This thread was very useful for our recent trip (~ Sept 25, 2015) to get our car temporary import permit (aka TIP) changed out (...can I say "car" on HU?). We have Mexican Temporary Resident visas (NOT tourist visas) and when their expiration date changed (due to getting new visas) we decided to head to the border to turn in our existing car permit and get a fresh one issued. We have tried several other methods of getting our existing TIP's expiration updated with Banjercito but none of those ever resulted in us getting our deposit back when we headed back to the United States. We thus decided a full border run and swap out was the best bet (stupid overall, but the best bet for getting the money back).

Unfortunately, when we located and visited the "new" Aduana compound north of Tapachula we were told they no longer did TIPs there and that we would have to go to the actual MX/GT border in Ciudad Hildago, Chiapas, MX...about 20 minutes south/southeast of Tapachula. BTW, even though the new compound did us no good, thanks much to "hysterysis" for the GPS co-ords. It's VERY hard to see across the highway for the northbound-side building when headed south ...though you might note the large Mexico flag flying if you don't have GPS. Anyway....

Since we had planned to stay the night in Tapachula before heading back northeast to our home in Oaxaca, Mexico, we went ahead and did just that. Then the next morning (Saturday) we went to the border crossing in Ciudad Hildago and managed to enter the entry side of Mexico's compound instead of the exit side....because we wanted to be SURE we could get a new permit before we cancelled our existing one.

Sure enough, the Banjercito lady understood our desires and walked us through the cancellation and (re)issuance of a new TIP. Some things of interest (for those who still hold the illusion that MY experience (in Mexico) will have any similarity to yours. AKA: your mileage will probably vary):

1) After heading other posters' comments about fake Aduana/INM agents along the road....AND actually seeing some who tried to stop us south of the Aduana compound the OP announced as new (i.e. north of Tapachula on 211), I was probably a bit too defensive with the actual/official SAT/Aduana officer who approached me in the Ciudad Hildago compound as I attempted to park (having talked my way past the private security guard at the north-side (employee??) gated entrance. He was fairly stern with me when we returned 45 minutes later through the public exit (i.e. Mexico entry port) after I had blown him off and locked the car and gone into Banjercito and gotten our new car permit. Oops! But at least he was FAIR in his fairly stern. In my defense, he had no sleeve badges or any other markings except his belt was SAT-issued/logo'd and he had an ID card in a pouch (but then so did all the fake guys at the abandoned checkpoint north of Tapachula."). So good luck with figuring out who is legit or not. I still would error on the side of safe and NOT hand over any official docs until you are very sure it is an official official.

2) Two young men in Ciudad Hildago followed alongside our car trying to talk to us. Eventually I rolled down the window and explained what I was looking for. Although they (incorrectly) told me I'd have to go to a different border crossing (and hour or more north), they did guide me to the north gate of the MX border compound (in Ciudad Hildago) when I insisted I was going to go there before I gave up. Turned out they were Guatemalans. Not sure what they intended to do with me originally, but I think their "help" should be acknowledged. Having random people try to help you in Mexico is one of the many nice things about this country...but I am always a bit edgy near the border towns. Nice to be proven overly paranoid again.

3) We carry multiple copies of every possible document known to ever exist for our family when dealing with Mexican officials. If you "get" this video, you understand why: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXWZ3uAEKsw Anyway, this was the first time my 600dpi color copies have been deemed "unsatisfactory" by an official. So, we just had to use the wife's passport copies and related docs and put the permit in her name instead. If you're not flexible, stay the hell outta Mexico. I can't imagine what the Banjercito lady would think of the copies we originally found ourselves having made at the little shop just across the street from various government buildings here in Oaxaca. Sometimes I couldn't recognize whose passport copy I was looking at from my family! Maybe she just thought I had too ugly of a face for a car permit. Now THAT would be fair.

But we now have a TIP with an expiration that matches our shiny new 3yr TempRes visas and I received my past TIP's deposit back to my credit card before we had made it home to Oaxaca. I think the saying is "The good Lord looks out for fools and drunks." And to that I say "I was sober the entire trip."

Thanks again to all who posted to this thread. Your info played a useful role in yet another "scatterplot" for navigating Mexico.