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How long should I wait before seeking refund for delayed/missing parcel?

4 replies

tigerflowergirl · 20/08/2026 17:51

First of all I would like to say, I am not in the UK but I was born there. I am living in an EU country.

I am seeking advice about something. Two weeks ago I made an online order on an online shop that is based in Germany. The German shop dispatched it with DHL and it was all very efficient and speedy.

DHL have my parcel to my countrys national Mail service. The mail got that parcel last Friday. I got a message on Saturday to say that they have my item and it's due for next day delivery. I was expecting this on Monday but nothing came. Tracking didn't update. It's been like this now all week. Tracking never updated and there was no delivery.

In my experience of shopping online and buying from other German retailers and DHL and handing it over to the postal service - it can be about 4-6 days all in all.

My issue is that there has been no update
regarding tracking or delivery.

I got in touch with the retailer but they don't want to give me a refund yet.

I suspect this won't be updated tomorrow either. Usually the evening before a delivery there's a text message at the scanning stagr to say it will be delivered. There's nothing.

I am just wondering how do I proceed with this now?

I can't wait indefinately for this. Am I expected to wait until next week? This would be delivered by now if they had it. There's definitely a problem. I contacted the postal service but I got now help. Just a vague response about a back log which to be honest is bullshit. If there's such a back log that the national postal network can't do their job and deliver the packages handed to them, why isn't it in the news? Or why hasn't the tracking updated to reflect that there is a delay. There's just no update and from my perspective it's gone and lost within the postal service but they are taking their sweet fucking time to tell me.

Anyways, at this stage I need to go down the option of a refund for non delivery and I already asked for that but I was refused it because the retailer wants to wait for it. I think the retailer has chased this with DHL too who should hopefully open an enquiry with the postal service too.

I am just left in limbo now. I really don't think this will be delivered to me tomorrow. It could but I don't think it will.

I am coming close to going down the nuclear option of a charge back.

The postal service has called it a delay but a delay is 2 or 3 or 4 days and that's reasonable. Not 5 or into another week and that's a kissing parcel but they are not calling it that. Just dragging it out for as long as possible.

It shouldn't take this long. I found what I was looking for on another shop too.

This still won't be delivered to me tomorrow either because there's no update to the tracking to say that it will be delivered the next day. The tracking stalled.

There's no customs charges on this item by the way.

OP posts:
ElegantDress · 20/08/2026 17:58

There might be something in the T&Cs of the postal service, I went for compensation over something that went missing with the UK Royal Mail a few years ago but had to wait a specific time first and then only got minimal compensation because it hadn't been an expensive insured delivery option. But that was for something I posted. But it will probably be the same for your vendor when they chase this delivery.

Wasitalwaysgoingtobelikethis · 20/08/2026 18:02

I am in the similar position to you, parcel sent from Spain to the UK. The parcel is lost as DHL have no updates on their system since it arrived at their hub. Company/ business who sent it have asked me not to message them as they will let me know when they hear back. So here I am with a loss of £300. Sorry I am of no help to your query!

tigerflowergirl · 20/08/2026 18:08

I have no issue with DHL. They moved the parcel between two different countries in a matter of a few days. But since then it's just been sitting with the postal service with no progress towards delivery.

OP posts:
tigerflowergirl · 20/08/2026 18:59

Oh, my god.

The postal service in my country usually sends a message to say that they have the item with the tracking number and says it's due for delivery next writing day. There's a few different messages but it's all similar.

It's nearly 7pm and there's no update to the tracking on this order to indicate a possible delivery for tomorrow.

Tracking said they received the item last week on the Friday and I got a message and email in Saturday to say it's due for delivery next working day but nothing since then.

There won't be a delivery either tomorrow.

I will see if tracking updates tomorrow morning to show a possible delivery for tomorrow if not, I will demand for a refund and if it's refused I will do a charge back with the bank.

OP posts:
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