Deutsche Post's probe by The Office comes to an end
In a recent turn of events, the German Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) has concluded its investigation into Deutsche Post's subsidiary, Deutsche Post InHaus Services, and its competitors Postcon and Compador, regarding potential anti-competitive agreements in the area of mail consolidation services.
The investigation, which commenced in July 2023, focused on the mail consolidation sector, where companies collect bulk mail from business clients, pre-sort it, and hand it over to Deutsche Post for delivery. Competitors had repeatedly accused Deutsche Post of hindering fair competition in this sector, which is crucial for stimulating competition in the business client letter market.
However, after nearly two years of inquiries, the Federal Cartel Office announced the conclusion of investigations in July 2025. This decision followed Deutsche Post and the other involved companies severing their ties in the mail consolidation area. Deutsche Post welcomed the closure of proceedings, asserting that it did not violate competition law.
It is essential to note that Deutsche Post faces other competition disputes in the business mail segment, including a cartel lawsuit filed by a rival company, DVS, seeking damages of around one billion euros. DVS accuses Deutsche Post of systematically suppressing competition in the letter sector for business customers.
Andreas Mundt, cartel office chief, stated that the business model of letter consolidation provides an important competitive impetus on the letter market in the business customer segment against Deutsche Post AG. Deutsche Post is the market leader and also active in letter consolidation through its Deutsche Post InHaus Services subsidiary.
The cartel complaint filed by DVS is not related to the letter consolidation services but another area of the letter sector. This new cartel complaint against Deutsche Post suggests ongoing competition concerns in the letter sector for business customers.
| Aspect | Details | |----------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Allegation | Anti-competitive agreements in mail (letter) consolidation services | | Investigation period | July 2023 to July 2025 | | Involved parties | Deutsche Post InHaus Services, Postcon, Compador | | Investigation result | Closed by the Federal Cartel Office; no violation found | | Consequence | Companies severed ties in mail consolidation; Deutsche Post cleared of competition law violation | | Ongoing issues | Separate cartel lawsuit by rival DVS against Deutsche Post remains active |
This shows that while there were accusations and a thorough investigation, Deutsche Post was not found to have violated competition law in the case of mail consolidation. However, the separate cartel lawsuit by DVS against Deutsche Post is still active, highlighting ongoing competitive issues Deutsche Post faces in the letter sector.
The Federal Cartel Office's investigation into mail consolidation services, which involved Deutsche Post InHaus Services, Postcon, and Compador, was concluded in July 2025 without discovering any violation of competition law. In the finance and business sectors, Deutsche Post's standoff with rival DVS continues, as the latter has initiating a cartel lawsuit seeking up to one billion euros in damages, alleging systematic suppression of competition in the letter sector for business clients.
