for.

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ACEPoolPlayer
  2/24/2017 07:35 EST

In my experience over the years standard airmail can take from New York to Metro Manila anywhere from 7-21 days. It hasn't changed in 35 years. Your just never know. I've seen envelopes arrive "received with tape" but the take is on top of the writing.

trappedinhell
  2/24/2017 08:10 EST

Regular letters are okay w/ Phil. Post Office; BUT sensitive documents like bank cards are super risky. In fact Filipinos call it Phil. Lost Office. Ask your bank if they could send you your bankcard via Fedex -- way much safer.

draks
  2/24/2017 20:19 EST

Never use ordinary mail for sensitive documents that's for sure. I had a debit card sent here from UK I am sure it was ups it took 5 days for me to receive it, but I could track it online so I knew where it was.

seernai
  2/24/2017 21:02 EST

I use FedEx Their a little expensive but so far I've had no problems with them

trappedinhell
  2/24/2017 23:30 EST

I don't know if they still do it; but at one point the Phil Post Office (not all branches) put those paper letter envelopes against a light to see if there's money "sandwiched" inside the folded letter. Some even have a steamer to open envelopes & reseal them back again. That's "Filipino Ingenuity" right there being put to use in a bad way. LOL.

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charkee
  2/25/2017 00:04 EST

I had the same problem with the post office stealing my mail in Honduras.

Once I went behind the post office and there were 100's of opened letters torn up and scattered on the ground.

One young American missionary walked into this post office and saw the employees were eating cookies and he saw the box, the box his mother sent him.

His mother then sent a chocolate cake but instead of chocolate she baked it with exlax.

When the cake arrived, the post office was closed for 3 days.

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