MISSING POST.

[SMUDGER]

OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS MY WIFE & I HAVE LIVED HERE IN NORTH CYPRUS, I HAVE USED THE INTERNET TO BUY A GREAT MANY THINGS. SOME JUST PENNIES, SOME HUNDREADS OF POUNDS. THE POST SYSTEM HERE HAS NEVER BEEN WHAT YOU COULD CALL FIRST CLASS, BUT OVER THE LAST 3 OR 4 YEARS, I HAVE HAD DOZENS OF PARCELS, GO MISSING. IS THERE ANY ONE OUT THERE THAT COULD GIVE ME INFORMATION ON WHERE MY POST HAS DISAPEARED TO. I HOPE THERE IS NOT SOME ONE OUT THERE HAVING CHRISTMAS EVERY WEEK AT MY EXPENCE. MAY BE SOME ONE WHO WORKS AT THE POST OFFICE, CAN HELP. THANK YOU. SMUDGER.

[kedikat2903]

Your first stop should be your local post office. My local is in Girne. The parcels are piled high there. I heard recently that people have been putting their phone numbers as part of the address. This seems to help. Of course it doesn’t help you with parcels all ready sent

[waddo]

I am suffering the same fate. Parcels with tracking details will normally track as far as Istanbul, then you have to go to your local post office who can track them further. That is your first stop! Girne main post office is the choke point and the parcels rarely get beyond there even if there is a tracking number. Recently I had a parcel sent to me with tracking, my latest information was that it was held in customs in Istanbul on the 10th of March, having been dispatched on the 25th of February. I left it another 2 weeks then went to my local post office, he tracked it and said it was on its way here and to leave it another week - I think he also said that Girne post office computer was not working - I asked how I would pay customs in Istanbul and was told that customs was only payable at Girne not in Turkey! I left it two weeks and went to see him again, he took my tracking number and parcel content details - small electrical goods - and told me it was now in his control. I left it with him and waited another couple of weeks then went back and checked with him. True to his word, he had eventually found it in Girne post office and had it in my local post office. I collected it from him, paid a very small amount in customs duty, gave him my thanks and went home satisfied!

However, I also have another parcel - no tracking number - containing four pairs of garden gloves that was sent on the 12th of February - that has not yet arrived. I would bet anything that it is in the mountain of backlogged Mail in Girne Post Office and when I have the time I will go and check with them. In fairness to the postal service, they are undermanned and trying their best but with the flight restrictions and the pandemic making postal deliveries from Girne to local offices difficult they are fighting a battle they cannot win. The only suggestion I can offer is that you take a Turkish native speaker with you to explain your problem to your local office and to Girne. Remember that if you are awaiting any electrical goods you will probably have customs duty to pay and your first point of call should be the customs office underneath Girne main office - when it is open on one of the three days a week that postal/customs staff are there!

Hope this helps.

[benjaminbutton]

Years back there was an enormous backlog one Christmas and the woman at the Girne counter, said "it will probably be in the back there if you want to look, you can do" I suggest that wouldn't be allowed to happen these days with Union rules etc. BTW parcel never recovered, not to say it wasn't amongst all the sacks though.