Subject:
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Update and thanks to all of you (was: Re: Toy Aid for children affected from Earthquake in Turkey)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Fri, 1 Oct 1999 09:53:23 GMT
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Viewed:
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3039 times
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Things were not so easy and clear on my side, but finally it seems that it
will be ended in a good fashion.
On Tuesday 28.09.1999, I was informed by the customs that I have three
packages waiting on the customs for delivery. Obviously they were the
packages dent by Julie (thanks again Julie, and all the other donors, with
my full heart). I went for taking the delivery, and said to the inspectors
that those packages were all donation for earthquake children. Their answer
was they need a legal letter from the mayor that allows me to take the
delivery as donation without customs fee. I went for the mayors chrisis
center for the letter, but they told me that this was not their
responsibility since some date, and I should have go to the Red Crescent for
the letter. Then I went to the Red Crescent Istanbul branch, and talked
about the subject to the senior manager. She said that, if I didn't want to
pay customs tax, I should donate the good to them, and I didn't have the
right to say where should donation go. This was not the way I prefer to go
(from the very beginning) , after all the recent scandals about the
foundation and all of the things that I'd seen with my very own eyes during
the help missions.
So I returned back to the customs and said that I wanted to pay for the
customs tax. Then they asked for the invoice to calculate the tax amount. I
tried to explain at my best that there couldn't be an invoice because the
items in the packages were either used or new, and the new ones were bought
from several different stores by several different people. Additionally I'
showed them the papers came with the packages, stating that they were gift,
and they were marked as 100$ per package value already if they want to
calculate tax. They said it was not a valid price description and I couldn't
take the delivery in these conditions, and they would resent the package
back if not taken in a week time for the sender's expense.
The story from now on is a little bit(!) illegal(1), since, after seeing
that no legal methods would work, I started to find the ways to cheat. I
feel myself responsible from delivering these toys to the ones in real need,
and just saying "I've donated the toys to Red Crescent...I know they won't
send it to the victims, but hey, there was no other way, right?" is not
enough after all of your nice and wishful efforts.
First I contacted a high rank Postal Service manager that I know somehow,
but his relations with customs branch didn't make the work done. Then I
contacted with a customs commissioner, a friend from high school days. Now
the things seems all right, and he informed me just several minutes ago that
we will have the packages this evening with 99% possibility(2). Of course
this will require an approximate 200$ of illegal cash paid to the frontline
inspectors but...anyway. I've done it, and I'm happy with it.
I will repackage them set by set this evening at home, and most probably
deliver them to the child cities that I've contacted before this weekend.
Thanks and best wishes to all of the donors, and especially to Julie for her
tireless efforts, with my full heart...:-)
Selçuk
(1) Although very common in my country in any case involving a state related
work, I'm not in the favor of these methods, and I never use them for my own
benefit.
(2) If this will not work (just a very very low possibility) we have still a
last way to go: preparing a fake invoice. A little bit risky method, so
always reserved as a last chance, but it always works, as my friend said.
dkrenz wrote in message <37EAFFF1.F1F6DC25@mc.net>...
> I mailed out the packages on Monday. I ended up sending 3 boxes with • contents from the
> following:
>
> 8 1200 pc blue tubs
> 4 400 pc freestyle w/backpack
> 4 400 pc classic w/tray-building table
> 1 400 classic bucket
> 1 80 pc Primo
> 1 13pc(?) Primo from the ladybug container
> 2 Duplo green tubs
> 4 yellow bucket Duplo #2493
> 1 Indian Family Duplo
> 4 6580s Land Jet 7
> and I put in 10 16x32 baseplates and some FreeStyle tire,hub & axle sets.
>
> The boxes weighed 25 lbs 11oz, 21 lbs 15 oz and 21 lbs 4oz, mailing airmail • cost $245.
> I still need to sit down and figure the final amount spent, somewhere • around $350..
> There are many credit slips involved and I'm too tired at the moment to • do the math.
>
> Julie
>
>
>
>
>
>
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