Can I get a refund if DPD lost my parcel?

If you bought from a retailer and the goods have not arrived by the agreed date or within a reasonable time, you may be able to ask the retailer for a refund, replacement or redelivery. If you are the sender, compensation depends on the service, terms, cover and evidence.

Can the recipient claim from DPD for a lost parcel?

For most retailer orders, the recipient's refund route is with the retailer or seller. The sender or contracting party normally deals with the courier claim. If you paid DPD directly for the shipment, you may be able to use DPD's claim process.

What if the retailer tells me to contact DPD?

If the retailer arranged delivery, ask the retailer to investigate with DPD and resolve the order with you. You can check DPD tracking, but the retailer should not use DPD as a reason to leave your order unresolved.

DPD Lost Parcel Refund: What to Do if DPD Lost Your Parcel

Q: What should I do if DPD lost my parcel?

Save the DPD tracking, parcel number, delivery estimate, order confirmation and messages. If you bought from a retailer, contact the retailer and ask them to investigate with DPD and provide a refund, replacement or redelivery if the parcel cannot be located. If you sent the parcel yourself, use DPD's parcel issue or claim route.

Q: Who is responsible if DPD loses a retailer parcel?

If a retailer arranged DPD delivery, the retailer should usually resolve the order with you and chase DPD. The retailer or sender may then claim from DPD if eligible.

Updated 21 June 2026 by ParcelClaim Research Team | DPD lost parcel refund and claim guide

Quick answer: If DPD has lost your parcel, the right route depends on who arranged the delivery. If you bought from a retailer, ask the retailer for a refund, replacement or redelivery and ask them to investigate with DPD. If you sent the parcel yourself, you may need to use DPD’s parcel issue or claim route.

Need to ask for a DPD lost parcel refund?

A strong message should include your order number, DPD parcel number, delivery postcode/order ID, last tracking update, delivery estimate, screenshots, previous replies and the exact outcome you want.

Start My DPD Lost Parcel Letter One-time £2.99 · No subscription · Instant document

A DPD lost parcel problem is not always straightforward because the refund route and the courier claim route are not the same thing. If you are a buyer waiting for a retailer order, your main route is usually the retailer or seller. If you paid DPD to send the parcel, your route may be DPD’s own claim or parcel issue process.

This guide explains what to do if DPD says a parcel is missing, the tracking has stopped, the parcel is stuck at depot, the one-hour slot passed without delivery, or the retailer says DPD has lost the parcel.

If your DPD tracking is simply stuck or not updating, start with our DPD tracking not updating guide. If DPD says the parcel was delivered but you do not have it, use our DPD delivered but not received guide.

Buyer route: If a retailer arranged the delivery, contact the retailer first. Citizens Advice says if a seller used a courier, the seller should chase the courier to find out what happened to your order — it is not your responsibility.

First, work out which DPD lost parcel route applies

Before you complain, identify whether you are the buyer, recipient, sender or seller. This affects who can solve the problem and who can claim from DPD.

Your situation	Who to contact first	What to ask for
You bought from a retailer	The retailer or shop	Ask for a DPD investigation, refund, replacement or redelivery. The retailer should chase DPD.
You bought from a marketplace seller	The seller and/or marketplace support	Ask for item-not-received help, buyer protection, refund or replacement before platform deadlines expire.
You sent the parcel using DPD	DPD or the booking platform	Use the DPD parcel issue/claim route and prepare proof of posting, proof of value and tracking evidence.
You bought the label through a third party	The third-party postage platform	Use that provider’s claim route if they are the contracting party with DPD.
A return parcel went missing	The retailer or label provider	If the retailer supplied the label, ask the retailer to investigate. If you bought the label, check the DPD/booking route.

If you bought from a retailer and DPD lost the parcel

If a retailer arranged DPD delivery, your order has still not been delivered to you. The retailer should investigate with DPD and tell you whether it will refund, replace or redeliver. You should not be left stuck between the retailer and DPD.

Citizens Advice says the seller is responsible for making sure the item is delivered, and if the seller used a courier, the seller should chase the courier. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 also says goods generally remain at the trader’s risk until they come into the consumer’s physical possession, unless the consumer arranged their own carrier outside the trader’s options.

Ask the retailer to confirm:

the DPD parcel number and delivery postcode/order ID;
whether DPD physically received the parcel;
the last DPD scan date, time and location;
whether DPD has confirmed the parcel is lost or missing;
whether the parcel is delayed, misrouted, returned, damaged or at a depot;
whether the retailer has opened a DPD investigation;
whether you will receive a refund, replacement or redelivery;
the deadline for a final answer.

