"Not reasonable"

No more DHL parcels for high-rise building in Germany

Symbolic image

(Bild: AFP)

Out of concern for the safety of its employees, the parcel service DHL is no longer delivering parcels to an apartment building in the German city of Duisburg (state of North Rhine-Westphalia).

A DHL spokeswoman said that the delivery was "not reasonable" for the employees. "Threatening delivery situations repeatedly occur there." She did not give any details. Several German media outlets, such as WDR, had previously reported on this.

The high-rise building, known as the "White Giant", has 320 apartments on 20 floors. According to Duisburg police, the number of reports at the address so far this year is low in relation to the high population density at the address. There is no security problem, said a police spokeswoman. "The figures, data and facts don't show that." However, she conceded that there is generally "a dark field" - i.e. possible crimes where victims do not report them.

Unusual step
The localized delivery stop by DHL is considered unusual. The company spokesperson is currently unaware of any other case in Germany where DHL has avoided an address in order to ensure the safety of its employees. Anyone who lives in the Duisburg tower block and is due to receive a parcel from DHL will receive a notification card in their letterbox - they can then use the card to collect the parcel from a post office.

Competitors, on the other hand, will continue to deliver. They will continue to offer doorstep delivery at the high-rise building, said a DPD spokesperson. A GLS spokesperson admitted that there are "challenges" in some areas of Duisburg. Only specially trained drivers who can deal with the conditions are deployed there. The DPD spokesperson, on the other hand, reported that there were "repeated insults and hostility, including threats of violence against delivery staff" throughout Germany.