DHL Held My €71 Package at Customs and Forced Me to Hire a Broker

I ordered a single food supplement from the UK on February 29, priced at £60 (around €71.26), and had it shipped with DHL. I deeply regret that decision. My package is now stuck in Istanbul customs, and despite it being just one personal-use item, I was told I must hire a customs broker because the value exceeded €30. DHL’s customer service (via 4440040) confirmed this absurd requirement, suggesting a broker whose service will likely cost between ₺1,000 and ₺3,000—far more than the value of the item itself.

What makes this worse is that other courier services like FedEx or PTT don’t treat every package over €30 as a formal import. They simply ask for standard documents and customs tax, which is fair. DHL, on the other hand, pretends customers know nothing about customs, then dumps the burden on them after collecting their shipping fees.

To make matters worse, DHL previously claimed the package was returned to the UK because I wasn’t home, yet they never called me or left a notice at my door. It took over a month just for the same package to get back to Turkey—yet magically, it didn’t get held at customs the first time?

DHL, if you're operating under T.C. trade laws, you need to review the 2025 customs regulations. For a €71 food supplement, the right process is to collect the necessary documents and duties, then deliver the package. Stop hiding behind unnecessary import procedures and broker referrals. I demand that DHL immediately release my shipment by accepting the payment and paperwork directly—no broker involved.