Your package hasn’t arrived? Here’s what to do

dhl delivery time

Life is full of surprises, and they’re not always pleasant. Eagerly looking forward to receiving a package that never arrives can be very frustrating, to say the least. But don’t despair just yet. Here’s what to do when your package hasn’t arrived.

Contact customer service

There’s no need to start worrying when a package hasn’t arrived when you expected it. Most of the time it got delayed somewhere, which you can simply check through our track-and-trace service. If the delivery status of your package remains unclear, be sure to contact us straight away.

When contacting customer service, you will be asked to provide the consignment number and, if possible, an accurate and detailed description of the goods and packaging. We will then check with our distribution centres to find out if your shipment was perhaps addressed incorrectly or if its packaging got damaged or lost. If your package was not retained in one of our distribution centres, we will continue our search to find out where things went wrong.

What happens when nobody’s home

Fortunately, most packages that don’t arrive did not get lost. What usually happens is that a package got delivered outside office hours or when you weren’t home. If that is the case and your neighbours aren’t home either, our couriers will leave a card in your mailbox. Through our On Demand Delivery tool, you can arrange a different delivery method online: service point (it’s open on Saturdays and has extensive opening hours), a different address, neighbours, delivery without signature, … Or you can ask for delivery on a different day (within seven calendar days).

 Tip: choose the right packaging

Please note that damaged goods are usually the result of inadequate packaging. A sturdy box with suitable dimensions is the prerequisite to getting your parcel delivered on time and in good condition. Be sure to always use quality cardboard boxes and avoid reusing old boxes, as old cardboard has lost some of its firmness. By the way, did you know that when you ship a parcel through one of our Service Points, you get a sturdy DHL box for free?

Discover more packaging tips for parcels!