Losing something in the post can be a stressful experience, especially when living abroad. Here's a quick guide on what to do if your package has not arrived.
Bpost is Belgium's national post service and offers standard, express and international delivery. Banking and money transfer services are also available.
Considered a relatively reliable service, Bpost usually delivers domestic mail within one to two business days. International mail delivery times vary depending on the country of origin.
Both domestic and international parcels can be tracked online with Track & Trace or the My bpost app using the barcode or reference number (find this on the shipping label, in a text message or email or on your post office receipt if you were the sender).
Credit: Belga / Eric Lalmand
However, lost parcels are an inevitability from time time to time. Only the sender can submit an official complaint to Bpost via an online form.
You are advised to contact the sender if a parcel within Belgium has not been delivered within several days, within five days for parcels from neighbouring countries and within ten days if coming from another, non-neighbouring country.
If the parcel is lost in transit or damaged upon delivery, you may be entitled to financial compensation. If you chose the "payment on delivery" option, guarantees range from up to €500 for goods and €15 for documents.
Find the application for compensation here.
Customs officers at Brussels Airport. Credit: Belga / James Arthur Gekiere
If your package is coming from abroad it may be held up in customs – not usually the case if it is was sent within the EU but standard if coming from outside the bloc. You will receive a letter if insufficient details about its contents have been provided and the handling period is extended until this information is given.
Items such as medicine, plants and food, weapons and suspected counterfeit goods will be checked by the authorities. All customs-related developments will be relayed via Track&Trace.
Still an issue?
Belgium has a Postal Ombudsman to deal with any disputes that relate to post sent or received in Belgium. The mediation process may concern delivery services Bpost, UPS, Fedex, PostNL and more and is free of charge to use.
The Ombudsman handles a wide range of disputes, including unaddressed items that Bpost did not deliver. It takes an average of 38 business days for an issue to be resolved.
Complaints may be filed online, via email, via post or in person. More information is available here.
