DPD tracking status

DPD “Your parcel has been delayed”: what it means

The short answer

Keep an eye on it

Your parcel missed a planned step in DPD's network, usually a sort at the hub or the truck to your local depot, so it will arrive later than first shown. Most delayed parcels start moving again within a day or two.

When to act: If there is no new scan after 2 working days, file a complaint and we send it to DPD.

What to do now

Check the tracking history for a new delivery date or a depot name.
If the delay scan is less than a day old, wait for the next scan.
Compare the new date with the delivery date the retailer gave you when you ordered.
Keep screenshots of the tracking page and note the dates and your order number.
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to DPD, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

Start my complaint

What does “Your parcel has been delayed” mean?

A delay scan means DPD knows your parcel is behind schedule, but it is still inside the network. The hold-up can be on the journey between sites or at a hub, for example after a mis-sort, a damaged label that needs relabelling, or a backlog.

DPD rarely gives the exact reason. If a new delivery date appears, that is DPD's current plan. If no new date appears and the parcel stops moving, it may need a trace, which the sender, as DPD's customer, has to request.

Why does DPD show it?

A backlog at a hub or depot during a busy period
The parcel was sorted to the wrong depot and has to be re-routed
A damaged or unreadable label that needs relabelling
Bad weather, road closures or vehicle problems between sites
The parcel missed its overnight truck

How long does it last?

Usually a new scan appears within 1 to 2 working days, often 'Your parcel is at our [depot name] depot' followed by out for delivery. A parcel that went to the wrong depot can take an extra day.

Other DPD statuses

At a DPD hubNormal
Delayed due to an unexpected issue in your areaKeep an eye on it
Out for delivery, but not arrivedKeep an eye on it
Sorry we missed youTake action
Being held at the depotTake action
Your parcel was refusedTake action
Delivered, but you do not have itTake action
On its way back to the senderTake action
Tracking not updatingKeep an eye on it
Hub 1 - BhamNormal
Hub 2 - BhamNormal
Hub 3 - BhamNormal
Hub 4 - HinckleyNormal
Hub 5 - HinckleyNormal

All DPD statuses →

Who is responsible for a late or missing parcel from DPD?

If you bought online from a business, the seller is usually responsible until the parcel reaches you. Under UK consumer law (the Consumer Rights Act), the goods stay at the seller's risk until you or someone you named has them, unless you chose and booked the courier yourself. DPD's contract is with the seller, so a lost, damaged or very late parcel is the seller's to put right.

If you sent the parcel yourself, your contract is with DPD, under its terms. DPD postage bought at a Post Office branch includes cover up to the lower of the item's value or £50, and DPD's standard conditions for business senders cover the lower of the item's value or £100 per parcel, unless extra cover was bought.

Questions about “Your parcel has been delayed”

Why is my DPD parcel delayed?

Usually because of a backlog, a mis-sort to the wrong depot, a label problem or bad weather. The message does not always give the reason.

Is my DPD parcel lost if it is delayed in transit?

Not usually. Most delayed parcels scan again within a day or two, and DPD does not publish a set number of days before a parcel counts as lost.

Can I get compensation for a late DPD parcel?

Not from DPD, which treats delivery times as estimates; at most the sender gets some or all of the postage back on a late timed or DPD Gold service. If it comes too late or never, a refund or replacement is up to the retailer. File a complaint on Complain.biz and we send it to them.

My DPD parcel is at my local depot but says delayed. Why?

The hold-up may be at the depot itself, for example a lack of drivers. Look for an 'unexpected issue in your area' message and a new delivery date.

Based on

DPD UK: Standard Terms and Conditions of Carriage (PDF)
DPD UK: How can we help? (missed deliveries, Pickup shops, delivery slot)
Samsung Community: DPD parcel misrouted to the wrong depot and re-sorted
EE Community: DPD parcel delayed by an 'unexpected issue in my area' at the sortation facility
legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act, section 29 (goods stay at the seller's risk until they reach you)
DPD standard terms for delivery services bought at a Post Office branch