Overview
- The Higher Regional Court of Hamm dismissed the consumer federation’s lawsuit against Deutsche Post DHL as unfounded (case I-13 UKl 9/25).
- Judges found no unreasonable disadvantage to consumers in DHL’s terms allowing delivery to housemates or neighbors if no objection was lodged and recipients are informed promptly.
- Certain shipments remain excluded from neighbor delivery, including those requiring identity checks or when the sender mandates direct handover.
- The presiding judge faulted the plaintiffs for offering no clearer alternative wording and noted that practical reasonableness can differ between dense apartment blocks and rural settings.
- Revision to the Federal Court of Justice was allowed; the vzbv will review the written reasoning before deciding on an appeal, and DHL welcomed the ruling as reflecting a widely used practice.