Parcels Held By Customs

[KKOB]

If you have been expecting a parcel to be delivered by the PTT, especially one that has been sent using a "signed-for service", it's well worth checking whether it's been intercepted by the Turkish Customs.

The Customs Office (T.C.Basbakanlik Gümrük Müstesarli&gi) is located just inside the harbour entrance, behind the Pasaport Polis offices. It's well worth taking a Turkish friend to help with translation as, although some of the staff speak some English, it'll make it far easier for you.

You will need details of the parcel sender and receiver, an approximate date of despatch, your passport, and if collecting on behalf of a relative or friend, their passport too.

Once the paperwork has been located for the parcel and you have paid any duty levied by customs, you will have to sign the delivery note and you'll then be given a piece of paper that contains details of the package and a unique reference number.

Parcels arriving in Fethiye are randomly checked by the Customs officers. They are taken out of the PTT delivery system and held at Fethiye main post office, not the new sorting office near the Otogar.

On arrival at the PTT in Fethiye, don't go in the front entrance. Go to the right of the building, where the PO Boxes are located, up the 4 steps, through the door and straight ahead through the next door.

This is where you collect your parcel from. You hand-over the paperwork issued to you by customs and your passport. Your parcel will be released to you after signing the necessary paperwork, and paying a 2 TL admin fee.

I was in there yesterday, and there are 30 - 40 parcels awaiting collection.

[SteveJ]

It's worth noting that "any duty levied by customs" was, in my case, 10% of the amount that I had insured the parcel for against total loss. I sent two parcels out in September via Parcelforce and insured one parcel for £500 and the other for £1,000. It cost me £150 to get them released from Customs.

[Firo]

I thought any gift under £100 was now duty free?
If this is correct then best tell folk in the UK to keep parcels under the limit.
Fi

[laffa]

  It would be cheaper for them to come and get them, seems to spoil the joy of sending a gift,[^]

[kevin b]

quote:Originally posted by Firo

I thought any gift under £100 was now duty free?
If this is correct then best tell folk in the UK to keep parcels under the limit.
Fi

The limit is I believe 100 euros.

[number2]

I was lucky i think, i had a 2 metre motorized screen sent from England with UPS, i didn't have to pay any extra and it didn't get delayed either, in fact it only took 2 days to arrive instead of 3. Alan

[kanga]

i paid nearly £500 import duty on 2 inflateable zorb balls and had them adressed to ali bozkurt @ the almina hotel ,then had to fly over and give him power of attorney to collect them ,what a palava ,would have been quicker rolling inside them to turkey ,rofl
kanga

[KKOB]

quote:Originally posted by Firo

I thought any gift under £100 was now duty free?
If this is correct then best tell folk in the UK to keep parcels under the limit.
Fi

It doesn't matter whether the package value exceeds the duty limit or not. Once it's been opened and inspected by the Customs, whether there's duty to pay or not, you still have to go through the procedure that I've outlined above.

[Rindaloo]

Yes and had KKOB not kindly told us about this, we'd have missed the pikky that our son sent to us of our lovely Granddaughter.  It was sent at the beginning of December and each time we have asked at PTT here in Uzumlu all we've been told is, no.  Maybe he should be giving out info about the fact that our precious gifts are sitting waiting to be collected in Fethiye.....

Do they get destroyed or sent back if they aren't claimed.  If so, how long till that happens.