Status: 07/03/2023 12:00 p.m
Large parcel service providers such as DHL, Hermes, DPD or GLS all offer shipment or package tracking. What to do if a package cannot be found or is actually lost?
There are many reasons why a parcel does not reach the recipient: parcels are sorted incorrectly, address labels are torn off en route, the packaging breaks and the contents fall out, or the wrong address is on the parcel. If packages don’t turn up anymore, one can only guess: Maybe they were stolen.
Report the loss of a package
Customers can either fill out a contact form with the parcel service provider or submit a loss report online. Hermes, for example, points out to customers that they should first determine the shipment status. It is available no later than five hours after the shipment has been handed over. After five working days at the earliest, the customer can initiate a shipment search with Hermes Customer Service. If this remains unsuccessful after three weeks, the customer should submit a loss report. After 21 days, a package is considered lost.
Pack goods correctly: That’s how it works
The content should be packed in a stable package. Always choose a box slightly larger than the contents. Then the goods can be better secured with bubble wrap or other filling material. You should not only stick the address on the package, but also put a note with the address in the package. Also take photos and get a witness. For high-quality content, such as a mobile phone, experts recommend using a much larger box so that the mobile phone cannot be immediately identified as such.
Parcel insurance: when is it worth it?
A package is usually insured up to 500 euros (Hermes, DHL). However, liability only applies if various conditions are met. More details are explained in the respective terms and conditions of the parcel service provider. If goods are sent that are more expensive than 500 euros, it is worth taking out parcel insurance
Jörg Schwede, a lawyer specializing in contract law from Hanover, advises that you keep the purchase receipts or provide the parcel service with other evidence, such as a bank statement for the amount or witnesses if it was a gift, for example. Important: “If used goods were sent, the invoice amount is not decisive. It depends on the current value. That means how old the goods are and what the value of the used product was at the time of the loss,” says Schwede.
Compensation payment by weight
If the package is lost and no longer appears, that’s annoying enough. However, if the customer fails to provide proof of purchase in the form of receipts, compensation will be calculated by weight. For example, the Hermes General Terms and Conditions state: “Legal liability is limited to a value of 8.33 units of account/kg of shipment weight.”
For a mobile phone worth 400 euros that has been sent and lost, this can mean that the parcel service provider only reimburses an amount of around 16 euros. Attorney Schwede: “The calculation by weight is legal. The parcel service providers waive it, however, if proof of value is provided and the package has been sent properly.”
If the delivery service refuses to pay any damages, the customer can initiate arbitration proceedings with the Federal Network Agency. If a consumer has ordered goods from a retailer and has already paid for them, the retailer bears the transport risk and is obliged to refund the purchase price.
Further information
What consumers should pay attention to – and who can help with problems with post, parcel service, telephone and mobile phone providers. more
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market | 07/03/2023 | 8:15 p.m