Verified: 18 March 2026 11:45 am CET
Industry: Retail (Drugstore)
Jurisdiction: Germany
Primary Regulator: Verbraucherzentrale
Important Safety Warning: Beware of fake customer service numbers on search engines. Only use official channels. Scammers frequently buy ads to promote fraudulent phone numbers. dm staff will never ask for your account password, or ask you to verify your bank details over the phone to process a refund.
Level 1: Customer Support (Kundenservice)
- How to complain: Submit your issue via the official dm online contact form, email them at ServiceCenter@dm.de, or call their central customer service hotline (dm-ServiceCenter) for free at 0800 / 3 65 86 33. (Note: For physical product issues, returning the item directly to a local dm-Markt is often the fastest first step).
- Source Verification: Impressum - dm.de
- Availability: The central customer service hotline operates Monday to Saturday from 08:00 to 20:00 (CET).
- Source Verification: Impressum - dm.de
- Timeline: dm aims to respond to standard shipping, return, PAYBACK, and product queries within 1 to 3 business days via digital support channels.
Level 2: Formal Written Complaint & Mahnung
- Who to contact: Formally escalate your financial dispute regarding an online purchase or unresolved store issue by sending a registered letter with return receipt (Einschreiben mit Rückschein) to their German headquarters addressed to the Management Board, dm-drogerie markt GmbH + Co. KG, Am dm-Platz 1, 76227 Karlsruhe, Germany, clearly stating your claim and setting a legally binding 14-day deadline (Mahnung) for them to issue a refund or resolution. (Note: Do not use their old Carl-Metz-Straße address).
- Source Verification: Impressum - dm.de
- Timeline: The legally binding deadline of 14 days (set via your Mahnung) provides the company a strict timeframe to resolve the issue before they legally default (in Verzug geraten).
Level 3: Regulatory Authority / ADR
- Authority: dm explicitly states in their Terms and Conditions (AGB) that they are not obliged or willing to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a German consumer arbitration board (Universalschlichtungsstelle); therefore, your primary recourse is to seek free consumer rights guidance from your local Consumer Advice Centre (Verbraucherzentrale) or use the European Commission’s Online Dispute Resolution (OS-Plattform) for online purchases.
- Source Verification: AGB - dm.de
- Timeline: You can contact consumer protection immediately after the 14-day deadline in your Mahnung expires without a satisfactory refund or resolution.
Level 4: Legal Action
- Pre-Litigation: Before initiating formal court proceedings, you can seek case-specific legal assistance and representation from your local Consumer Advice Centre (Verbraucherzentrale) to evaluate your breached contract claim against dm.
- Source Verification: Verbraucherzentrale - Beschwerde
- Court/Arbitration: If dm is in default (Verzug) after ignoring your formal Mahnung, you can initiate the judicial dunning process (gerichtliches Mahnverfahren) online to obtain an enforceable payment title against them, or file a civil lawsuit at your local district court (Amtsgericht) for financial claims up to €5,000.
- Source Verification: Gemeinsames Mahnportal der Länder
Community Action: Is dm-drogerie markt still refusing to refund you for a missing online delivery, or ignoring a complaint about a defective dm-brand product? Reply below (do not share your passwords, full account numbers, or PINs), and our community will point you to the right legal templates!