When is a DPD parcel lost rather than delayed?

A DPD parcel may be delayed before it is officially treated as lost. A parcel can stop updating because the retailer created the delivery details but DPD has not received it, a scan was missed, the tracking system is delayed, the parcel is at a depot, or there is a route or address issue.

DPD guidance says tracking often stops because of a small delay in delivery or a delay in the tracking system registering progress. But it also says that if tracking has stopped updating for more than two or three days, there could be complications with the delivery itself.

Possibly delayed

The delivery estimate has not passed
Tracking changed recently
The label was only just created
DPD has issued a new delivery slot
The parcel is moving between locations

Possible lost parcel

No movement for more than two or three days
The delivery estimate has passed
The retailer cannot locate the parcel
DPD says the sender must investigate
DPD or the retailer says it is missing

Evidence to save for a DPD lost parcel refund

Save the evidence before the tracking changes. A lost DPD status can later become delivered, returned, delayed or unavailable, so screenshots matter.

Evidence	Why it matters
DPD tracking screenshot	Shows the parcel number, status, last scan and lack of delivery.
Parcel number and delivery postcode/order ID	Needed to check DPD tracking and raise the issue.
Delivery estimate or one-hour slot	Shows when delivery was expected and whether it was missed.
Order confirmation	Shows what you bought, from whom, the price and delivery address.
Dispatch confirmation	Shows when the retailer said the parcel was sent and which carrier was used.
Proof of payment	Useful for refund disputes, chargeback or Section 75 where relevant.
DPD emails, app updates or SMS messages	May show delay, depot, driver, attempted delivery, return or issue details.
Messages with the retailer or seller	Shows when you reported the issue and how they responded.
Proof of posting and proof of value	Important if you are the sender making a DPD or booking-platform claim.

For a wider evidence list, use our missing parcel evidence checklist.

Short message to send the retailer if DPD lost your parcel

Use this as a short first message. Keep the full tailored complaint for your paid letter generator.

Subject: DPD parcel appears lost — refund or replacement requested

Hello, my order has not arrived and the DPD tracking suggests the parcel may be lost or cannot currently be located. The DPD parcel number is [parcel number]. The last status I can see is “[last status]” on [date], and the expected delivery date/time was [date/time].

Please investigate this with DPD and confirm whether you will provide a refund, replacement or redelivery if the parcel cannot be delivered. I have saved screenshots of the tracking and order details.

This is starter wording only. A stronger ParcelClaim letter should include the full timeline, order value, tracking evidence, previous replies and the exact outcome you want.

If the retailer says “DPD lost it, not us”

If the retailer arranged delivery, this is not a good enough final answer. A courier problem between the retailer and DPD should not leave you without the goods or your money.

Ask the retailer to confirm whether they accept the goods have not been delivered. If they say DPD lost the parcel, ask whether they will refund or replace the order and then recover their loss from DPD separately.

Do not let the complaint become “you versus DPD”.

If you bought from a retailer and the retailer chose DPD, the retailer should usually resolve your order and chase DPD separately.

If the retailer tells you to contact DPD yourself

You can use DPD tracking and support tools to check basic information. But if the retailer arranged delivery, the retailer should not leave you to solve the missing parcel dispute alone.

Reply to the retailer and ask them to investigate with DPD as the sender/retailer, confirm the latest DPD record, and provide a refund, replacement or redelivery if the parcel cannot be located.

For more wording, use our retailer says contact the courier guide.

If you sent the parcel yourself using DPD

If you paid DPD directly to send the parcel, you may need to use DPD’s parcel issue or claim route. DPD’s UK help page includes a parcel issue route for parcels that are damaged, missing or have not arrived yet.

If you bought the delivery through a third-party shipping platform, the claim route may be with that platform rather than DPD directly. That is because the shipping platform may be the contracting party with DPD.

If you are the sender, prepare:

DPD parcel number;
booking confirmation or label receipt;
proof of drop-off or collection;
recipient name and address;
item description;
proof of item value;
proof of sale if you sold through a marketplace;
tracking screenshots;
messages from the recipient confirming non-delivery.

If you sold something online and DPD lost it

If you sold through eBay, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Facebook Marketplace or another platform, check the platform’s item-not-received rules. The buyer may have a deadline to open a case, and you may have a deadline to upload tracking or proof of delivery.

If the tracking does not prove delivery, the platform may side with the buyer even if you posted the item. You may then need to refund or resolve the buyer’s case while separately pursuing a DPD or booking-platform claim.

