This incident was reported to me by someone who wishes to remain anonymous, although I have personally seen the evidence and can therefore confirm that it is genuine.

The victim of this bad service had ordered some products online. They eventually received a notice in their post box that DHL (the parcels division of Deutsche Post - the German Post office) had attempted to deliver the parcel on the 13) of March, but had been unable to deliver it because no-one was home, and that the parcel could be collected at the local post office from 14:00 (2 pm) the next day.

I find this odd because, on occasion, DHL will simply leave parcels in the hallway, even in the case of high value items like a laptop that I ordered, which then went missing.

The recipient of the parcel did not receive any mail at all for about a week, and when they did, it contained the notification about the parcel available for collection at the post office. When they went to collect their parcel, they were informed that it had already been sent back (the post office only holds parcels for a few days before returning them to the sender). How can someone know to collect their parcel unless they are informed in time to do so?

The totally bizarre aspect of this incident is that the parcel in question was actually delivered (left in front of the recipient's apartment door, rather than being really delivered) the day after the first attempt to deliver (there is no was to tell what a parcel contains or who it is from until one can see it).

It really seems that DHL and Deutsche Post don't know their arse from their elbow.

What makes this sorry tale especially unacceptable is the special legal status of Deutsche Post. Proof of posting is considered legal proof of delivery, which implies a highly reliable and secure service, whereas my experience, that of the victim of this incident, and many people living in Germany is to the contrary.