Package deliveries become more frequent as the holiday season approaches. When what you’ve ordered is left sitting by your front door, there’s always a chance that it may go missing. There are different things you can do to protect your packages from being stolen and, while these tips don’t make your packages 100% thief-proof, they do provide additional protection for your deliveries:
1. See if your police department accepts holiday packages
To beat holiday and allow officers to focus on other crimes, some police departments let you have packages delivered directly to a police station, where you can pick them up. Call the non-emergency number for your local police to see if they have a holiday package program.
2. Have packages delivered elsewhere
Can you have your packages delivered to your office, or to a friend or relative’s house? Ask your office’s receptionist if you can use your company’s address for deliveries, especially if your packages will be dropped off before you get home from work. Some organizations are more understanding and can make exceptions for a personal delivery.
If office delivery isn’t an option, ask a friend or relative who is home during delivery hours if you can send your packages to their address.
Alternatively, some e-commerce sites offer delivery to a nearby supermarket, convenience store or hub locker. Check with the retailer about these options before you complete your online purchase
3. Ask for help from a neighbor
This could be a good solution, as long as you have a good relationship with your next-door neighbors. If you know they stay home during the day and trust them with your orders, you can ask your neighbor to keep your delivery until you’re home from work.
4. Get a BoxLock
Another solution to protect your packages from being stolen is to add a BoxLock to your front porch. The BoxLock is a smart padlock you can use to secure a box or container. It costs $129 and works by scanning the barcode of the delivery you’re expecting that day. The challenge with this option is making sure the delivery person actually uses the BoxLock when dropping off packages.
5. Install a smart doorbell
Smart doorbells are an excellent way to keep thieves from trying to steal your packages. Some of the latest models come with a motion-activated camera that captures video of the person standing in front of your door.
These features help identify the thief and, if needed, provide the content police need to track them down faster.
6. Set up an alarm with video
This is the last and most expensive solution to protect your packages. While an alarm doesn’t ensure that thieves won’t come around your house looking for delivery boxes, alarm systems can be a good deterrent for most burglars.
Some alarm systems record and store video footage. If your packages are stolen, the video footage can help police officers find the thieves.
What should you do if your package is stolen?
Sometimes deliveries go missing even when you take all precautionary measures to protect them. While it’s frustrating to have your packages stolen, there are things you can do to replace them.
Contact the retailer. In some cases, they may be willing to send you a new item free of charge if you can prove you didn’t receive it. It’s also a good idea to speak to your mail carrier and file a complaint to use as proof of theft for the retailer.
Your final option is to speak to the authorities directly. File a report with your local police department and call your credit card company to request reimbursement for your purchase.