However, we desire to ensure your parcel gets to you securely. We’ve prepared a list of practical steps you can take to guarantee your parcel arrives and to keep thieves away. If your parcel does get stolen, we’ll walk you through the steps you should take to get a replacement or refund.
The telltale sign of the holiday shopping season is when Amazon, FedEx, and UPS delivery trucks flood the streets, dropping off packages of all shapes and sizes on doorsteps and in apartment lobbies. However, this also means that porch pirates will be on the prowl, stealing those packages faster than the Grinch on Christmas Eve.
According to a September 2019 Consumer Reports survey of 2,341 American adults, 11% of respondents reported that at least one package was stolen from their home the previous year. Among this group, 64% reported having a package stolen at least twice the previous year.
There are several socio-demographic variables that determine whether your package will be stolen, according to a survey. Package theft was also higher in urban areas (16%) than in suburban (9%) and rural areas (8%), and in multifamily housing (9%) than in single-family homes (7%). Among those affected by package theft, 21% earned less than $30,000 annually and were between 18 and 29 years old, compared to 9% of those who earned $30,000 or more per year and 9% of Americans over 30 years old.
We want to provide assistance, not make you anxious. Here are some straightforward steps you can take to make sure you receive your products and avoid package thieves. In addition, we provide instructions on what to do if your parcel is stolen, in case you do.
Package theft can be prevented.
Consider granting inside access if you order from Amazon or Walmart.
To use Amazon Key, you must have a Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Control, $30. Works with myQ | Works with Ring, this internet-linked device connects to your garage door motor so that an Amazon delivery person can open and close your garage door (via a smartphone) or control it from the Amazon Key smartphone app. You may also connect a Ring video doorbell, $65 to $350; Ring security camera, $60 to $250; or MyQ security camera, $150, to capture video of the delivery.
Amazon Key In-Garage Delivery worked without a hitch when we tried it out. You can check the Amazon Key in-garage delivery web page to see if Key Delivery is available in your area.
Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Control: Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe’s all offer it.
You can either purchase a Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Control for Walmart+ InHome or a Genie Aladdin Connect Wi-Fi Retrofit Kit for $65. We tried both out in our smart garage door opener review and found the Chamberlain option to be much simpler to install and operate. We haven’t tried out Walmart+ InHome garage delivery yet, but it’s worth noting that it doesn’t support security cameras like Amazon Key.
You can monitor your front porch with a security cam or video doorbell to keep an eye on visitors.
You can monitor your property from anywhere and document any activity with a camera. 21% of Americans who had a package stolen in the previous year responded by installing a doorbell camera. Some cameras, such as the Logitech Circle View Doorbell and Arlo Essential security camera, can detect parcel presence. (Because this feature requires a monthly fee based on the brand and model, it is advisable to verify before you purchase.)
Consumer Reports has tested more than 100 wireless security cameras and video doorbells. Here are our top picks. For more choices, see our comprehensive home security camera ratings page and our post about the best floodlight security cameras.
With UPS My Choice, FedEx Delivery Manager, and USPS Informed Delivery, you can tell drivers where to leave your package if you are not home.
You can have your deliveries sent to another address (such as a neighbor’s), placed on hold if you’re on vacation, or rescheduled for a different day with FedEx and UPS. Both also have local merchant partners, such as FedEx and UPS stores, pharmacies, and grocery stores, that have agreed to accept deliveries for customers.
You may save on shipping fees by having items sent to a retailer’s walk-in store for pickup.
Many of these services are free, but not all of them are. UPS, for example, charges fees for online requests to change deliveries to a different day or location. You can either pay a one-time fee per delivery or sign up for a yearly subscription.
Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Control
Rather than having deliveries left unsecured at your front door, you can have them delivered into a package delivery box on your property. Danby, Keter, and Yale boxes were evaluated and found to be a decent solution, provided you can get your delivery people to use them. They range in price from $200 to $400 and offer smart features such as smartphone notifications when you receive a delivery, the ability to lock and unlock them from your smartphone, and built-in security cameras.
Amazon purchases can be delivered to an Amazon Locker or Counter pickup location in over 900 cities and towns, including many Whole Foods Market supermarkets. Amazon Lockers are self-serve lockers where you can pick up orders, while Amazon Counters are staffed pickup counters at retail stores and small businesses that cooperate with Amazon. Select Amazon Lockers and Counters that accept returns are also available.
Choose a Locker or Counter location when you check out on Amazon as the delivery address. Once your package is delivered, you may pick it up at a locker or counter within three days. This service is free.
There are three services—FedEx Delivery Manager, UPS My Choice, and USPS Informed Delivery—that provide text, email, and mobile app notifications so that you can be forewarned when a package is coming and then adjust your own schedule accordingly.
With USPS Informed Delivery, you can digitally preview images of your mail and its location without entering tracking numbers, so you can ensure that you will be home if something important is coming.
The delivery services say they won’t cover thefts of delivered packages.
Here are the steps to take if your package is lost.
Make Sure the Package Was Delivered
Make sure the package wasn’t stolen from your doorstep or taken by a well-meaning neighbor or building superintendent while it was in the shipping company’s possession. If the package or its contents were stolen or lost while in the company’s care, you may be entitled to compensation. UPS, for example, provides up to $100 protection on most shipments.
Please contact the store.
The shipper typically requires the sender, not the recipient, to file a claim. If the retailer refuses to cooperate, contact the shipper as soon as possible. You may file a claim only if you act quickly. According to our survey, 40% of Americans who had a package stolen notified the shipping company; 25% asked for a full refund.
If you used a credit card to purchase something, you may be able to claim a chargeback from the issuer or receive purchase protection, says Daniel Blinn, managing attorney of the Consumer Law Groups, Connecticut. You can also ask for a chargeback from your credit card company if your package was stolen, as 12% of Americans did, according to a survey.
Although you may not want to do this for a small purchase, you may need a police report if you want to make a claim with a delivery company, a credit card company, or an insurance company. 9% of Americans who had a package stolen reported the theft to the police in a survey.
