German Postal Services Face Record Complaints Under New Transparency Rules

The Deutsche Post and competitors report significantly higher complaint numbers following the implementation of a revised postal law in 2024.

Deutsche Post received approximately 420,000 complaints in 2024, a sharp increase over the 39,500 complaints previously reported to the Federal Network Agency.
New postal law reforms require companies to disclose customer complaints, revealing discrepancies between direct complaints to firms and those filed with regulators.
Competitors like DPD and GLS report higher complaint rates compared to Deutsche Post, though figures vary due to differences in reporting methods and service types.
Challenges in data collection and classification, such as distinguishing complaints from general inquiries, limit direct comparability across providers.
The postal industry acknowledges service issues and pledges improvements, with Deutsche Post citing its low complaint rate relative to 14 billion annual shipments.