If a DPD return parcel is lost

If the retailer supplied the DPD return label, ask the retailer to investigate the return and confirm your refund route. If you bought your own DPD label, you may need to use the sender claim route.

Save the return label, drop-off receipt, tracking screenshot, return authorisation, order details, photos of the returned item if available, and messages with the retailer.

For this specific situation, see our return parcel lost by courier guide.

Can you claim compensation from DPD?

If you are the sender or contracting party, you may be able to raise a DPD parcel issue or claim depending on the service, cover, item type, booking route, proof of value and evidence. If you are only the recipient of a retailer order, your refund route is normally with the retailer or seller.

Some DPD country pages say the sender or contracting party should handle a lost parcel complaint with DPD. This matches the practical UK position for retailer orders: the sender/retailer chases the courier, while the buyer asks the retailer to resolve the order.

Can you use chargeback or Section 75 if DPD lost your order?

If a retailer refuses to refund or replace a missing order, you may later consider payment escalation. A chargeback may be possible depending on your bank’s rules and deadlines. Section 75 may apply to some credit-card purchases if the legal requirements are met.

Do not jump straight to chargeback if the retailer is actively investigating and the delay is short. But if the retailer refuses, ignores you, or keeps sending you back to DPD, it may be worth considering.

Read our chargeback for missing parcel guide and Section 75 missing parcel guide.

Create a DPD lost parcel refund letter

Build a personalised letter using your order number, DPD parcel number, delivery estimate, last scan, evidence, previous messages and requested outcome.

Start My DPD Lost Parcel Letter – £2.99

No subscription. One-time £2.99 payment. Instant document.

DPD lost parcel escalation checklist

Save the tracking. Screenshot the DPD status, parcel number, last scan and delivery estimate.
Check who arranged delivery. Retailer, marketplace seller, DPD direct label or third-party booking platform.
Contact the right party. Retailer for retailer orders; DPD/booking platform if you sent it yourself.
Ask for a clear outcome. Refund, replacement, redelivery, DPD investigation or claim.
Ask for a deadline. Do not accept vague “we are looking into it” replies forever.
Escalate if refused. Use a stronger written complaint, marketplace route, chargeback or Section 75 where relevant.

Common mistakes to avoid

Only chasing DPD when a retailer arranged delivery. The retailer should usually resolve the order with you.
Not saving DPD screenshots. Tracking can change from missing to delivered, returned or unavailable.
Confusing label creation with handover. Ask whether DPD physically received the parcel.
Missing marketplace deadlines. Buyer protection windows can close quickly.
Forgetting proof of value. Important for sender claims and marketplace sales.
Saying “stolen” without proof. Use accurate wording such as missing, not delivered or cannot currently be located.

Useful official pages

These official pages can help you check the route before escalating.

DPD lost parcel refund FAQs

What should I do if DPD lost my parcel?

Save the DPD tracking, parcel number, delivery estimate and messages. If you bought from a retailer, ask the retailer to investigate with DPD and provide a refund, replacement or redelivery if the parcel cannot be located.

Who is responsible if DPD loses a retailer parcel?

If the retailer arranged delivery, the retailer should usually resolve the order with you and chase DPD. The retailer can then claim from DPD separately if eligible.

Can DPD refund me directly if I am the recipient?

Usually your refund route is with the retailer or seller if they arranged delivery. DPD may deal with the sender or contracting party for courier claims.

When is a DPD parcel considered lost?

A parcel is not always lost just because tracking pauses. It becomes more concerning if tracking has not moved for more than two or three days, the delivery estimate has passed, or DPD/the retailer cannot locate it.

What evidence do I need for a DPD lost parcel complaint?

Save the DPD tracking screenshot, parcel number, delivery postcode/order ID, delivery estimate, one-hour slot, order confirmation, proof of payment, dispatch email, DPD notifications and retailer messages.

What if I sent the parcel with DPD myself?

If you paid DPD directly, use DPD’s parcel issue or claim route. Prepare your parcel number, proof of booking, proof of posting/drop-off, proof of value, item details and recipient messages.

What if I bought the DPD label through a third-party platform?

Use that platform’s claim route if it is the contracting party with DPD. Keep the booking confirmation, tracking, proof of value and recipient messages.

Can I do a chargeback if DPD lost my parcel?

Possibly, if the retailer refuses to refund or replace a missing order and your bank’s chargeback rules and deadlines are met. Save all tracking and retailer messages before contacting your bank.