Virtually everyone is shopping online nowadays. At least half of every household has Amazon Prime. However, when those items arrive at your doorsteps, porch pirates might be waiting to jump.
The bait of online shopping could be irresistible. No matter if it’s a hand-made shirt from Etsy or a limited edition book from Amazon, you will find stuff you cannot buy anywhere else. It’s challenging to foil package theft. The good thing is there there’s a handful of ideas for preventing porch pirates in their tracks.
Create or purchase a lockbox
You might be able to create your package-protector depending on the layout of your front stoop or porch. A device as big as a shed, or as small as a fishing-tackle box could be padlocked to your post.
Are you expecting an item today? You can then leave the lock open along with notes to the delivery person to lock it after they have placed your item inside.
But what if Do-It-Yourself isn’t your thing? You will find a lot of lockable boxes accessible for you to buy. For instance, BoxLock is an internet-connected padlock that lets you scan an item you’re expecting.
Neighborhoodsquare helps to find the right extra large parcel drop box on their website.
Set up a video doorbell
Did you know that video smart doorbells allow you to check who is at your porch when you are not at home? The technology uses Wi-Fi, video cameras, and motion detectors to function as a visual peephole, vibrating your device when somebody is at your entrance.
P.O. box
Post office box might appear small, but parcels too big to fit are held for you at the back of the counter. On the other hand, a pickup slip is placed in the box to let you know you have a box waiting.
Vacation hold
Perhaps you were working from home and was able to deal with all your parcel deliveries so far. That’s all well and good until you leave on that well-deserved holiday vacation.
Delayed orders or gifts could snitch up on you even if you have not ordered any items to come while you are on break. Take the stress off your generous neighbor and have your items and mails held for you at the post office until you return.
Set up security cams
Security cams cannot prevent any type of theft. However, they can record proof of one. It might help the local police to arrest the criminals after they have taken off along with your package.
A noticeable security cam could often be all it takes to discourage a thief as well. Instead, they might prefer to search for easier takings down the street.
Recruit a friendly neighbor
A few of you lucked out and landed terrific neighbors. These are people who feed the fish when you are out of town, bringing cakes during your birthdays and trade-off shoveling the sidewalk.
Consider requesting them to take care of your packages for you should you luck into such types of neighbors. You can just pay them back along with occasional cat-sitting weekend or home-baked cookies when they are out of town.
Utilize Amazon Locker or Amazon Key
The majority of the items arriving on your doorstep come from Amazon. The corporation is solving the package-theft issue with different technological advancements. For instance, Amazon Key involves purchasing a kit that has a security cam. It enables the delivery guy to unlock your door and leave your stuff inside your residence.
For many reasons such as escape-prone pets, privacy, and trust concerns, this is not a simple sell with everybody.
Meanwhile, Amazon Lockers are another excellent alternative. They are self-service kiosks accepting delivery of your items and allow you to get it night or day.
Have your parcel delivered to the workplace
Most people today spend prime parcel-delivery hour miles from their homes, businesses, or an office building. Hence if necessary, have your item delivered to where you are rather than to where you’re not.
However, not all managers are happy with workers having their stuff delivered to the office. But if you have a more laid-back office setting, that could work. It is ideal for small items, mainly if you take transit or walk.
There you have it! With the practical tips we mentioned above, you can easily avoid package theft. You can get online and complete your shopping stress-free now that you understand how to outwit porch pirates.
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