Taking DPD to Court – Advice & Experiences?

CymbalSaga101

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my experience with DPD Local Online UK and see if anyone else has gone through something similar—or has advice on my next steps.

In October 2024, I shipped £2,306 worth of musical equipment (a set of high-end cymbals and a hard case) from the UK to the Netherlands with DPD Local Online. I was relocating for work and needed my gear for drumming lessons and performances.

• Upon arrival, I was unexpectedly charged high import duties, and after contacting DPD, they advised me to refuse the parcel so it could be returned to sender (my family home in the UK).
• On 9th December 2024, UPS (DPD’s subcontractor) marked my parcel as “returned to sender” at their facility in Heerenveen, Netherlands—but I never received it.
• I had to constantly chase DPD for updates—they never proactively contacted me, and I was forced to repeatedly reopen investigations when they closed my case without resolution.
• After months of delays, DPD finally admitted my parcel was lost—but only offered me £50 compensation, later increasing this to £150 as a “goodwill gesture”.
• I have now filed a claim for £3,000 through Money Claim Online (MCOL), arguing that DPD breached the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by failing to handle my parcel with reasonable care and skill.

The Impact on Me

• £2,306 loss in musical equipment (my cymbals were built up over years and used in major performances).
• £270 in lost income from cancelled drum lessons due to not having my equipment.
• Months of stress & inconvenience, being unable to properly teach or gig, and constantly having to fight for responses from DPD.
• Sentimental loss—these were my gigging cymbals, including those used in Guy Garvey’s BBC 6 Music Finest Hour show last year.
• Missed networking & performance opportunities due to time wasted sourcing/hiring replacement cymbals.

Why This Matters to Other UK Consumers

• DPD repeatedly loses parcels but refuses to fairly compensate customers unless they escalate to legal action.
• Their “parcel protection” model misleads customers, making them think they have no legal rights if couriers lose their parcel.
• DPD subcontracted part of my parcel’s journey to UPS Heerenveen, a facility with terrible consumer reviews for lost/delayed parcels—but they never told me.
• Many UK customers may be unaware their parcels are being handled by subcontractors with no accountability.

Next Steps – Has Anyone Been Through This?

I’m now waiting to see if DPD files a defence in court. Has anyone else had success claiming against DPD in court? Did they settle before a hearing? Also, for those who’ve gone public—did media attention make a difference?

I’m also thinking of reaching out to BBC Radio 4’s ‘You and Yours’ and The Guardian’s Consumer Champions.

Would love to hear any advice, success stories, or even just words of encouragement—this has been a long, frustrating fight, but I refuse to let them get away with it.

Thanks!

elsien

First question is, did you have the necessary  level of insurance with DPD for the items that you were sending, because  if you did then how have they arrived at the much lower compensation figure?

Penguin_

From their Ts & Cs

Our liability to you for Loss or Damage to the Parcel
 8.1 Subject to the remainder of this paragraph 8, unless you have purchased Extended Cover, our maximum liability o you in connection with any Loss or Damage, or any other matter connected to the Delivery Services (excluding delay), shall be limited to £50 per Parcel.
8.2 Our maximum liability to you in connection with any Loss or Damage, or any other matter connected to the Delivery Services (excluding delay) may be greater than £50 per Parcel if you have purchased Extended Cover, in which case our maximum liability to you for Loss or Damage shall be limited as set out in paragraph 9 below.

9.3 The maximum amount of Extended Cover you can purchase in respect of your Parcel is £950. This means that if you have purchased the maximum Extended Cover for your Parcel (i.e at a cost of £47.50 plus VAT), our maximum liability to you in respect of your Parcel (excluding delay) will be £1,000 (i.e. £50 plus £950 Extended Cover).

Okell

@CymbalSaga101 -  I suggest you go and post on the relevant board of the Consumer Action Group:  Postal and Delivery Services - National Consumer Service

They have lots of experience suing courier companies and can give you all the advice you need.  They claim to be very successful

user1977

Though I wouldn't expect any more than the value of the items - the consequential losses are yours to bear (assuming you don't have separate insurance).

swingaloo

The mistake here is 2 fold, 1, not having adequate insurance cover and 2, refusing the parcel when it was delivered to the Netherlands. If you needed them in the Netherlands for drumming lessons and performances then why would you refuse them.

CymbalSaga101

elsien said:

First question is, did you have the necessary  level of insurance with DPD for the items that you were sending, because  if you did then how have they arrived at the much lower compensation figure?

Good question! I didn’t opt for additional parcel protection with DPD because I already had coverage through my Musicians’ Union (MU). But actually, this case isn’t about insurance—DPD lost my parcel after marking it ‘return to sender,’ which is a breach of contract under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

The key point here is that parcel protection is not an excuse for failing to return my property. DPD knowingly accepted my shipment with a declared value of £2,000, which means they took responsibility for handling it properly. Even without extra cover, they had a legal obligation to ensure my parcel was returned to me—or fairly compensate me if they lost it.

I totally understand why people assume insurance is the key factor in cases like this—it’s what couriers rely on to deflect responsibility. But consumer law actually protects senders when couriers fail in their duty of care, regardless of whether extra protection was purchased.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

CymbalSaga101 said:

•  arguing that DPD breached the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by failing to handle my parcel with reasonable care and skill.

Whilst I agree with this sentence, the question is OP does the CRA apply to you?

A consumer is defined as an individual acting for purposes that are wholly or mainly outside that individual's trade, business, craft or profession.

Mention of performances would unfortunately appear to place you outside of this scope?  

You may need to look towards alternative legislation to see if there is any covering services for transactions which don't involve a consumer.  

CymbalSaga101

swingaloo said:

The mistake here is 2 fold, 1, not having adequate insurance cover and 2, refusing the parcel when it was delivered to the Netherlands. If you needed them in the Netherlands for drumming lessons and performances then why would you refuse them.

I get why it might seem that way at first glance, but let me clarify: this isn’t about a mistake on my part—it’s about DPD failing in their duty to return my parcel.

1. Insurance: I already had coverage through my Musicians’ Union, but insurance isn’t the issue here. DPD lost my parcel after confirming it was being returned to sender, which is a breach of contract under consumer law. Regardless of insurance, they had a legal obligation to handle my parcel with reasonable care and return it.

2. Why I refused the parcel: I was unexpectedly hit with high import duties when it arrived in the Netherlands. I contacted DPD, and their own staff advised me to refuse the parcel so it would be returned to sender (my home in the UK). I followed their instructions, yet they still lost it!

The core issue here is that DPD accepted responsibility for the return but then lost my parcel and refused to fairly compensate me. Even if I had paid for extra protection, that wouldn’t excuse their failure to deliver on their basic service obligation.

I appreciate the discussion and am happy to answer any questions!

Keep_pedalling

So if you are covered my your MU insurance what financial loss have you suffered?

Aylesbury_Duck

There are a few things that come to mind here:

I completely get the sentiment that courier companies shouldn't be relying upon insurance to cover for incompetence or a lack of care.  Then again, I suspect the percentage of parcels that are lost or damaged is extremely small, but appreciate that results in a high absolute number.

Are you sure the CRA applies here?  It sounds as if you use the instruments for work purposes, so is this a B2B contract?

You can't benefit twice here, so if your union's insurance covers your losses, you have no losses to claim from DPD.