What does Dhl Shipment on Hold Mean?
What does DHL shipment on hold mean? Knowing that your package has been placed on hold by DHL can be really heartbreaking, especially if you need it immediately.
It can even be worse if you don’t know what the term “on hold” means.
This will definitely put you at crossroads and make you doubt your decision to choose DHL.
But placing your package on hold doesn’t change the fact that DHL is one of the most reliable ways of sending packages across states or borders.
Let’s find out more about the “on hold” shipping term used by DHL and what you can do if you find yourself in such a situation.
What Does DHL Shipment on Hold Mean?
The “On Hold” on your DHL package means that the delivery has been put on hold and that it won’t arrive at the scheduled date and time.
This message is another way of informing you that your package has been put on hold for whatever reason and is not moving.
It could be a little frustrating to know that your package is being held.
Even though there isn’t much you can do, knowing what really caused the delay could at least put your mind at rest.
So, if you want to know why your package could be delayed by DHL, just scroll down a little.
Why is My DHL Shipment on Hold?
There are reasons that could make DHL place your package on hold. These reasons include:
1. Holidays
A holiday could make your DHL shipment to be delayed. This is because holidays are not business days for DHL.
DHL takes some holidays off, which prevents drivers from making deliveries. This will make your package to be delayed by a day or so.
You can check if it’s a holiday once you get a message stating that your DHL delivery is on hold.
2. Terrible Weather
Your package delivery can be delayed by weather-related happenings like fog, severe rain, blizzards, snowstorms, tornadoes, and floods.
A ship, for instance, can be prevented from leaving the port by bad weather. Also, fog or heavy rain will not allow ships to move at their normal speed.
DHL will need to make an emergency halt in another port to wait out.
3. Missing Documents
Documents are usually scanned through labels and barcodes. However, labels could either be damaged or have their bar codes scratched off.
This will prevent anyone from reading or scanning them. As a result, the delivery location will no longer known to the driver.
So, DHL will have to put the package on hold until they have that information.
4. Strike or Protest
DHL mostly distributes to nations in Europe, and social unrest usually happens there.
Protests and marches can affect delivery, whether they are made in opposition to a single leadership decision or a law.
Hence, this will result in your package being held. This is because the driver must take the appropriate safety precautions.
5. Issue of Congestion at the Port
Port congestion is one of the reasons your DHL shipment can be delayed.
To make sure nothing is entering the nation illegally, they go through various packages and shipping manifests.
They are always looking for harmful objects like bombs, missiles, and biological weapons.
6. The Border is Closed
Closed borders can make DHL place your package on hold.
The issue with closed borders is that one can never tell how long they will remain closed.
DHL will find it impossible to finish the delivery because they cannot enter the country.
7. Shipping Route Changes
Changes in the route could make DHL to stop the delivery of your package. This is because the driver could either get sick while driving or even have a sudden emergency at home.
Also, the delivery vans can malfunction and need repair. To finish the delivery, a replacement driver or van will be needed.
This will lead to route changes and cause a delay in your package delivery for a day or two.
What to Do When Your Package is Placed on Hold
If your package is placed on hold by DHL, then this is what you have to do:
1. Log in to Your Account
Logging into your DHL account and entering the shipment’s consignment number is the first step. A list of the stages your package has taken will be included in the tracking update.
From there, you will be able to monitor what stage your package was held.
If your shipment is being held at clearance, it means that customs has a problem with your documents or that it is being inspected.
Whatever the case, you need to know where exactly in the logistics chain your package is being held up. It will make it easy to ask about your package when you call the customer care line.
2. Reach out to Customer Care
At this point, you don’t need to worry about anything; just contact customer care if your delivery hasn’t arrived yet.
If you want to get a description of why and where it was on hold, visit the “Contact Us” on the official DHL website.
Remember to include the consignment number and the package description.
They will verify all the information to find out if your package was held. It could be that it was damaged or addressed wrongly.
3. Make a Decision
You have the option of canceling the order if you need the package immediately.
After that, you will receive a complete refund for your shipment.
If you want, you can place you can place a fresh order with DHL or, if you’re ready to wait, with a different carrier.
Just keep in mind that there is no assurance that your new order won’t be delayed as well.
How Long Will My DHL Shipment be Placed on Hold?
DHL only keeps packages on hold for a day or two
However, how long your package stays on hold depends on the reason it was placed on hold in the first place.
For instance, DHL has no control over how long customs will keep your package during inspection.
Also, they can hardly do anything to speed up if there is terrible weather or other similar circumstances.
You can get in touch with DHL to find out the status of your shipment if it has been delayed for more than a few days.
How to Prevent My Package from Being Placed on Hold
There isn’t much you can do to stop this kind of thing from happening.
Placing a package on hold can be due to the problems the delivery service faced when sending your package.
The only thing you can do to prevent customs officers from delaying your package is to make sure they are legal.
Also, pay all applicable fees and complete any necessary documentation.
Once you’ve taken care of everything on this list, you can no longer control the situation.
Even doing these things won’t normally help an “on hold” scenario because the problem might not even be your package.
It could be bad weather, lack of transport, or even a change in shipping routes.
Can DHL Place a Package on Hold Within a Country?
It is possible for “on hold” to happen within a country, even though it happens to international packages because of courier swap or going through customs.
If you’re within the country and you see the message, don’t worry; your item will soon resume its journey.
Keep in mind that you can get this notice during the holidays because DHL does not open on national holidays.
However, it is more likely that you will see the “on hold” status if you are shipping overseas than within the country.
Is it Bad When DHL Holds My Package Temporarily?
No, you shouldn’t be scared if your DHL shipment is placed on hold. This just means that DHL needs a little more time to confirm the shipping details.
The only time your delivery will be completely stopped is if it includes a product that is restricted by customs.
In such situations, it’s possible that they will seize your package and stop it from reaching its destination.
This will cost you both your money and the goods you shipped.
However, if you are sending legal items and have completed all the necessary paperwork, this shouldn’t happen.
Will I Get a New Delivery Date from DHL?
Yes, you will get an estimated delivery date when the DHL package starts moving again.
However, some DHL employees will not want to make predictions of a new delivery date, so you won’t get angry if it doesn’t get there on time.
But you should still ask if the workers can give you some predictions.
Although the first package will arrive more quickly than the second one if you were expecting two packages.
Are there any Shipping Methods to Prevent “On Hold” Delays?
You can ask this question if you have more money to pay for a quicker delivery service to lessen the stress that placing a package “on hold” will bring.
However, issues like natural disasters and port congestion cannot be resolved by DHL, no matter how much money is spent.
So, it’s rather sad that you simply can’t pay more to guarantee that your shipment won’t be stranded somewhere.
It doesn’t matter if you used a cheaper or expensive delivery service, your package can still end up “on hold.”
We know that it is always annoying to get a DHL Shipment on Hold message when you really needed your package to arrive.
But, it could be that it is not DHL’s fault. Your package could be stuck on the road because of bad weather or a protest.
The only thing you can do to relax is to get the shipping number and ask Customer Service about your package.
