Travel advice after shipment meant for North Cyprus arriving in South

qubee


Joined: 28/07/2010
Posts: 4

Message Posted:
28/07/2010 10:05

Hello everyone, after having find many great pieces of advice over the years on this site, I finally have joined the forum myself and have the following question. I have recently sent some goods from the UK to North Cyprus, but, after having specified to the shipping company for the goods NOT to be shipped via the South, but directly to the North, it apears that it was still sent to Larnaca and I have been told it will arrive in Turkish Nicosia this week. However, besides dreading the state of my goods, I am also worried about flying back to the UK next week. This time has been the first time I have flown via Larnaca and I had no problems on arrival, but with the shipment having passed through the Greek side (listing my name and address in N.Cyprus + papers listing that the goods are for my apartment here), I wonder if I may encounter problems on the way back. Any advice would be much appreciated!

spider


Joined: 03/01/2009
Posts: 5527

Message Posted:
28/07/2010 10:23

qubee not sure why you think you might ? a lot of people fly from south and they have residency here..Homes and partners too..some even have children and they fly from south..







Spider,x

qubee


Joined: 28/07/2010
Posts: 4

Message Posted:
28/07/2010 11:34

Spider, it is because I am aware there have been people taken into custody in the past on the Greek side (just to make their point) if there is evidence of property ownership in the North. That was the reason I wanted my goods to be shipped directly to the North. As it has now been shipped via mainland Greece and South Cyprus (with clear evidence of my name and address of my new apartment in the North, it will be obvious to Greek officials I own property here (I am a Dutch National residing/working in UK). I am not Cypriot (either Turkish or Greek, so do not live here permanently and/or have family) but I am very much aware of the fragile political balance and the "games" played out by the South (just look at what they did to JLo).

MsGarnet


Joined: 04/01/2009
Posts: 989

Message Posted:
28/07/2010 11:43

I simply don't understand why your things went to the south side - we shipped a van filled to the brim with household equipment - stuffed totally, not an inch to spare - and the whole lot arrived north side port, completely untouched...........maybe you mentioned the south so much, someone wrote it down, and it accidentally got muddled up on the shipping address?

elko2



Joined: 24/07/2007
Posts: 4400

Message Posted:
28/07/2010 11:48

quebee,

You should have no problem getting in and out from Larnaca. As for your goods, we do not have enough information to comment on it. What is the volume or weight of your goods and how did you send them? Did you send them by ship, by air cargo or by couriers such as TNT, DHL etc.? I can tell you, this subject is a minefield irrespective of whether you send them through the south or through Turkey.

ismet

qubee


Joined: 28/07/2010
Posts: 4

Message Posted:
28/07/2010 12:44

To Ms Garnet: it is a complete mistery to me too why the goods went to the south, despite my clear instructions with the shipping company, various repeated emails for reassurance and it being labelled as such on the goods. The company (Excess Baggage Company) came accross as very thorough and reassuring, however, they must have handed to goods over to DHL and somewhere along the line, someone made the decision to sent the lot from London Heatrow, via Leipzig (Germany), then to Athens and then to Larnaca (I discovered this when DHL send me an email tracking link).



Appreciate your comment though.

nostradamus


Joined: 15/04/2008
Posts: 557

Message Posted:
28/07/2010 15:33

We had some stock delivered to Larnaca instead of Ercan some time ago - thank you, TNT! it came from the States and the dispatching office had put the Larnaca code on the package instead of Ercan in spite of being told about this. TNT organised its forwarding to Ercan - took about 4 weeks and went through Athens, Cairo, Dubai, Amman, Istanbul before it finally got here. They did say they were not going to charge us any extra - morons! It did arrived undamaged though.

qubee


Joined: 28/07/2010
Posts: 4

Message Posted:
29/07/2010 14:49

Thanks to those who replied to my query for your comments. I picked up the goods this morning from DHL in Lefkosa: all goods intact, no damage and no extra costs. I am still baffled by the saga: it apears that the goods really went to the South and then, once they realised the mistake, it was shipped back to Turkey (Istanbul) and then sent on a Atlasflight to Ercan. I suppose my goods are well traveled now, like me...lol. ; )