to Ken:
do you actually know people who received USPS priority mail in a POP barrio like Bello Costero?
i do have my doubts with their funny street naming/numbering system there, that the local mailman/woman would be able to locate the receiver's house - and also that such a package or its contents (attractive clothing) would just 'disappear', tks
If people in the barrios get mail it is most likely via the Dominican postal system. I believe for packages the post office notifies the person he has mail.
The Dominican postal system has what they call Express Mail. This is pretty good service. Mail coming as priority mail from the US is considered Express Mail here. This has been discussed on the board previously and there are people who said they get international mail, including parcels, in this way.
However you send it, somewhere between you and your desired recipient there is a possibility something will go missing. But I don't think this is a big problem.
The other services, such as EPS, Business Mail, etc., that Hillbilly mentioned are courier services that you subscribe to. I have EPS, for example. Things sent to me from the US go to an address that I have via EPS in Miami. It is brought here and goes to the EPS in Sosua where I live and I pick it up at the local EPS office. I doubt very much that your friends in the barrio in POP have a subscription to one of these services. They are like FedEx and UPS, but cheaper.
I get my mail via EPS, but they don't carry things from here to the US. So I have used the Sosua Post Office and their Express Mail to send several parcels to the US.
Check out Castellamonte's suggestion, also. I have never used them but am sure he would not be suggesting them if he hadn't had good experience.
