Even if you’re not a big Amazon shopper, there’s a good chance you’re going to be loading up on big discounts when Prime Day hits on July 16th. That means there’s probably going to be one, two, or even three or more Amazon boxes headed for your house in short order.
According to a recent survey by Wakefield Research, 30% of Americans say they’ve had a package stolen from their own home, and over half say they know someone who was a victim of such a theft. That’s nearly one-third of Americans! If you want to make sure your precious Amazon Prime Day purchases aren’t nabbed by pesky “porch pirates” before you get a chance to grab them, here’s what you should do:
Hello Neighbor!
Have a trusted neighbor living next door, or in a nearby apartment? If they’re typically home during the time when UPS, FedEx, or USPS makes its rounds, go ahead and ask if they can take your package for you. It’s a whole lot easier (and cheaper) than trying to track down a stolen package after the fact.
Sign Up For Delivery Alerts
All the primary package delivery services let you request delivery alerts, and you should be using these if you want to keep a close eye on your Prime Day steals. You can add an email or text alert to your package from the tracking screen and receive a notification as soon as your items have been dropped off. (Note: UPS and others normally ask you to make a free account in order to receive this information, but it’s well worth the extra minute it takes to do this.)
Reschedule Your Delivery
Won’t be home the day after Prime Day to receive all the good stuff you bought? You can almost always reschedule your delivery through the major carriers like UPS and FedEx if you have an account with them. UPS Delivery Intercept, for example, lets you reroute your package to a different location or change the timeframe of when it will be delivered. You’ll usually get charged a small fee for the convenience, but that’s a small price to pay to avoid a stolen delivery.
Send Your Purchases To Your Business
Want to totally fluster porch pirates? If you work in an office — or basically anywhere with a physical address and a front desk — you always have the option of having your packages delivered to you at work instead of home. Just specify your work address when you’re at the Amazon checkout and you’ll get your goodies in the middle of your work day instead of letting them sit vulnerable on your front steps for hours on end.
Pick It Up
If you’d rather just have your packages held for you to pick them up later you can do that too, using Amazon Locker or the UPS Store. Amazon Locker is a smart kiosk that holds deliveries and lets you pick them up in just a few taps. It’s incredibly convenient and simple, but they’re not very widespread yet. If you don’t have an Amazon Locker near you (and your package is being handled by UPS) you can request that it be held at the UPS Store so you can pick it up yourself.
Get Secure
The slightly more expensive route to combating package thieves is to beef up your home’s security. Installing one or more security cameras can deter thieves if they happen to spot them, or could help you bring them to justice if they make off with your packages. A locked delivery box like Landport will keep your packages safe from prying hands if you’re willing to pay the price. If you get a lot of deliveries, this might be the best route to go.