At a glance
Countries served: International (UK/EU/US routes checked)
Claim window
- Dhl Express General
- Within 30 days of DHL accepting the shipment.
- Dhl Ecommerce
- Within 90 days of the original ship date.
- Lost Domestic Wait Before Filing
- 21 days.
- Lost International Wait Before Filing
- 45 days.
Compensation limits
- International Air Default
- Capped per kilogram under the Montreal Convention or Warsaw Convention (or, absent either, 26 Special Drawing Rights/kg, approximately $35 USD/kg) at the lower of current market/declared value or that per-kg limit, rather than by declared value, unless the shipper purchased Shipment Insurance covering full declared value. For cross-border road shipments, the CMR Convention applies instead, capping liability at 8.33 Special Drawing Rights/kg (approximately $11 USD/kg).
Source 1 → · verified 18 October 2026
How to make a claim
Written claim submission to DHL (DHL Express Claims Guide); figures vary materially by service (Express vs eCommerce) and mode (air/road/sea).
- Official claim form
- https://mydhl.express.dhl/gb/en/legal/terms-and-conditions.html (claims must be submitted in writing per Section 7; no separate online claim-form URL or submission address is stated on this page)
- Claims email
- Not stated in our data — check DHL's official page directly: https://mydhl.express.dhl/content/dam/downloads/gb/en/claims/dhl_express_claims_guide.pdf
- Postal address
- Not stated in our data — check DHL's official page directly: https://mydhl.express.dhl/content/dam/downloads/gb/en/claims/dhl_express_claims_guide.pdf
Source 1 → · Source 2 → · verified 18 October 2026
Evidence to gather
- Order confirmation or receipt
- Tracking number and tracking history (a screenshot, with dates/status)
- Proof of the item's value
- Photos of the item and packaging, if it arrived damaged
- Any correspondence with the seller or DHL so far
- Delivery Evidence Log template — a structured way to keep all of this in one place
What happens next
No ombudsman; dispute is with DHL directly or via the retailer who chose DHL.
UK note: POSTRS (the Postal Redress Service) covers Royal Mail only. It does not cover DHL. For a non-Royal-Mail UK carrier, the realistic escalation route is via the retailer who chose the carrier, or a card dispute (see below) — never assume ADR membership that isn't confirmed.
United Kingdom
Section 75 Consumer Credit Act 1974 (credit card, £100-£30,000 single item) or chargeback (any card, under the card scheme's own rules)
Consumer Credit Act 1974, s.75: the credit card issuer is jointly and severally liable with the supplier for breach of contract/misrepresentation, for a single item priced over £100 and not more than £30,000. For debit cards, or credit card purchases outside that range, the only route is a chargeback under Visa/Mastercard/Amex's own scheme rules (not a statutory right).
Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) — Resolves disputes about how a FINANCIAL BUSINESS (e.g. the card issuer) handled a Section 75/chargeback claim — not a complaint about the retailer or carrier directly.
European Union
Chargeback under the card scheme's own rules (no single EU-wide statutory right equivalent to UK Section 75 was found)
The Consumer Rights Directive and PSD2 do not create a Section-75-style joint-liability right for non-delivery; a card chargeback for goods not received is available only under Visa/Mastercard/etc.'s own scheme rules, which are not EU legislation.
FIN-NET (Financial Dispute Resolution Network, European Commission) — FIN-NET is the EU's actual financial-dispute-specific network — it helps resolve CROSS-BORDER disputes between a consumer and a financial-service provider (e.g. a card issuer) in different EEA countries (EU + Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway), by routing the complaint to the relevant national financial ombudsman, which is itself a FIN-NET member. It does not resolve disputes with the retailer or carrier directly. Corrected phase 5a — see note below. For a general (non-financial) cross-border consumer dispute, the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net, https://www.eccnet.eu/) is the separate, more general network previously listed here.
Complain to FIN-NET (Financial Dispute Resolution Network, European Commission) →
United States
Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) billing-error dispute
Must dispute in writing within 60 days of the statement date that first contained the charge; the card issuer must acknowledge within 30 days and resolve within 2 billing cycles (max 90 days).
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) — Takes complaints about how a bank/card issuer handled a billing dispute; does not itself resolve disputes with the retailer or carrier.
Common questions
What is the claim window for a DHL parcel claim?
Within 30 days of DHL accepting the shipment. Within 90 days of the original ship date. 21 days. 45 days.
Is there a compensation limit for a DHL claim?
Capped per kilogram under the Montreal Convention or Warsaw Convention (or, absent either, 26 Special Drawing Rights/kg, approximately $35 USD/kg) at the lower of current market/declared value or that per-kg limit, rather than by declared value, unless the shipper purchased Shipment Insurance covering full declared value. For cross-border road shipments, the CMR Convention applies instead, capping liability at 8.33 Special Drawing Rights/kg (approximately $11 USD/kg).
How do I start a claim with DHL?
Written claim submission to DHL (DHL Express Claims Guide); figures vary materially by service (Express vs eCommerce) and mode (air/road/sea).
What if DHL doesn't resolve my claim?
No ombudsman; dispute is with DHL directly or via the retailer who chose DHL.
Does POSTRS cover DHL?
No. POSTRS only covers Royal Mail. It does not cover DHL.
This is general information, not legal advice. Figures are sourced from DHL's own published terms, linked above, and reviewed on the date shown.