Personal Expat Courier

IMPORTANT DATES

Anything arriving in the US by the “Delivery Deadline” will be available in Cuenca by the “Arrival in..” date. If you wish to send items TO the US, please contact us directly for the cutoff dates.

As always, let me know if you have ANY questions!

What We Do

Services

"Mail" to/from Cuenca & USA

Need to mail something within the US? Need a piece of letter mail brought to Cuenca? Or perhaps you have a package to deliver to the US? (Pre-paid USPS) No problem!

Courier Service

Waiting on a special package? Need something not easily found in Ecuador? Order online and have it shipped to our address in the US! We’ll email you as soon as your item arrives, then bring it back to you on our next scheduled trip.

Home Delivery

We offer delivery directly to your home or office, for qualified orders, at a cost of $5. Please contact us if outside the city, for more details, or to schedule your own delivery.

Information

​Pricing

$5

Letter Items to/from USA and Cuenca

There is a flat $5 fee to transport letter items* between the USA and Cuenca.

*According to USPS guidelines. (For example, an envelope “stuffed” with items will be treated as a standard item and be billed by weight.)

$10

Manila /Priority Mail Envelopes to/from USA and Cuenca

There is a flat $10 fee to transport manila /priority mail envelopes* between the USA and Cuenca.

*An envelope “stuffed” with items will be treated as a standard item and be billed by weight.

$20

Service Charge

There is a $20 fee per order (for non-letter items) regardless of weight, size, or quantity.
This is a set fee (once per order), for transporting your items that month.
(NOTE: We do not charge a service fee for items transported TO the US.)

$7.50/ half pound

Cost by Weight

You will be charged $7.50 for every ½ pound of weight transported.
(NOTE: Calculated using the actual weight unless it is exceeded by it’s volumetric weight.*)
—Multiple items are weighed by order, not individually—

*See below.

Any item(s) whose volumetric weight exceeds it’s actual weight, will be billed as such. This is standard shipping industry practice (DHL Volumetric Calculator).

For example, if you wanted to ship a box of ping-pong balls, it would take up a lot of space within a suitcase. Space that could not be filled by other items, therefore the ping pong balls would need to be billed based off of it’s volumetric weight over it’s actual weight.

Take a look at our custom pricing calculator to the right for a quote on individual items.*

*This does not include any potential government surcharges from “restricted” items. For an accurate quote on such items, please contact us directly.

Expat Envoy
Shipping Calculator (per item)

Inches Centimeters
Length in cm
Width in cm
Height in cm
Actual Weight lbs kg lbs
Volumetric Weight lbs kg lbs
Total Cost $ $

*This does not include our per order service charge.
This calculation also assumes the given information is correct. Final calculations are made on items upon arrival.

“How Do I Pay?”

You will receive an invoice via email when your item(s) arrive in Cuenca. The amount due is payable, in cash, when you pick up the items (or when delivered). Please contact us for information regarding payments made through PayPal. Sorry, but we do not accept checks or credit cards.

IMPORTANT

Disclaimer

This service operates through commercial airlines, and as such adheres to all regulations and/or limitations of those airlines. Any items prohibited by law will not be accepted or transported. (Inquire for specifics.) Items intended for resale will NOT be transported either. Three or more of the same (or similar) restricted item(s) within one trip, for example, would draw attention and in turn be prohibited. (Please contact us for more details on possible Ecuadorian limitations.)

 

Regardless of past orders, if you are unsure of potential restrictions OR were faced with restrictions in the past (that could have changed), we encourage you to inquire with us prior to sending your packages to our address.

 

State/Federal (US) & Ecuadorian laws apply. 

 

Various “high priced” and/or electronic items may be subject to government restrictions and/or surcharges. Contact us to verify that we are able to transport it at this time, and to receive a quote on any potential surcharges.

 

If planning to transport medication of any kind (specifically ones that require a prescription in either the USA or Ecuador), contact us prior to placing your order to ensure it is legal for us to import/export. If it is permitted, each medication must be accompanied by its respective prescription. (Supplements do not require a prescription, but may be limited by quantity. Inquire for more information.)

 

**NOTE** Customs in either the USA or Ecuador may search luggage at random. We have no control over this, and unless we are present, have no knowledge of if (and how) items were handled. We are USUALLY given indication of this, though, by a “slip of paper” indicating a search was done. (There have been no issues to date.)

QUESTION?

FAQ’s

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Should we notify you of anything prior to sending items?

Yes and No…

If an item is large, heavy, delicate, or “high valued” please notify us before hand to ensure our ability to transport.
We also ask that you notify us of any incomming Walmart.com orders (unless you order regularly), as they send “bags” with your first initial and last 3 initials only. Sometimes it is difficult for us to determine to whom the items belong.
Otherwise, we do not need any special notification.

Thank you !

Will you transport cellphones, laptops, tablets, or game consoles?

Unfortunately, NO, we will not.
We’re very sorry, but we will no longer transport those items.
Send us an email if you have any questions regarding this.

Is there really a limitation to vitamins & supplements?

Yes! In general, but particularly here, no more than 2 or 3 of any one item. This includes anything that could be “viewed as” one item.
(50mg bottle of pills that looks the same as the 100mg bottle will be considered the same)
AND no more than 2 pounds, in total (per “month”), of vitamins & supplements. 
This is to allow everyone the chance to “get what they need,” as supplements are requested often. 

Do you notify me when my packages arrive at the US address?

Yes, we do.
We send an email confirming the arrival of your package at our US address.
We then send a “final email” when everything is in Cuenca, along with an itemized invoice.

Do you open packages to confirm contents as they arrive?

Yes & no…

First off, we are not responsible for ensuring “accurate contents.”
We are responsible for ensuring everything that DOES arrive in box, in turns arrives to Cuenca.
If someone (or a company) fails to ship the correct items, that is not our responsibility.

So yes, we open/weigh/inventory everything as it arrives, but no, we do not necessarilly “confirm contents.” 
If you have a special reqeust, please email us, as I’m sure we can work with your needs.

How do I arrange for pickup or delivery?

You will be provided with instructions on how to arrange pickup or delivery in the “final email” (just before the “in Cuenca” dates).

Can I pay with "PayPal"?

Yes, but you will cover the additional PayPal fee.
The feel will be calculated on invoice total.
PayPal Invoice Fee Calculator.

Do you have a US phone number?

Yes, we do, but we ask that it is used for delivery/shipping purposes only.
When necessary, send us an email requesting our number and we’ll happily send it your way. 
Thanks!

How should I contact you?

You can contact us via the form on this site, or directly via email.
info@expatenvoy.com

We do NOT do anything over the phone or via WhatsApp (for several reasons).
(The largest of which are logistics & records. Anything over the phone or WhatsApp WILL be lost. Email leaves a “paper trail” so there is never any confusion.)

Have questions? Want to schedule a delivery?
Fill out the form below, or email us at info@expatenvoy.com.