Nicaragua Forum

majicjack
Joined 2011
Posts: 667

9 years ago

Customs and Packages

9 years ago

Our bank in the USA recently changed from VISA to MasterCard for the debit cards. This decision was not passed on to the customers until two weeks before to let us know our old cards would no longer be valid.
Our mail goes to our youngest daughter address so we called her and asked her to FedEx the cards to us.
She did not want to describe the contents as debit cards for fear of theft. She shipped them as documents. When they arrived in Nicaragua, customs opened the envelope and there were documents describing the cards and information on how to activate them. Instead if sending them on to the house for which we paid for them to do we had to go to the airport in Managua and go through all the customs BS for two little plastic cards. Being we have residency and the law states that being here with retirement residency we do not have to pay taxes on any money we receive from the USA. The cards themselves have no value until we activate them and then only to us or some crook if they have our information. The only thing they could come up with to charge us on was the freight or shipping cost but they let that slide. We have our cards and a day before the old ones expired. If you have someone ship you something make damn sure they document everything that is in the shipment. I told my daughter to check in the future and if there is a piece of rat crap in the envelope either declare it or dump it our to keep from getting fined for shipping animal remains or products. Poor countries have a way of dotting all the I's and crossing all the T's if they think there is a dime in it for them. They screw everything else up terribly but they spent two hours on the computer trying to find away to charge for the cards. They had to cut down half of a forest just to cover all the copies I had to have made.
P.S. Insure that the name of the receiver is letter perfect. That is another two hours of waiting to get the name right in their system.

Allianz Care

Flexible solutions allow you to tailor your cover to meet your needs and budget. Use Promocode: LIFE10 and get 10% off your international health insurance for life!
Get Quote

Allianz Care

Flexible solutions allow you to tailor your cover to meet your needs and budget. Use Promocode: LIFE10 and get 10% off your international health insurance for life!
Get Quote

Living in Nicaragua Guide

Did you know that lots of homes in Nicaragua don't have hot water? Did you know that it's very easy to meet other expats in Nicaragua? Expats share their tips for living in Nicaragua.

Nicaragua Forum
Join our Nicaragua forum to meet other expats and talk about living in Nicaragua.

Contribute
Help other expats and newcomers by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Nicaragua.

Best Places to Live in Nicaragua

If you're dreaming about living in Nicaragua, here are the 15 Best Places to Live in Nicaragua in 2023.

Healthcare in Nicaragua

Expats living in Nicaragua discuss health insurance and quality of medical care in Nicaragua. Additional topics include health insurance for 65+, in-home nursing care, prescription medicines and more.

Cost of Living in Nicaragua

Expats offer insight into the cost of living in Nicaragua.

Moving to Nicaragua Guide

If you're thinking about moving to Nicaragua, you must read these 13 things to know before moving to Nicaragua. Expats offer realistic and honest advice about cost of living, learning the language, poverty, renting vs.

Real Estate in Nicaragua

Real estate listings in popular cities and towns in Nicaragua.

Pros & Cons of Living in Nicaragua

Take off your rose-colored glasses and learn what expats have to say about the biggest challenges and the greatest rewards of living in Nicaragua.

Retiring in Nicaragua

Advice for people retiring in Nicaragua.

10 Tips for Living in Nicaragua

If you've recently arrived in Nicaragua, here are 10 tips for digital nomads living in Nicaragua.

Additional Information:

Visit our Nicaragua Index for a Full List

Allianz Care

Flexible solutions allow you to tailor your cover to meet your needs and budget. Use Promocode: LIFE10 and get 10% off your international health insurance for life!
Get Quote

Allianz Care

Flexible solutions allow you to tailor your cover to meet your needs and budget. Use Promocode: LIFE10 and get 10% off your international health insurance for life!
Get Quote

Contribute
Help others in Nicaragua by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Nicaragua.