DHL tracking status

DHL says delivered but no package: what to do

The short answer

Take action

DHL recorded your package as delivered, but you do not have it. DHL Express's terms allow delivery to your address without handing it to you personally, so check the proof of delivery, any front desk and your neighbors today.

When to act: If the package has still not turned up by the end of the next day, file a complaint and we send it to DHL.

Also shown as: “Delivered” · “Your parcel has been delivered” · “Your parcel has been left safe” · “Your parcel has been delivered to your neighbour”

What to do now

Open Proof of Delivery from the DHL Express tracking page to see who signed, and look for the placement photo in DHL On Demand Delivery.
On DHL eCommerce UK, read the delivery message and any calling card: they say whether it went to a neighbor or a safe place. On DHL eCommerce in the US, USPS made the delivery, so check your mailbox and try the number on its tracking page.
Check the front desk, mail room, back door and garage, and ask people in your household and your neighbors.
If you have a doorbell or security camera, save the footage from around the delivery time.
Save screenshots of the delivered line and the proof of delivery, and keep your order number.
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to DHL, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

Start my complaint

Says delivered, but it is not here with another courier

Tracking says delivered but nothing arrived: who is responsible? →

What is going on

A delivered scan records that the driver finished the delivery, not that the package reached your hands. DHL Express's terms say shipments go to the address given but not necessarily to the named person, and that addresses with a central receiving area get delivery there. So the package may be at a front desk, in a mail room, with a neighbor or in a safe place.

DHL keeps records you can check. DHL Express offers a Proof of Delivery page showing who signed, and a photo of where the package was placed in On Demand Delivery, both after you verify your identity. DHL eCommerce UK's message says whether a package went to the address, a neighbor or a safe place, and its driver scan records a photo and GPS position. On DHL eCommerce in the US and Canada, a postal service or delivery provider made the final scan.

Why it happens

Accepted at a front desk or mail room
Left with a neighbor
Left in a safe place, sometimes one chosen in advance
Delivered without a signature under a signature release
Delivered to the wrong address
Taken after it was left

What usually happens next

Most of the checking can be done the same day, because DHL's records show who signed or where the package was left. DHL publishes no waiting period for a package that shows as delivered but is missing.

Other DHL statuses

Shipment on holdKeep an eye on it
Clearance EventKeep an eye on it
ExceptionKeep an eye on it
Departure Origin DHL eCommerce FacilityNormal
En route to DHL eCommerce Distribution Center or awaiting processingKeep an eye on it
On Hold Awaiting for Payment of Shipment Related FeesTake action
Tracking not updatingKeep an eye on it
Delivery attemptedTake action
Awaiting Collection by ConsigneeTake action
Returned to ShipperTake action
Collection eventKeep an eye on it

All DHL statuses →

Who is responsible for a late or missing package from DHL?

When you buy online from a business, DHL is the seller's courier and the seller is DHL's customer, so putting a late, lost or missing order right, with a replacement or a refund, is in most cases for the seller. DHL's own documents fit that: its eCommerce FAQ calls the merchant its contract partner and says only the merchant can claim for a lost or damaged package, and its Express claims guide says that in almost all situations only the shipper can claim. If you are in the UK, the Consumer Rights Act (section 29) also keeps the goods at the seller's risk until they reach you or someone you named, unless you booked the courier yourself and the seller did not offer it as an option.

If you sent the package yourself, your contract is with DHL, under the terms you accepted when you booked. DHL Express's US domestic terms limit its liability to $100 or the package's actual value, whichever is lower, and its international terms set a limit per kilogram unless you arranged more cover. Both say DHL is not liable for loss caused by delay, apart from a limited money back guarantee on some international services, and that claims must reach DHL in writing within 30 days of the date it accepted the package. Those are DHL Express terms. Sending through DHL eCommerce UK or Evri Premium falls under that service's own terms.

Questions about “Delivered but not received”

DHL says delivered but I did not get it. What should I do?

On DHL Express, check Proof of Delivery and the placement photo first. Then look at the front desk, mail room and your mailbox, and ask your neighbors. Save the screenshots. If it still has not turned up, file a complaint on Complain.biz and we send it to DHL.

Can I see who signed for my DHL package?

On DHL Express, yes. After you verify your identity, the Proof of Delivery page shows recipient details, including who signed, and DHL On Demand Delivery can show a photo of where the package was placed.

Can DHL deliver without a signature?

Yes. DHL Express's terms say a package goes to the address, not necessarily to the named person, and that alternatives such as no signature can be offered. A DHL Express page says shipments need a signature unless the Signature Release option was chosen.

DHL delivered my package to the wrong address. Who is responsible?

If you bought from a business, it is in most cases for the seller to put right, as the seller chose DHL. In the UK, the Consumer Rights Act keeps the goods at the seller's risk until you or someone you named has them. Save your proof, then file a complaint on Complain.biz.

Based on

DHL Express Terms and Conditions of Carriage (UK)
DHL Express US: tracking help, delivered
DHL Express: On-Demand Delivery options
DHL eCommerce UK: Delivery Notifications guide
DHL eCommerce UK: Journey of a parcel
DHL eCommerce UK: Frequently Asked Questions
Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 29
DHL eCommerce and USPS: press release on the exclusive last-mile agreement
DHL eCommerce: Tracking and Shipment Status FAQ (US)
DHL Express Claims Guide (UK)
DHL Express U.S. Domestic Terms and Conditions of Carriage