More and more of us are receiving and sending parcels. The Christmas and New Year period is a particularly busy time for the Post Office and private parcel delivery company. Inevitably sometimes things can go wrong. The parcel might have been delivered to the wrong address or have been left with a neighbour with whom relations are not particularly good. It might even be the case that the parcel has simply been lost. What compensation might you be entitled to if your parcel is lost? Is it a good idee to take out insurance on the delivery just incase something goes wrong.
VRT News’ consumer team has drawn up a list of top tips to help you if something goes wrong with the delivery of a parcel that you have been expecting
What if my parcel gets lost?
If you order something from an online shop and that package gets damaged or lost in transit, you should always first contact the vendor. The Postal Services Ombudswoman Katelijne Exelmans told VRT News that “After all, the online vendor is the courier's customer and not you. Furthermore, the vendor remains responsible for your order until it is has been delivered correctly. If this is not the case they will have to refund you or send you a replacement item free of charge”.
“What few people know is that as a recipient you have the right to contact the courier company to request that they carry out an investigation into what happened to your parcel. This information is increasing required by online vendors as additional proof of what has happened”.
Can you send everything is the same parcel?
You can’t just send anything and everything through the post. It is illegal to send things such as weapons and poisonous substances through the post. A complete list of banned items can be found on the courier companies’ website.
In addition to the items that are banned by companies also ban individuals from sending some other items too. For example, the Belgian Post Office Bpost (and most other companies) ban private customers from sending perfume, aerosols and alcohol.
But what about online vendors that dispatch these items every day?
Bpost’s Mathieu Goedefroy told VRT News that "We agree additional safety measures with these companies before they are allowed to send this kind of goods”.
There are also goods that you may send as a parcel, but where it isn’t advisable or wise to do so, as you would be unable to insure a parcel of this nature.
If a parcel containing jewellery, cash or bonds papers is lost or damaged, you lose the value of these goods irrevocably. Even if you had opted to insure your parcel.
‘Jewellery, cash and bonds papers have to be sent by registered post and customised insurance needs to be taken out. Only then will you be insured if something were to go wrong with your shipment”, Bpost’s Mathieu Goedefroy said. In Belgium, registered mail can only be sent through Bpost.
Gift vouchers: a special case
What if you want to give your aunt a 100-euro gift voucher for her birthday? Sending the voucher in a standard enveloppe is too risky, so you opt to send insured. But is the voucher really insured?
“That depends whether her name is on the voucher. If this is the case you can sent it with a guarentee that and any risk of damage or loss will be insured. If there is no name on the voucher this is not the case and you would have to send it be registered mail”.
The fact that businesses that accept gift vouchers rarely look at what name is on a gift voucher when a customer goes to spend is something that Bpost doesn’t take into consideration.
Can the courier leave my parcel at the door?
According to the Postal Services Ombudswoman, most companies do not allow their couriers to leave a parcel unattended. “Couriers that do this run the risk that the parcel will disappear before the recipient gets home. When we receive complaints we always call courier company to offer compensation”.
Companies that do allow this, (in theory at least) ask the explicit consent of the addressee first. DPD allow addressees the option of giving permission to leave the parcel behind, while Bpost offers the choice of letting it be delivered in to ‘a safe place’. This could be a front garden, carport or garden shed, for example. The courier or postman may then only leave the parcel in that place.
But who is responsible if a parcel disappears from a so-called “safe place”? Bpost and PostNL agree that this is the addressee. “The postal worker will always take a photo as proof of delivery. However, from that moment on, you as the recipient are responsible for your parcel. So be sure to always choose a place where it cannot get wet from rain or where people with malintent won’t be able to take it easily” Bpost's spokesman told VRT News.
At both Bpost and PostNL, the postal worker or courier is allowed to decide not to leave a parcel at the safe place. ‘"If a delivery driver believbes that the place is not safe enough after all, he may decide not to leave the parcel there", PostNL's spokeswoman Lies Florentie told VRT News.
Can my parcel be delivered to a neighbour’s home?
Bpost, allows you to request that your parcel is delivered to a neighbour’s home. This is currently not an option with PostNL. However, this is set to change. “From the beginning of 2025, you will be able to provide delivery preferences. These will include the option of having a parcel delivered to a neighbour”, Lies Florentie said.
“If a parcel cannot be delivered to the address provided, our courier can see if he can deliver it to a neighbour. You will then receive a note in your letterbox with a QR code on it to check which neighbour has received your parcel. If he is unable to do this he will take it to a parcel pick-up point”.
Bpost takes a different approach. “We will not leave a parcel with a neighbour, unless you have indicated that this is your delivery preference. Otherwise, the postman will always ring first and if you are not at home he will take your parcel to a collection point”, Bpost’s spokesman Mathieu Goedefroy explains.
What compensation am I entitled to?
If you send a parcel within Belgium without paying extra for a guarantee or insurance, you will only be refunded the shipping costs if your parcel is lost or damaged and the value of the contents will never be refunded.
Bposts spokesman told VRT News that “If you want to send something that has a material or emotional value, always choose to send the parcel with a guarantee or opt for a registered parcel with insurance”.
Each courier service has different rates for insuring a parcel. With Bpost, you can insure the contents of a parcel for 1.40 euros up to a maximum value of 500 euros (unless you have sent documents, in which case you are refunded a maximum of 15 euros, ed.). You also get a refund on shipping costs. At PostNL, you pay 2.50 euros extra for insurance up to 500 euro. DPD offers basic cover up to 50 euros without any extra charge.