Letter Lost – What to Do: Your Comprehensive Guide
Losing a letter can be very upsetting, especially if important documents or personal messages are involved. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that your letter is gone forever. By taking the right steps, you can increase your chances of getting your letter back. This guide will help you understand what to do if your letter is lost.
1. Letter Not Received
If your letter is delayed by a few days, there's no need to worry immediately. There may be several reasons for a delay:
- Registered mail tracking: For some letters, such as registered mail, you have the option of tracking the shipment. To do this, you need the tracking number, which the sender should provide you.
- Normal letter mail: For normal letter mail without tracking, you should contact the delivery service by phone. Have the following information ready:
- Date of dispatch: When was the letter sent?
- Sender's details: Who sent the letter?
- Recipient's details: Who was the letter addressed to?
2. Start an investigation
If your letter has still not arrived after a week, you should start an investigation with the delivery company:
- Investigation request: Send an investigation request to the delivery company. To do this, you will need your contact details and all known information about the letter.
- Processing time: The search can take up to 32 days, depending on the delivery service and the type of item.
3. Links to search forms
Use the following links to quickly start a search for your lost letter:
Deutsche Post: Online search|Instructions & guide
DHL: Search request|Instructions & guide
Hermes: Loss report|Instructions & guide
UPS: Online loss report|Instructions & guide
GLS: Complaint via contact form|Instructions & advice
DPD: Claims form|Instructions & advice
TNT Express: Damage and loss report
4. Possible reasons for loss
There are various reasons why a letter may be lost:
- Incorrect posting: The letter may have been posted in the wrong place.
Incorrect franking: insufficient or incorrect franking can mean that the letter is not delivered correctly.
Transposed digits in the address: incorrect address details can prevent delivery.
5. What you can do
To rectify the loss of your letter, you can take the following measures:
Contact the sender: Check the recipient's address and compare it with the sender's details. If the letter is incorrectly franked, it can be automatically returned to the sender after two weeks. Ask the sender to resend the letter.
Ask your neighbours: Ask your neighbours if they may have received your letter.
Resend important documents: If the lost letter contains important documents, contact the sender immediately and ask them to resend the documents.
6. Place a lost and found ad
Use suchen.expert to help you search for your lost letter. Provide the following information:
Type of loss: letter lost or stolen
- Place and date of loss: The exact place and time when the letter was lost
- Description: Details of the letter (special features)
- Photo: If possible, a picture of your letter
- Contact information: Your phone number
- Important: Do not forget to clearly indicate the place of your loss in order to make the search more targeted.
7. Expand your search
Increase your search efforts by taking the following steps:
- Use platforms: Register with suchen.expert and search for your letter in the ‘found mail’ category. Also leave a message indicating the location of your lost letter.
- Disseminate information: Share your request on social media or local forums to achieve greater reach.
8. Further measures and points of contact
If your letter is not found despite all your efforts, the following steps may be helpful:
Further investigation: Continue the investigation and contact other branches or offices of the shipping company if necessary.
Checking insurance: Check whether your insurance covers the loss, especially for valuable or important documents.
9. Preventive measures to avoid future losses
To avoid future losses, follow these tips:
Secure storage: Keep important letters in a safe place, e.g. in a locked cabinet.
Verify addresses: Make sure that the address details are correct and complete before sending a letter.
Use tracking: Where possible, use tracked and insured shipping options, especially for important documents.
Make copies: Make copies of important documents before sending them to be sent by post, so that you can respond quickly in the event of loss.
10. Conclusion
Losing a letter can be unpleasant, but it doesn't have to be the end of the world. By taking systematic steps and using search services such as suchen.expert, you increase the chances of recovering your letter. Report the loss to the shipping company and the police immediately, check the address details carefully and take preventive measures to avoid future losses.
The displayed information comes from publicly accessible sources and was last updated on 02/08/24. All retrievable content and explanations are non-binding and do not constitute legal advice. The Suchen Expert platform does not guarantee and is not liable for the accuracy or completeness of the published information.
