June 23, 2023, 1:27 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
The Deutsche Post DHL Group, or simply DHL, has expanded a service that could save users significant time in the future. This involves picking up packages directly at the doorstep or–newly introduced–at a previously defined drop-off location.
For quite some time, package recipients have been able to hand over a package to the delivery person, saving themselves a trip to the DHL branch or parcel shop. The prerequisite is that the delivery driver has enough free loading capacity in their vehicle. It could happen that they had to refuse the pickup. This is where DHL’s new service comes in, allowing users to add a package pickup for free.
Overview
Register for free package pickup with DHL
To use the service, certain conditions must be met. According to DHL, package pickup can only be registered if the customer is expecting a package and the delivery person is already coming to the recipient. There is a corresponding option in the tracking system to register the pickup. With the registration, DHL drivers receive a notification and can prepare for the service. They then take the new and sufficiently franked package or return with them when delivering the actual shipment. However, sufficient space in the delivery van is also a prerequisite, which is better manageable for the delivery person through prior registration.
Alternatively, DHL customers can also specify a drop-off location for package pickup if they cannot be present in person. According to DHL, this location should be weather-protected and not visible. The company cites examples such as a terrace, garage, garden shed, or carport on one’s property. With the new drop-off option, the sender is no longer required to be present during delivery and thus package handover. According to DHL, recipients already have up to 40 million packages delivered to an agreed DHL drop-off location each month. Allowing packages to be deposited for pickup there is the next logical step.
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Choose the drop-off location carefully
However, users should choose the drop-off location carefully, whether for receiving or picking up packages. If a delivery is left there with the recipient’s or sender’s permission and gets lost, the question of liability becomes complicated. Often, it’s one person’s word against another’s: The delivery driver says they left the package, while the recipient claims they never received it. In these cases, the risk of loss usually falls on the recipient, as DHL cannot be held liable due to the prior drop-off authorization. In response to a TECHBOOK inquiry, DHL spokesperson Stefan Heß explained that the theft of packages is a criminal offense that can be pursued by the police and legally prosecuted. The company also referred to the terms and conditions, which state in Section 6, Point 2:
For the loss or damage of shipments after they have been placed at the drop-off location as instructed or after being handed over to a neighbor as part of the delivery option according to Section 4, Paragraph 7 or Section 4, Paragraph 8, DHL and its agents are not liable. The same applies to the loss or damage of shipments before they are picked up by DHL from the drop-off location. The customer and any additional recipients represented by them (such as family members or roommates in the same household) indemnify DHL from third-party claims, including those of the sender of the respective shipment.
This only applies if no misconduct by the delivery driver can be proven, such as leaving the package at a different location than agreed. If this can be clearly proven with video footage or eyewitnesses, the situation is different. As DHL informed us, they review each reported case individually and try to find a solution for both parties.
Offer complements existing DHL package pickup
The new offer complements the pickup service that could already be ordered from DHL. The difference is that users have to pay for this. DHL charges 3 euros for a package pickup outside of a regular delivery, as the delivery drivers have to make an extra trip to the customer. Only those who have four or more packages picked up receive the service for free. The order for package pickup outside of a delivery is made online through the DHL website.