Guess Bag Stuck in Customs with Complicated Pickup Process

On October 5, I ordered a Guess bag from their website as a birthday gift for my mother, choosing “Duty Free & Fast Delivery” to avoid customs fees and ensure quick delivery. Since the bag was not available in Turkey, it shipped from Germany. It arrived at the PTT Mersin Postal Processing Center on October 23, but wasn’t delivered to her home. Instead, a notice was left, requiring her to pick it up in person. My mother lives 40 minutes from Mersin and, at 75 years old, can’t handle such a demanding process. At the post office, they informed her that because the item exceeded 30 EUR, it could only be collected by hiring a customs broker and granting them a notarized power of attorney to handle the customs process, including fees.

I contacted Guess customer service multiple times, but they only insisted that there was an agreement in place with Turkish authorities, claiming such issues don’t occur in Istanbul and that PTT staff in Mersin might be uninformed. When I called PTT, they firmly stated there is no such arrangement and that the collection process is as outlined. I’ve requested a refund, as my mother shouldn’t have to deal with this ordeal. Guess customer service suggested I could pick up the bag at a Guess store in Istanbul, but only at full price, as I’d initially bought it on sale, and they would escalate the issue.

It’s been a week without any follow-up, and I’m now told I’ll need to wait a month for the item to reach their warehouse before I can receive a refund. I’m doubtful about even getting the refund. Guess, if you can’t ensure home delivery or inform customers of these issues, you should provide a solution, like routing the item to a local store. I trusted Guess as an international brand, expecting reliable service. This has been a frustrating process, and I plan to share updates here to help others who may encounter similar issues.