Who is responsible if an online order is lost or damaged in the post?
Your rights when an order goes missing.
Short answer
When you buy online, you take over responsibility for the item only when you receive the parcel. If it is lost or damaged in transport, the webshop must solve it, so you contact the webshop in writing, for example by email. If you agreed that the parcel could be left at a set spot, such as by the door, delivery counts as done once it is placed there. The exception is when you bought the shipping yourself from a carrier the webshop does not offer: then you complain to that carrier.
Why
- Risk passes to you when you receive the parcel.
- Complain to the webshop in writing.
- An agreed drop-off spot counts as delivery.
Details
When you return an item, you carry the risk on the way back, unless you return it because it is faulty.
Tip
Keep proof that you wrote to the webshop, and take a screenshot if you used a complaint form.
What may differ
Shops outside the EU may follow other rules than Danish consumer law.
Common misconception
If the tracking says delivered, the parcel is your problem.
What actually happens
The webshop carries the risk until you actually receive the parcel, unless you agreed on a drop-off spot.
People also ask
- How do you complain about a lost or damaged parcel?
- How long can a webshop take to deliver?
- Can I cancel an order that never arrived?
Sources
This answer is for reference only. Postal prices and services change, so check the postal operator before you send.
Practical infoRelated questions
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Can you get your money back from your bank if a webshop does not deliver?
When you pay online with a payment card such as Dankort, your bank can move the money back if the item never arrives, you get the wrong item or you were charged more than agreed.
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Who can help if you have a problem with a shop in another EU country?
Forbruger Europa is the European Consumer Centre in Denmark and is part of the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority.
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How do you complain about a purchase in Denmark if the shop says no?
You must first complain to the seller, preferably in writing, and the seller must have rejected your claim fully or partly.
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What is e-mærket on Danish webshops?
e-mærket is a non-profit organisation that has certified Danish webshops since 2000 and has more than 2,000 members as of November 2026.