A parcel damaged by the courier, contents destroyed, or the shipment lost — each of these situations entitles you to compensation. The courier (InPost, DPD, DHL, UPS, GLS, Polish Post) is a carrier and is liable for damage under the Postal Law and the Transport Law. Here is how to recover your money for a damaged parcel.
Legal basis: what the courier is liable for
The courier is liable under:
- Postal Law Act (for postal items and parcels up to 20 kg) — Art. 87–92
- Transport Law Act (for courier shipments) — Art. 65–81
- Carrier's terms of service — these cannot exclude statutory rights
Damaged parcel — what to do immediately
- Take photos — the packaging, tape, contents, visible damage. Photos are your primary evidence.
- Draw up a damage report in the courier's presence — you have the right to demand one under Art. 74 of the Transport Law. The courier is obliged to issue it.
- If the courier refuses to issue a report — note your objections on the waybill and photograph it.
- If you discovered the damage after accepting the parcel — you have 7 days to request a formal assessment of the parcel's condition (Art. 74 §3 of the Transport Law). After this period it becomes significantly harder to pursue the claim.
How much compensation can you get
- Lost or completely destroyed — compensation up to the declared value of the shipment
- Partial damage — compensation equal to the actual reduction in value of the contents
- Polish Post parcels — statutory limit: 50 times the service fee for a registered item (Art. 90 §1 of the Postal Law)
How to file a complaint with the courier
- Prepare: waybill number, photos, damage report (if drawn up), invoice or receipt for the contents
- Send the complaint in writing — by email or via the courier's online form, keeping a copy
- State the compensation amount and document it with an invoice or repair estimate
- The courier has 30 days to process the complaint (Art. 92 Postal Law, Art. 75 Transport Law)
InPost: locker and courier complaints
- When collecting from a locker — if the parcel is damaged, you may refuse it and file a complaint
- If you collected it and then found damage — report within 7 days via the InPost app or online form
- Include photos of the packaging and contents
- InPost has 30 days to respond
The courier says the store packed it badly — what to do
This is a common tactic. The courier suggests the goods were poorly packed by the store. However, the courier is responsible for transporting the shipment safely — including checking the condition of the packaging when collecting it from the store. If the courier did not object to the packaging at collection, it cannot later blame the store.
File a complaint with the courier. At the same time you can file a complaint with the store — if goods arrived damaged, the seller is liable for non-conformity regardless of whose fault it was. Recovering the costs between the store and the courier is their problem, not yours.
If the courier's complaint is rejected
- Appeal against the courier's decision — internal appeal procedure
- File a complaint with the President of UKE (for postal operators)
- Proceedings before the Permanent Consumer Arbitration Court at UKE
- Civil lawsuit — claims up to PLN 20,000 follow a simplified procedure