Lost or damaged parcel in Poland: how to file a postal complaint
Short answer: You have 12 months from sending to file a postal complaint in Poland. The operator has 30 days to answer, silence counts as acceptance, and you can appeal within 14 days of a rejection.
Parcels are a big part of daily life in Poland, from online shopping to documents sent by courier. When a parcel is lost, damaged or delayed, many newcomers do not know that there is a formal complaint procedure (reklamacja) with fixed deadlines, and that the regulator publishes plain-language guidance. This guide uses the postal market report of the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE) and the UKE consumer information centre to explain how the market looks and how to complain. Information is as of 16 October 2026. It covers postal services such as courier and parcel delivery. A dispute about a purchase itself (the right to return goods) is a different matter, which we explain in our guide to returning online purchases.
How big parcel delivery is in Poland
According to UKE's report on the postal market in 2025, published on 29 May 2026:
- The market was worth 20.16 billion zł, up 7.0% on 2024.
- Operators handled 2.26 billion postal services, up 4.9%. That is more than 60 services per resident per year, including more than 37 courier items.
- Courier parcels were the most frequent service: almost 1.40 billion items, up 14.3%. Letters came second with 0.73 billion, down 7.7%.
- At the end of 2025 there were 67,060 automated postal machines (parcel lockers) in Poland, which is 29.7% more than a year earlier.
According to a report in Forsal.pl on the same UKE data, the average price of a courier parcel fell from 11.31 zł in 2024 to 10.71 zł in 2025, and the article links this to the growth of parcel lockers.
* Photos: parcel machine in Tomaszów Mazowiecki and a postbox in Kraków, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 / public domain.
Who can file a complaint
UKE's consumer information centre says that a complaint can be filed by the sender, or by the addressee once the parcel has been delivered to them or the sender has given up the right to claim in their favour. You can file it in writing, electronically, for example through the form on the operator's website, or orally.
What a complaint must contain
According to UKE, the complaint should state in particular:
- your name (or company name) and address,
- the subject of the complaint,
- the date and place the item was sent,
- the item's number,
- the circumstances that justify the complaint,
- the amount of compensation, if you demand any.
If the complaint is incomplete, the operator will ask you to complete it. If you do not, it will be left unexamined.
Deadlines you need to know
- You have 12 months from the day the item was sent to file a complaint. UKE's step-by-step guide adds that claims also expire after 12 months from that day, and that the clock is suspended from the day the complaint is filed until the complaint procedure ends.
- The operator has 30 days to answer. The deadline counts as met if the operator sent its answer within the 30 days.
- If the operator does not answer in time, the complaint is treated as accepted, and compensation is paid in the amount set by the Postal Law or the operator's terms.
- If the complaint is rejected, you have 14 days from receiving the answer to appeal. The operator then has 30 days to answer the appeal.
What the answer must contain
UKE lists what a proper answer includes: the name of the operator's unit that examined the case, the legal basis, whether the complaint was accepted or rejected, the amount of compensation and the date and way of payment if accepted, and a justification if it was rejected. It must also tell you about your right to appeal and the address for it, and about the end of the complaint procedure and your right to pursue claims further. The name and position of the authorised employee must be given.
If the operator does not solve it
UKE's report on out-of-court consumer dispute resolution (ADR) for 2025 says that people turned to the President of UKE with problems such as poor service, concluding and ending contracts and damage to parcels, and that UKE ran proceedings for postal services. These proceedings aim at an amicable solution and rely on the good will of both sides. Check the UKE consumer information centre for the current steps.
Practical tips
- Keep the tracking number, the receipt or the confirmation and photos of damaged packaging and goods.
- Write the date and place of sending exactly as shown on your receipt.
- Note the dates: 12 months to complain, 30 days for the operator, 14 days to appeal.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to complain about a lost parcel?
12 months from the day it was sent, according to UKE.
How long does the operator have to answer?
30 days. If it does not answer in time, the complaint is treated as accepted.
Can the recipient complain, or only the sender?
Both, in the conditions UKE describes: the addressee can complain once the item is delivered or when the sender waived the right of claim in their favour.
What if my complaint is rejected?
You can appeal within 14 days of receiving the answer. The operator has 30 days to reply to the appeal.
