A small digital snag in a Dutch delivery form
A simple online complaint about a missing parcel shows how one field, one role choice, and one postcode mismatch can quietly block the entire process.
Key Takeaways
A blocked complaint
A customer tried to report an undelivered parcel through the PostNL online environment, using a guided flow that collects shipment details.
A role that changes everything
Inside the form, the role was set to sender. That choice meant the system expected the recipient’s postcode and address, not only the sender’s details.
A postcode out of place
The summary displayed the sender’s address in the town of Spijkenisse in the Netherlands, while the field labeled “recipient postcode” held a different code with no matching recipient name or street.
A confirmation that hides the gap
Before submission, the page asked whether “your details” were correct, yet the view mixed complete sender data with fragmentary recipient information, making it easy to confirm without noticing the missing pieces.
Story & Details
An online complaint that starts well
The scene unfolds inside a PostNL account page. At the top, a contact flow opens with a question in Dutch meaning “What is the recipient’s postcode?” A code is entered and the form continues, compiling what has been provided into a block headed “Your details.” It lists a tracking identifier, a short subject line meaning “parcel not delivered,” a contact email, a phone number, and a postal address. The address clearly belongs to the person filing the complaint and places them in the town of Spijkenisse. Specific personal identifiers are not shown here.
The sender role and the missing recipient
Further down, the form labels the complainant as sender. In PostNL’s flows for undelivered items with tracking, the platform distinguishes between the party who sent a parcel and the one who was meant to receive it; each path asks for different data to confirm the shipment and check its journey. With “sender” selected, the system expects full details of the counterpart: recipient name, street, house number, town, and postcode. Here, only a standalone postcode appears in the recipient field, with no visible recipient name and no link to a complete destination.
Why that gap matters
Dutch addressing pairs postcode and house number to pinpoint locations precisely. When the recipient block lacks a name and street, automated checks or agents may need extra clarification. That can trigger follow-up questions and delays, even when a track-and-trace code exists, because supporting details help confirm that the right shipment is under investigation.
A summary that invites a hasty “yes”
At the bottom, an interface line meaning “I have listed your details above. Is that correct?” appears next to “yes” and “no.” The wording suggests everything necessary has been captured. Because the visible information about the sender looks accurate, it is easy to confirm. The trouble is what is not visible at a glance: the missing recipient identity and address.
A design lesson with real-world impact
Wording and layout nudge behavior. Phrases such as “your details” steer attention to the sender. Role labels silently reshape what the system expects next. Without clear separation between sender and recipient blocks, and without pointed prompts for the missing fields, one incomplete postcode can stall a legitimate complaint.
Conclusions
The importance of complete counterparts
Complaints about late or missing deliveries rely on precise data from both sides of a shipment. When a form invites the sender to speak yet does not clearly insist on the recipient’s full address, problems hide in plain sight.
How to keep the process moving
Before pressing the final confirmation button, check two things: that the chosen role truly matches the situation, and that the counterpart’s details are complete. A brief pause to confirm those pieces turns a stalling complaint into one that moves quickly toward investigation and, ideally, a solution.
Sources
Official guidance
https://www.postnl.nl/en/customer-service/undelivered-parcel/undelivered-parcel-or-mail-with-track-and-trace/
https://www.postnl.nl/en/customer-service/undelivered-parcel/
https://www.postnl.nl/en/sending/sending-a-parcel/addressing-tips/
Public context
https://www.government.nl/topics/consumer-protection/applying-for-compensation-for-loss-delay-or-damage-of-a-postal-item
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spijkenisse
https://www.nissewaard.nl/
Verified YouTube video (institutional)
Appendix
Address format
Dutch postal addresses typically combine recipient name, street, house number, postcode, and town in a fixed order that allows automated systems to locate an address precisely.
Chatbot assistant
PostNL’s digital assistant asks structured questions, gathers shipment data, and either completes a report or connects the user to service colleagues.
Complaint form
The online complaint form compiles tracking information, contact details, and a short description of the problem before asking the user to confirm everything shown.
Customer role
Choosing sender or recipient determines which additional fields appear and which party’s address the system expects next.
Dutch postcode
The postcode consists of four digits and two letters; combined with a house number, it narrows location to a small area, so a mismatch easily disrupts tracing.
PostNL
The national postal and parcel operator of the Netherlands, providing delivery services and customer-service channels for reporting undelivered or delayed items.
Spijkenisse
A town in South Holland within the municipality of Nissewaard, referenced here only as neutral background for the address displayed in the form.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 