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Regulator Warns Deutsche Post of Heavy Fines Over Service Failures

The agency is invoking new Postgesetz powers after a record surge in consumer complaints this year.

Overview

  • Bundesnetzagentur chief Klaus Müller cautioned that enforcement fines of up to €10 million could be imposed if ordered improvements are not delivered.
  • In the first half of 2025 the regulator logged 22,981 complaints about postal services, up roughly 13% year on year, with 89% directed at Deutsche Post/DHL.
  • Complaint hotspots included Schleswig-Holstein as well as spikes in Berlin and Brandenburg, according to the agency’s recent assessments.
  • Applications to count automated stations as official branches reached 629 by late September, with 72 approved, and approvals require proof from municipalities that staffed outlets could not be secured.
  • Deutsche Post/DHL rejects claims it is missing universal-service duties, citing very low complaint rates relative to volumes, operation above statutory branch minima, and isolated disruptions tied to strikes and a June heatwave.