There’s a pretty good chance you’ve been a victim of package theft at some point. The United States Postal Service said around 58 million packages were snatched last year. That adds up to around $16 billion in losses.
So as we head into the holiday shopping season, here’s some good advice from Amazon on how to limit your risks from porch pirates.
Black Friday news
First, remember you can track your packages in real time, so you can swoop in and grab deliveries before thieves do. You can also specify a hidden drop-location, like behind a planter on your porch.
You can also get your deliveries somewhere else. That includes Amazon locker locations or perhaps getting deliveries sent to your workplace.
Amazon spokesperson Louie Tran said Prime customers have other tools at their disposal.
“You can select a day when you’re going to be home,” Tran told NBC 7. “That way you can be ready to pick up your package. However, if you’re not at home, there’s also another feature called the Amazon share feature where you can share your tracking feature with your loved ones.”
If your delivery does disappear off your doorstep, Amazon said you should always report it.
“We definitely understand how traumatizing this can be for families,” Tran said. “Especially for those on a tight budget. So No. 1, contact police right away because this is a crime.”
Amazon also suggests investing in a security camera for your home, so you can provide police with the evidence they may need to catch thieves.
Remember, you can also support small businesses and local businesses, even on Amazon. You can find that in the main menu, under Small & Underserved Business.
Want more insights? Join Grow With Caliber - our career elevating newsletter and get our take on the future of work delivered weekly.
