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Deutsche Post struggles with rising mail theft
Published: 23 Aug 11 09:05 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20110823-37121.html
Thousands of letters and packages are being stolen each year within Deutsche Post’s delivery chain in what German police say is a growing trend.
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Offiicials are struggling to get the issue under control – there were at least 700 stolen packages in Berlin in just the year’s first quarter, police said.
National statistics are not publicly released, making the problem even tougher to get a grasp on, although Wendt said there had been 3,240 incidents last year and likely a number of unreported cases.
Deutsche Post, which has been a private company for more than a decade, refused to release theft statistics, saying no postal service would do so willingly.
It’s not clear why the problem seems to be increasing now.
But the German Association for Post, Information Technology and Telecommunications (DVPT), which represents the interests of postal workers, blamed outsourcing.
“Previously the mail service had its own personnel in operation,” said Serkan Antmen, from the DVPT, who said contractors now perform many tasks.
Wendt suggested that poor security practices are to blame. He pointed to insecure corner shops where letters often just sit out in the open.
“My impression is there’s not high demand placed on security,” he said.
Whatever the reasons, it is often intensely frustrating to have packages go missing as Lothar Schäfer from the town of Bad Wildungen in Hesse discovered.
He says three of his shipments have been lost, forcing him to deal with Deutsche Post’s insurance representatives. After lots of haggling, he was compensated for two of the packages.
The Local/DAPD/mdm
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Your comments about this article:
What is it with Germany and opened post? Ex Stasi now working for DP maybe? Old habits die hard and maybe Germans accept that post gets opened?
Maybe if germany moved into the 20th century people would use electronic mail (it's called email) instead of snail mail. As for packages, FedEx.
My deutsche bank insists on mailing me statements that I can view/download online + they charge me for this redundant service.
Whether the theft takes place when the post is outsourced or within DP's network is irrelevant to the customer who has paid DP to deliver something. DP cannot hide behind the excuse that it wasn't them.
If a DP-DHL package gets lost on its way to the USA or Canada, don't expect any understanding or assistance from USPS or Canada Post. They simply don't get it that a DHL package from Germany *is* regular post. Instead, it's very delayed (at best) or the dead end warehouse (at worst).
How do you know that the theft didn't happen in the states?
Oh yah, you are an expert about everything, right?
It is the same with the US Postal Service. And parcels break open because of poor wrapping, or just get stolen.
I am a New Zealander and recently had a parcel sent to me by registered mail from Germany via Deutche Post. Deutche Post have lost the parcel. They are saying that it has arrived in New Zealand - but THEIR system does not record its arrival - instead it is saying ithas been sent to Frankfurt for dispatch to New Zealand.
They are being MOST UNHELPFUL with the email queries. I am getting nowhere with them.
Can somebody tell me how to escalate my query - and now complaint - to someone who might be able to get them to own up to loosing the parcel and doing something about it.
I am glad that I do not have to deal with such bad service and poor behaviour like this in New Zealand. Here agencies such as the postal service do actually know what service means. If I was waiting for a parcel for 2 months in New Zealand somebody would be getting sacked.
I hope someone can help.