Parcel · Netherlands, Belgium
DHL eCommerce Benelux claim deadlines, liability and evidence
DHL eCommerce asks senders to report damage within 7 days of delivery and a missing parcel within 14 days. Without additional cover, compensation follows the AVC 2002 cap of EUR 3.40 per kilogram, not the value of the goods.
Tightest deadline
immediately
Standard cap
EUR 3.40 per kg uninsured
Liability regime
AVC 2002
This is the carrier behind the EUR 3.40 figure that circulates on Dutch forums. It is not an arbitrary DHL policy: it is the AVC 2002 statutory cap for domestic road transport, applied to a parcel that was shipped without additional cover. A 1.2 kg parcel holding EUR 400 of goods is worth EUR 4.08 in compensation under that regime, and the gap between those two numbers is exactly what Verzekerd Verzenden exists to close.
Claim windows
Domestic DHL eCommerce parcels fall under AVC 2002, which is why standard compensation is quoted per kilogram rather than per parcel.
Visible damage at handover
immediately
Counted from acceptance of the parcel.
The receiving party must flag visible damage to the driver at the moment of acceptance.
Damage reported to customer service
7 days
Counted from delivery.
Hidden damage or partial loss
5 working days
Counted from delivery.
Missing or undelivered parcel
14 days
Counted from the expected delivery date.
Insured versus uninsured
No additional cover
AVC 2002 applies: EUR 3.40 per kilogram of the damaged or missing goods, calculated on weight rather than value. Consequential loss is excluded.
With cover bought
Verzekerd Verzenden moves the claim onto the insurer and settles on the value of the goods instead of the per-kilo cap. Without a purchase invoice, the settlement is calculated from the sales invoice minus 40%, subject to the insurer approving the claim.
Delay and late delivery
Not compensated on standard e-commerce parcels. Under AVC, delay damage is capped at the freight charge and only where the carrier is liable at all.
Evidence required
- Tracking number of the shipment
- Sales invoice (a purchase invoice is not mandatory, but it produces a better settlement)
- Photos of the damage and of the outer packaging
- Weight of the damaged or missing goods, since the standard cap is calculated per kilogram
Exclusions
- Consequential loss, lost profit and business interruption
- Insufficient packaging for the goods carried
- Goods on the carrier's excluded and prohibited list
- Damage not flagged to the driver where it was visible at handover
Filing the claim
- Who files
- The sender, as DHL's contracting party.
- How to file
- Through DHL eCommerce customer service, via the business portal or the damage and loss form.
- Processing time
- At least three weeks in practice. The carrier investigation and the insurer's claim handling run in sequence rather than in parallel.
What quietly kills DHL eCommerce claims
The per-kilo cap is calculated on the weight of the damaged goods only, not the whole consignment, which usually makes an uninsured claim smaller than shippers expect.
Damage and loss have different clocks: 7 days and 14 days. Treating them as one deadline is the most common way a loss claim is filed too late.
Hidden damage has a tighter 5-working-day window than the 7-day damage window, so an unopened parcel sitting in a warehouse can time out.
Without a purchase invoice the insurer settles on sales price minus 40%, so keeping cost-price documentation is worth real money on high-margin goods.
FAQ
Why is DHL compensation only EUR 3.40 per kilo?
Because a domestic parcel shipped without additional cover falls under the AVC 2002 conditions, which cap liability at EUR 3.40 per kilogram of damaged or missing goods. It is a statutory ceiling for Dutch road transport, not a DHL-specific policy, and it applies regardless of what the goods were worth.
How long do I have to report a lost DHL parcel?
14 days. Damage is a separate and shorter window of 7 days after delivery, and hidden damage or partial loss must be reported within 5 working days.
Does Verzekerd Verzenden change the payout?
Yes. It moves the claim to the insurer and settles on the value of the goods rather than the per-kilogram cap. If you cannot produce a purchase invoice, the insurer calculates from the sales invoice minus 40%.
Does DHL eCommerce refund late deliveries?
Not on standard e-commerce parcels. Under AVC, delay damage is limited to the freight charge and only arises where the carrier is liable, so recovery on Dutch volume comes from billing accuracy rather than delay refunds.
Sources
- DHL eCommerce NL, schade en verlies melden
- DHL eCommerce BE, schade en verlies melden
- AVC 2002 liability (SVA)
Verified 28 July 2026. This page summarises publicly published conditions for reference. A negotiated carrier contract, a rate-card annex or a service-specific annex can override any of it. Always check the deadline in your own agreement before relying on a figure here. Spotted a figure that has changed? Tell us and we will correct it.
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