Parcel · Germany, domestic parcel (DPD CLASSIC)
DPD Deutschland claim deadlines, liability and evidence
DPD pays the statutory HGB amount and its automatic insurance makes up the difference to the actual loss, with liability and insurance together capped at EUR 520 per parcel. Compensation is limited to the lower of provable purchase value and current value, and higher cover up to EUR 13,000 is generally unavailable when shipping online or via a Pickup parcelshop.
Tightest deadline
At delivery
Standard cap
EUR 520 per parcel, liability and insurance combined
Liability regime
HGB
DPD is the one carrier of the four whose headline figure is genuinely a ceiling, but it is a ceiling on two things added together. Section 12 sets liability under the HGB, which is the 8.33 SDR per kilogram weight cap. Section 13 then adds an insurance, automatically and at no extra charge, that pays the gap between that statutory amount and the real damage. The EUR 520 is the cap on the combined total. The catch sits in 12.1.3: whatever the route, compensation is limited to the lower of the provable purchase value and, for used goods, the current value, so a EUR 520 ceiling rarely means a EUR 520 settlement.
Claim windows
DPD applies the HGB domestically and CMR or Warsaw/Montreal cross-border, then adds an automatic insurance that tops the statutory cap up. Liability and insurance together are capped at EUR 520 per parcel.
Visible damage or partial loss
At delivery
Counted from delivery.
The statutory § 438(1) HGB deadline. DPD publishes no separate notification deadline of its own for domestic carriage.
Concealed damage (not externally visible)
7 days
Counted from delivery.
Under § 438(2) HGB, in text form under § 438(4).
Delay, where a delivery time was owed
21 days
Counted from delivery.
Under § 438(3) HGB, and absolute: the delay claim expires if not notified in time.
Insured versus uninsured
No additional cover
Liability follows the HGB for domestic carriage and CMR, or Warsaw/Montreal for the air leg, cross-border (AGB 12.1.1 and 12.1.2). Compensation is limited to the provable purchase value, or the current value for used goods, whichever is lower (12.1.3). An automatic insurance in favour of the sender pays the difference between the liability amount and the actual damage, with liability and insurance together capped at EUR 520 per parcel (13.1).
With cover bought
Higher cover up to EUR 13,000 per parcel against an additional premium (13.2). DPD states this is generally not available in Pickup parcelshops or for online shipping, and reserves the right to restrict or exclude it for individual products and services.
Delay and late delivery
The AGB set no delay compensation of their own; § 431(3) HGB caps liability for exceeding an owed delivery period at three times the freight charge. Consequential loss is excluded under 12.2, except for consumer senders or where the carrier acted with intent or recklessly.
Evidence required
DPD Deutschland does not publish a document list. Request one in writing before you need it.
Exclusions
- Consequential loss ("Güterfolgeschäden"), except where the sender is a consumer under § 13 BGB or the carrier acted with intent or recklessly (AGB 12.2)
- Shipments excluded from carriage under 5.1 and 5.2 where the sender did not meet the notification duty in 5.3 and the exclusion was not obvious to DPD (12.3)
- Quantity differences found when sender-loaded and sealed swap bodies are reconciled at the DPD depot (12.4)
- Anything above the combined EUR 520 liability and insurance ceiling without agreed higher cover (13.1)
Filing the claim
- Who files
- Claims for loss, damage or delay are not assignable (AGB 12.5), so they must be brought by the contracting sender rather than passed to a recipient or a recovery agent.
- How to file
- DPD publishes no filing channel or deadline of its own in the CLASSIC conditions; the statutory § 438 HGB notice deadlines and the text-form requirement apply. In a claim the sender must prove the value of the goods carried.
- Processing time
- The conditions do not publish a handling time for claims.
What quietly kills DPD DE claims
EUR 520 is a combined ceiling on liability plus insurance, not an insured sum you are paid up to. What you actually receive is the lower of purchase value and current value, under 12.1.3.
Higher cover is unavailable exactly where most e-commerce volume is created: DPD states it generally cannot be bought for online shipping or in Pickup parcelshops (13.2).
Claims are non-assignable under 12.5, which blocks the common arrangement of letting a recipient or a third party pursue the carrier directly.
On sender-loaded sealed swap bodies, a count difference at the depot is treated as DPD never having received those parcels, and DPD is not liable for the difference (12.4).
FAQ
How much does DPD pay for a lost parcel in Germany?
Liability follows the HGB weight cap and an automatic insurance pays the difference up to a combined maximum of EUR 520 per parcel. The amount is further limited to the lower of the provable purchase value and, for used goods, the current value, so the settlement is usually below the ceiling.
Can I insure a DPD parcel for more than EUR 520?
Up to EUR 13,000 per parcel against an extra premium, but DPD states this is generally not available for online shipping or in Pickup parcelshops, and it reserves the right to restrict it for particular products and services.
Can someone else file a DPD claim on my behalf?
No. Section 12.5 of the CLASSIC conditions makes claims for loss, damage or delay non-assignable, so the claim stays with the contracting sender.
Sources
- DPD, Allgemeine Geschäftsbedingungen DPD CLASSIC, 01/2025 (sections 12 and 13)
- § 431 HGB, Haftungshöchstbetrag
- § 438 HGB, Schadensanzeige
Verified 31 August 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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