My Google-Fu is not up to the task, so I thought I'd see if someone here can help.

My wife damaged her knee in a fall, and after arthroscopic surgery, both her surgeon and her therapist have told her "No more stairs. Ever."

So, my choices are to either sell the house (not gonna happen!) or install a stair lift, you know, one of those little chair thingies you sit in that ever-so-slowly carries you up the stairs. To complicate things, the stairway is outdoors, so it has to be an outdoor-certified model, of which I have been able to find exactly one, made by AmeriGlide.

That's not the question, though. My shipping/importation costs are going to be fantastic: right around $1500. If I lived in California, it would be $199, but getting it across the border and down here to Ajijic... my mail forwarder charges me 50% of the invoice price, or by weight and volume whichever is greater.

If I could find a Mexican manufacturer of stairlifts, that would save me a great deal of money. Even if it were not outdoor-certified, I am pretty sure I could make it work, it's just a matter of keeping the electronics out of the rain. (We won't see another drop of rain here until next June, then we'll see plenty!)

Can you find me a Mexican manufacturer of stairlifts?

tanstaafl.

A quick search came up with company that seems to have distributors in Mexico. But I'm on my iPad now and can't really get a good look at the sites linked... But take a look here:

http://www.stannah.com/?showregions=yes

How hard is it to, umm, buy the goods in the U.S. and arrange for, umm, alternative transportation into Mexico?

Should be easy -- I'm sure there are plenty of unemployed Americans streaming across the border to take the dirty jobs that Mexicans won't do.

Very difficult.

It's not like driving from Oregon into Nevada or something... It would be about a 4,000 kilometer trip, it would require a decent sized truck (one of the boxes is eight and a half feet long, total weight 215 pounds) and there would still be the $ituation of getting it across the border into Mexico. This is not a job to be taken casually, probably need to hire a customs broker... I have the address of a local moving company with experience doing this sort of thing, perhaps they can help. Federal Express would cost in the vicinity of $2400, plus customs duty.

So far it appears that my best (and only financially do-able) option is to find one already in Mexico. I have emailed the company that petteri linked, and am awaiting a reply. Since that does not seem forthcoming, the next step is to call them, but I am dreading that because my Spanish will not suffice for anything remotely technical or complex.

tanstaafl.

I suppose you could also try to e-mail the parent company, and see if they can act as a go between if language, or technical issues, become a barrier. I would hope they'd find a way to cut a deal with you!

I called the Mexican company, my Spanish was good enough to go through the receptionist to the person who did the stair lifts, and he spoke excellent English and Spanish, so communication turned out not to be a problem.

However...his price was higher than my cost to buy from a US supplier and import it to Mexico.

I'm working on another plan now. My friend Carlos has offered to drive to Texas with me and pick it up there. Carlos has the connections and knows how to finesse customs so this might be do-able. If I put my bike rack on top of my Honda Fit, I can carry the 8.5 foot piece on top of the car, the rest of the boxes will fit inside. If that works out, the total cost will be less than half of the Mexican purchase price.

We'll see...

tanstaafl.

Well that's good news then! Keep us posted on your progress.

I'm not really adding anything to the conversation except to say that I've had an unhealthy fear of those stair lifts since seeing Gremlins.

Unfortunately, I think you've come up with the best solution. Also check with the local used car dealers. Many times, they bring cars down from the US on a regular basis and will haul something else down for a reasonable fee.

That's how I get over sized items to Belize.

Maybe insurance will cover the cost.

You might have to calk it up to a Mexico living downside. That probably won’t tip the scales compared to things like $1.00 an hour maid service.

The rules have changed since the "good old days"! The market for used cars from the US is pretty much done.

Option #3 “Permanent Import” (Nationalized Vehicle)
Permanent imports are regulated by and require a permit from the Secretary of Economy, but there is a special provision for used vehicles that can be imported without a permit. These vehicles satisfy the following rule: they are exactly 10 years old from the year of import and are manufactured in NAFTA countries. For example, in 2010, cars built in 2000 can be imported permanently without a permit if manufactured in the U.S., Canada or Mexico. Either with or without a permit, the procedure for permanent importation has to be done using a customs broker. The importer can hold an FM3 or FM2 visa or be an inmigrado or a Mexican citizen.

And it is my understanding that they have changed the rules yet again, and that imported cars are now subject to annual renewal fees (instead of being tied to the FM3 as previously) of about $200 USD. Since my car was not manufactured in a NAFTA country, I will never be able to put Mexican plates on it.

tanstaafl.

No, the days of cheap living in Mexico are gone. My maid service is costing me all of $1.84 cents an hour [at today's exchange rate]. Guess we'll just have to tighten our belts and suck it up. Life is tough...

tanstaafl.