I originally posted this a year ago but deleted it due to some controversy. However, I believe this story could serve as a helpful reference for those still anxiously waiting for their parcels, so I am reposting it.
I live in Australia. I had several precious leather jackets custom-made by a tailor in Germany. I asked a friend there to collect them and ship them to me. I suggested using DHL Premium (only later did I realise that in Germany, DHL Premium is same as Deutsche Post; DHL Express is the "real" DHL).
The parcel was sent in early May 2024. After a few days of no updates on the Deutsche Post website, I used a third-party tracking site and discovered the parcel had somehow gone to Kuwait. I then checked the Kuwait Post website. Although the site was difficult to navigate, I found a status update: "return item from customs, in Kuwait".
Then, silence for three months. I submitted an investigation request on the Deutsche Post website but received no reply, and there is no way to contact Kuwait Post. What a mysterious country! Eventually, I found a phone number for Deutsche Post (which isn't easy to find). If you're lucky, you can reach an English-speaking man after a long wait.
During the first call, the man said the parcel had left Germany but he didn't know its location. When I mentioned it might be in Kuwait based on my tracking info on Kuwait’s website, he claimed it had already left Kuwait for Australia. After many days of no progress, I called again. The same man sounded impatient, insisted the parcel was still in Kuwait, and refused to answer further questions, eventually telling me, "This is Germany, please speak German."
A few days later, he informed me the parcel was officially confirmed as lost and told me to start the compensation process. I was sad. Those jackets were unique and irreplaceable.
While I was struggling with the complex claim forms, a miracle happened: the Kuwait Post website updated to "unsuccessful item delivery." This was four months after shipping. A month later, another update appeared: Item being returned. The parcel was heading back to my friend in Germany.
By early November, the parcel finally reached my friend, covered in various small labels. When my friend went to collect it, Deutsche Post refused to refund the original postage and even charged a return fee of several dozen euros.
The entire ordeal took half a year. The lack of information during that time was incredibly disheartening. I still don't understand why it transitioned through Kuwait or why it was returned, as the recipient address was detailed and clear. Perhaps Kuwait Post simply found Australia too far to bother with. Ultimately, I was just lucky to get it back.
Throughout this time, my friend helped me immensely by making calls and picking up the parcel, so I sent him a significant amount of money for his trouble. In the end, my friend used an Express service of a courier company (no need to mention the name of brand here). It was expensive, and I added extra insurance, but the speed was incredible. It was sent from Berlin on Friday, went to the Hawaii on Sunday and reached Sydney on Monday. After customs clearance, I received the goods on Wednesday morning.