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I don't know that it is illegal. I just think an American cc company isn't going to mail one to a non-American address.
Thanks for your great explanation! Nothing illegal about it; we use the term "mule" here for everything someone, anyone brings down.
The problem is we have NO mail service. Even FedEx loses things and DHL is $100 for just an envelope. I've heard the cc companies will send a card if it's an emergency or stolen but I haven't tried that. We just try to time it for someone coming down anyway.
However! The cards are not coming via the mule since that is via an Amazon locker in Miami. It's the first time I'm trying that, and am skeptical. The cards and Drivers License is coming from a neighbor who is back in the States right now.
FWIW, most expats go back the States frequently enough it isn't an issue for them. But we don't. This is not a second home---it's our primary home.
Trying to time the Amazon order to be in the locker at just the right time is stressful, lol. We'll see....
OK, I will take a shot at 'splaining what I think Sand&Salt is saying.
You all understand that she is an ex-pat living in Ecuador, right? From what I gather from the posts above, mail that cannot be sent to her in another country (such as a credit card) is being sent to someone in Miami, who is then going to visit her and bring it to her. That is who she refers to as a "mule".
A mule is a term used for someone who transports items, usually illegal, as in the drug trade. S&S is calling the person who is bringing her things to her a mule as a play on that term, even though (we hope) her mule isn't actually engaging in any illegal activity.
I am living in another country (Canada) and I just got a new credit card, too, which was sent to my home in NJ because they won't send it here. Sadly, I have no mule, so I had to drive 500 miles to get my credit card. Of course, that was not the only reason for the trip. Did I mention that my daughter graduated last month with her PhD in Education and is now DOCTOR Daughter?
That's too much thinking for that to be a "1st world problem".
Thanks for your great explanation! Nothing illegal about it; we use the term "mule" here for everything someone, anyone brings down.
The problem is we have NO mail service. Even FedEx loses things and DHL is $100 for just an envelope. I've heard the cc companies will send a card if it's an emergency or stolen but I haven't tried that. We just try to time it for someone coming down anyway.
However! The cards are not coming via the mule since that is via an Amazon locker in Miami. It's the first time I'm trying that, and am skeptical. The cards and Drivers License is coming from a neighbor who is back in the States right now.
FWIW, most expats go back the States frequently enough it isn't an issue for them. But we don't. This is not a second home---it's our primary home.
Trying to time the Amazon order to be in the locker at just the right time is stressful, lol. We'll see....
I never heard of an Amazon locker. How does that work?
You wouldn't think so, but mail between the USA and Canada is slow as hell. I've gotten Christmas cards in late January that were postmarked in the USA in December. I tried to vote by mail in my state election and got the form as soon as it was available and sent it in, only to get a letter saying my vote didn't count because it wasn't received in time.
I never heard of an Amazon locker. How does that work?
You wouldn't think so, but mail between the USA and Canada is slow as hell. I've gotten Christmas cards in late January that were postmarked in the USA in December. I tried to vote by mail in my state election and got the form as soon as it was available and sent it in, only to get a letter saying my vote didn't count because it wasn't received in time.
I'm not sure, lol. Apparently there's a 3-day "window" for someone to pick up the contents or they get sent back. So it's tricky to get the arrival date of all the packages to work. We'll see. The lockers are in the "Dolphin Mall" in Miami.
It is a first-world problem, complicated or not. The locals here don't worry about Amazon, lol. Well, maybe the "other" Amazon!
Bad mail between Canada and the U.S! That's a surprise, I must say.
Come back funny people, come back!!!! I love reading what you have to say. As for me, my dishes would still have gold trim had I not used cheap dishwasher pods : ) The struggle is real.
I wish I had some funny first world problems to report but unfortunately I have no first world problems today, other than this (which I guess qualifies, though it's not funny):
There was a pretty significant training class held this morning at work, but I am not on the schedule to go in to work since I only work part time. I have to go in to town later - like 4 pm - and the training class was at 9 am. Considering 1) the price of gas and 2) that I spent over $200 yesterday when I had an hour to unexpectedly kill, I just can't justify going in to that training class. I was not required to do so but the invitation to do so was made so I felt a bit of pressure to attend, though it was only for 1 hour and then I'd have to come back home and then go back out again later. Or stay in town and spend quite a bit of money trying to kill time.
Hmmmm...I think my sales manager wants me to work full time but I am simply not going to do that. I enjoy working part time. I would not enjoy working full time. So there's that. Yes, I would make more money but I don't even need more money.
I live about 20 minutes out of town, and the price of gas used to be a non issue but it is no longer a non issue to me.
I heard one guy yell to another guy "They just don't GET IT Harry!" followed by "And now I have to listen to THAT" Although not usually excessively curious, now I feel I HAVE to know who Harry is, who doesn't get what, and what did the first guy have to listen to? Should I be hoping that Harry doesn't get yelled at all day, OR that the first guy does not have to listen to THAT all day and what WAS that?
Once again, I have no funny first world problems, though I do have a first world problem which is not particularly funny.
My granddaughter is coming to get her dog from my house today. I love the dog, but she IS trouble. So I have mixed feelings about this. Here's my question though - she's got dog food for the dog, I'm sure. That's great. However, I have PREMIUM dog food for the dog, which I'm sure she doesn't have. Do I send it with the dog or is that only prolonging the dog's eventual suffering?
I have two other dogs who will gladly eat the premium dog food - they're used to it anyway.
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