The Ombudsman Institution (KDK) made a recommendation to the Ministry of Commerce to review the import regulation in terms of low-cost and non-commercial individual purchases from e-commerce platforms.
A retired lathe-milling master citizen, who stated that he procured the electronic equipment he used and the sensors, integrated switches, switch modules and PCB cards that his grandchildren needed in their technical high school projects, from abroad by mail, applied to the KDK, stating that access to the technological products in question had become difficult due to the latest customs regulations of the Ministry of Commerce.
Pointing out that this situation negatively affects not only individual users, but also technical students and young people trying to develop technology, the citizen noted that technological products should be evaluated separately, that the application restricts individual shopping freedom and harms technological development.
Citizens demanded that the limit on individual purchases be increased to 150 Euros, the monthly package quota be increased and the current restrictions on individual imports be reviewed.
KDK, which examined the application, made a recommendation to the Ministry of Commerce to review the regulation regarding the exemption limits applied to products coming from abroad via mail or fast cargo transportation in terms of low-cost and non-commercial individual shipments, by conducting the necessary examination and research.
WHAT IS SAID IN THE DECISION?
In KDK’s decision, it was stated that the regulation eliminated the possibility of benefiting from the simplified customs procedure even for low-cost and non-commercial individual shipments.
In the decision, it was stated that this situation had consequences that should be evaluated in terms of predictability and legal security principles for consumers, and that the practice should be reviewed by examination and research.
In the decision, it was emphasized that it is important for consumers to be able to clearly and understandably foresee additional obligations such as taxes, declaration, storage, consultancy, fast cargo operator service fee and compliance inspection that they may encounter in addition to the product price.
