Almost 60 million packages were delivered per day during the holidays last year as people ordered presents for friends and family. That volume is likely to continue this year with deliveries headed to your door at various times from morning to night.
Unfortunately, Porch Pirates also know these packages are coming, as they up their game during the jolliest time of year. Well, here are some ways shoppers are protecting their packages from these foes.
LOCK IT & BOX IT
With e-commerce skyrocketing, delivery boxes are showing up on more and more porches every day, and you can bet the holidays are going to boost this trend further. At the forefront is DeliverySafe, a weather-proof and thief-proof container that locks using a commercial grade keypad and a personalized code.
Another plus: it’s insulated so that if you’re planning a holiday feast you can get food delivered without worrying about whether it will spoil or freeze before you can get it in the fridge.
PACKAGE PATROL
Many people are simply making sure there’s always someone home to open the door and grab parcels right as they are delivered. With many people working from home, this option is reasonable.
That said, it’s not very convenient if you live alone or are out of the house often for work or play. That’s doubly true if someone in the family is always being left out of something—like Christmas tree shopping—just to sit around and wait for a truck to arrive.
GARAGE/HOUSE KEYS
There are some delivery services that allow you to give keycode access to a delivery driver so they can open your garage or front door, put your packages inside, and then lock the door. If done right, this can be a very secure option.
That’s a big “if”, though. First, this service isn’t available in many suburban and remote locations, and if it is available it may only work for one delivery service. It also puts a lot of trust in delivery folks—and we’re not implying they’d violate your trust or privacy, but it’s a lot of doors to remember to lock.
TRACKER TRACKING
It’s great that almost every online retailer lets you track your order via your smartphone or computer. Some services even give you updates on your phone of when a package is out for delivery and an approximate time of when it will hit your porch. When the timing works out, this is a safe way to get the package without wasting time or worrying about your house’s security.
Still, we all know how fickle these predictions can be and how hit or miss delivery estimates have been due to the pandemic. With more packages coming during the holidays, drop off times are sure to be even more erratic causing frustration for anyone who rushes home or stays home for a shipment that never arrives.
DELIVERY DISGUISE
This time of year, many of us have a lot of holiday decorations inside and outside of the house. Could a blowup snowman or a large wrapped present display double as a shield to hide deliveries? Sure could! Delivery workers are great about doing their best to use stuff on your porch to guard your boxes and envelopes from view. “Out of sight, out of mind” is a good way to deter package theft.
Thing is, porch pirates know all the same tricks you do so most won’t be fooled—especially since law enforcement says stoop stealers follow delivery trucks around looking for their next victim. Plus, these options still leave your packages exposed to the elements, which, depending on where you live, can make for soggy presents or delicate gifts that are frozen or melted.
CHOOSE WISELY
There are a lot of options shoppers can choose from to protect packages this holiday season. When deciding yourself what to do, take into account your schedule, the amount of online shopping you do, and where you live. As you look at your options and consider all of the deliveries you’ll have in the future, delivery boxes like DeliverySafe appear to be the best solution.