Amazon México: the good, the bad and the ugly

Published April 13, 2023

by Janet Blaser

When I first got here 17 years ago, there was no such thing as Amazon México. Mercado Libre was in its infancy, many businesses didn’t accept credit cards — especially foreign ones — and warnings circulated constantly about widespread fraud and theft if you did use a credit card at, say, a gas station or — heaven forbid — online with a Mexican company. In fact, online shopping of any sort was something to be avoided.

Well, that was then, and this is now! Amazon México offers a wealth of wonderful shopping options, with safe, secure credit transactions, (usually) speedy and reliable delivery, and an easy return process. And while prices for many imported products seem to have gone up recently — probably due to the peso’s increase in value — if you really want the item, the cost may be worth it to you.

The first purchases I made on Amazon México were a classic midcentury modern wooden standing lamp and a beautiful Persian-style rug for my living room. I had exhausted the local shopping options and was feeling desperate enough to try the then-new Amazon México.

I’ll admit I was skeptical: What would I find? Would delivery be as seamless as in the U.S.? And, if I didn’t like the items once they arrived, could I return them easily as well?

Just like Amazon U.S. (or elsewhere), there’s a big drop-down menu on the website with categories and detailed answers to most questions. The tricky thing is that it’s all in Spanish and there’s no way to change it into English (although you can search in English and results come up in Spanish, go figure).

So, if you haven’t by now, download or bookmark Google Translate, and copy and paste whatever subject you need more information about. Or use your smartphone’s camera translation feature and point it at the page on your computer. The site is set up almost exactly like its northern cousin, so don’t be nervous.

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