eBay Simple Delivery, DHL collection woes...

[ybtek117]

So DHL have failed to turn up two days so far. The first day is recorded as "33 Could Not Locate" and the second day "71 Premises Closed".

I've had many DHL deliveries and collections here and it's a residential address, with extremely easy access.

I work from home and can confirm not a single attempt, nor anything recorded on CCTV.

Can't get ahold of anyone at DHL and eBay customer services are refusing to release funds for me to arrange my own courier, telling me that I should send a PayPal invoice to my buyer for the funds!?

I've now been told I need to wait 24-48 hours for a response from a specialist who will likely do absolutely nothing as well.

I'm frustrated and feel sorry for my buyer...

What am I supposed to do? I feel like I can only cancel it and let the buyer down...

[**peaseblossom**]

DHL are doing this a lot.   You could cancel the transaction with buyer's agreement, via the dropdown menu arrow for the item on your orders list.   And relist for the buyer to buy again.    Assuming the item is extra large you may be able to opt out of Simple Delivery and choose your own, more reliable, courier.     If you have problems doing that follow the advice on here:
https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Seller-Central/How-do-you-list-anything-bigger-than-61cm-Part-two/m-...

[ybtek117]

Zero contact back from eBay but DHL have just turned up to collect at 18:50 on the 3rd day!

Will not use again...

[gengarama]

I'm currently having this issue. They never showed up today claiming "70 Not Ready"

There is seemingly no way to rebook collection of this myself. I requested a callback from ebay to rearrange collection and they say ill receive an email within 24 hours regarding the rebooking.

What is this mess?

[gioviano55023]

I purchased an item on EBAY recently ...seller dropped off at DHL point

But then tracking said '71 Premises Closed' the next day

DHL never delivered it here, or even attempted to

Ebay refunded me when I opened a case

[ybtek117]

It's a mess - That will probably turn up in a few days.

However, this was regarding a DHL collection and no way of dealing/contact with DHL.

[stratus-s31]

Same has happened to me sold an item on eBay dhl failed to turn up I then dropped off message 71 premises closed won’t use dhl again this was the first time and last can’t even speak to anyone 

[ja131700]

You can call DHL on this number and actually talk to someone. Be prepared for a 20-30 minute wait in the queue though:

+44 24 7693 7777

(this is for DHL eCommerce which is usually the service used on eBay)

[mungolicious]

What a complete shambles DHL and the Simple service is.

Sold an item - large box so had to use DHL despite low weight.

When booking I left a note/instruction not to collect between 10.15 and 1.15 since out.

DHL sent an email while I was out anticipating collection between 10.05 and 2.05 which obviously I didn't get since I was out and don't have my laptop glued to me.

Driver came at 12.45 and left a card.

Tried taking parcel to DHL collection points the next day - first said they only handle a different DHL division and referred me to another shop who wouldn't take it since they needed a 3 part label (I had printed off a delivery label ahead of the driver collection.)

Got home and rang the number on the website - automated system during their working hours which was no good.

No apparent way to rebook a collection online so sent a message via the DHL website asking for collection rearrangement - not optimistic.

What a complete farce - if the bright spark at ebay who dreamt up this supposed Simple delivery method had actually realised how useless/frustrating/inflexible DHL and the process is then things would be an awful lot better. Really discouraged from selling heavy/bulky items on ebay.

[bbdave37240]

Agree absolutely entirely.

'Simple' delivery method, with DHL at least, is anything but.

I had a DHL collection arranged for this Friday just gone (5th Dec 2025), between 15:55 and 17:55. Had agreed with work that I could have an Office-from-home day. Sat looking out an upstairs window, facing my driveway all day, just in case - this is important later - and finished working approx 17:00. No-one has been yet.

Waited in the house until gone 19:00, at which time I grumpily decided "DHL ain't coming"...

Checked ebay and to my surprise saw that the tracking read: DHL eCommerce UK reported the following about your package: 71 Premises Closed. It also noted that the attempted delivery occurred at 2:25pm - 1½ hours before their stated delivery window but also during the time I was working, overlooking my (apparently closed) driveway...

I've spoken with a DHL representative this morning on +44 24 7693 7777 listed above by ja131700 and initially the customer service chap told me the same nonsense quoted by ebay tracking and stated that I wasn't home on Friday. I challenged this and he went away to speak to someone else and then came back with a different story...

Apparently they went to an address similar to mine but about 5 minutes away.

Anyway long story short, they're supposedly trying again, today, and todays driver has been sent a What3Words for this address and my phone number, so if there's any further issues we should be able to sort it.

Fingers crossed. Seems an awful lot of legwork for 'Simple' delivery.

[mungolicious]

Just a followup.

8am Monday email from DHL promising collection between 12.15 and 2.15pm

Nobody from DHL turned up - we were in all day, no card through the door, no doorbell, dogs would have seen anyone anyway and let us know...

Clicked on the tracking link on the 8am email and my antivirus and browser threw up all sorts of messages about the dhlecommerce website being dangerous, incorrectly set up, etc, etc.

Have now sent another message requesting a collection tomorrow. Place your bets... Why is ebay using such a shower?

[blue_lamp_vintage]

Good luck with you collection
They really are pathetic...

Thanks for the phone number, I did call them and they said...what does the 'package look like'

'errrrrrrrrrr a big box'

It was tracked to their local warehouse about 10 miles from here 6 days ago, (was supposed to arrive 3 weeks ago)

You wouldn't want to send anything valuable with these clowns