Boxed In: Avoiding Summer Package Theft

After countless hours searching online, you’ve finally found the perfect gift for your loved one’s upcoming birthday. You quickly order it and mark the expected day of delivery on the calendar so you can hide it before anyone sees it. But the day arrives…and no package. You wait another day and then another and still no package. You get an email alerting you that the product was delivered and a call to the company confirms that indeed the item was sent to the correct address just days ago. By now you realize that like 23 million other Americans, you have become the latest victim of package theft. Someone stole your delivery right from your doorstep, and there is no way another gift can be ordered in time. The birthday surprise is ruined, and perhaps so is your trust in mankind.

Porch Poachers

Homeowners expect an average of 27 packages a year, with 26% receiving deliveries at least once a week. The summer months and December are two of the busiest delivery seasons of the year. Summer is especially popular for perpetrators as many people go away on long weekends, vacations and trips making their homes easy targets for theft.

“This is a tricky type of crime to prevent as it is the easiest to commit, and we are experiencing a current surge in the area,” reports Robert Moskowitz, executive coordinator of Flatbush Shomrim, who says he gets several calls a week from people in the community complaining about packages being stolen. Theft victims spend close to $200 in replacing each stolen package. Matthew O’ Conner, a UPS spokesperson says that drivers observe the environment prior to drop off and if they don’t feel comfortable with the environment, they will opt to take the item to a participating nearby access point and notate it on the “sorry we missed you” note.

Think Outside the Box

There are simple, common sense things you can do to prevent your purchases from being targeted by porch poachers. For starters, you can leave instructions to have the package left on your back porch or side door rather than your front stoop since approximately 34% of thefts occur from the front of the house. You can also leave instructions for the delivery person to hide the box behind a plant or chair. Consider having it dropped off by a friend’s or neighbor’s house. If that doesn’t work, Dean McMackin from UPS’s PR department suggests requesting that deliveries require a signature so packages cannot be “driver released.”

If you cannot be home to sign for a package, Ashley Allen from FedEx’s media relations department recommends signing up for the FedEx mobile app, which is available on iPhones. This gives recipients the ability to electronically sign for a package, request a vacation hold or choose a hold at a FedEx location. “Or you can have your deliveries sent to the nearest FedEx Office location, and we’ll hold it for you for up to five business days,” says Ashley. “FedEx provides this service at no added cost. If it’s a FedEx Express package, you can also have your package sent to one of our FedEx Express stations.”

There are Amazon Lockers situated in many local 7- Elevens that can hold your package for you.

UPS has a program called AccessPoints where consignees have the option of picking up their packages at participating small business like their local pharmacy or convenience stores. “It’s ideal for urban professionals in metro cities who are rarely home during the day but walk past these stories on their way to and from work. There is also the benefit of offering the stores more foot traffic,” explains O’ Conner. Ask to get a delivery notification, so you know exactly when the item was left by your door. When these practical measures aren’t possible or fail, you can turn to technology for some extra safeguarding (see sidebar).

Keep Your Eye on the Box

Installing a security camera is always a good deterrent and they are relatively inexpensive. If you’re going this route, veteran security expert Robert Sollars recommends you purchase one that offers hi-definition so facial features are easily recognizable. He also suggests that homeowners place a camera angled to the street so you can capture vehicle descriptions and license. “Additionally, there are features in certain smartphones that allow them to be used as surveillance equipment,” he says.

Porch poachers are so brazen these days that even that won’t stop many of them. In any case, it is still a good investment as you can then take that footage to the shipper and police department as evidence of the crime.

“I recommend installing camera as they help us make a case when we do find the guy. Once we see someone on camera stealing a package, we distribute his image to all our units so when they patrol the area they can spot him on daily lookouts, “says Moskowitz. Even if the surveillance didn’t prevent the crime, the thief can be charged with more serious misdemeanors such as property crime in addition to theft, which might lead to federal prison as well as fines. This was proven true just last month when the 61st Precinct with the help of Flatbush Shomrim was able to successfully trap and capture a persistent perpetrator who has been stealing packages of Marine Park homes for months.

Boxed Out: Who’s Responsible?

You spent several hundred dollars on a new surround sound system and it’s deemed stolen. You can always reorder the item, but what about getting your money back?

Most retailers will refund you, but first, you need to confirm that your package was actually stolen and not misplaced or delivered to the wrong address. If you have security cameras, view the footage, and then contact the company and alert them that you never got the package. It would also be wise to file a police report. Even though the chances of them recovering your package are slim, evidence of the incident will be documented which will give your case more validity. O’Conner says UPS will not even consider an investigation on your missing package without a police report since this is an integral part of their collaboration with law enforcement. In addition, if this is becoming an issue in your neighborhood, your local precinct will take this case more seriously and start patrolling the area more frequently. Next, you need to contact the shipper and find out their theft policy. UPS, FedEx, Amazon and USPS have a pretty straightforward refund system that is easy to navigate.

Online retail is booming with a net profit of $334 billion in sales as more people opt to shop virtually rather than in stores. With this convenience, comes the added threat of package pirates looting your porch for a bounty of free treasures. Don’t be another statistic; follow these steps so you won’t be boxed out of your deliveries

Getting Your Refund

UPS

24 hours after you suspect your package has been stolen or missing, you can file a “missing package” claim, so UPS can begin investigating (ups.com).

This system is a lot easier for domestic versus international packages.   If you ordered the product, you should get in contact with the shipper, since UPS will issue the refund to them.

FedEx

If you ordered your item through FedEx Express,^® FedEx Freight^®, or through FedEx Ground^®S. domestic, this will be an easy process. Go to fedex.com and within five to seven business days, your claim should be resolved. You also have 60 calendar days to file a claim for damaged or missing contents and up to nine months to file lost item reports. Just make sure you keep any and all packaging or evidence because FedEx might ask to see it.

Amazon

Amazon is even faster than FedEx and has a very liberal no-questions-asked philosophy as long as your tracking number shows that the package was delivered. If you haven’t gotten it within  36 hours since expected delivery date, contact Amazon at amazon.com and they will take it from there. In fact, Amazon has been known to even credit customers if packages are delivered late.

USPS

Filing a claim with USPS is a bit trickier than other carriers. While its protocol for refunding damaged packages is clear, its process for stolen mail is not. If your package was shipped and delivered by USPS, but it’s missing, you’ll need to file a claim regardless. Have the tracking number, proof of insurance, and proof of value handy. If your package was stolen and there’s evidence, take photos and submit those too. Shippers who send insured packages should be refunded directly by USPS. Recipients of stolen packages can normally go through the seller to receive a replacement or refund. usps.com

Big Brother’s Watching Your Box 

With the latest technology, you don’t ever have to be home to sign or accept deliveries.

Package Guard

The Package Guard ($69) was invented by Michael Grabham, after a box of coats for his charity, was stolen from his front porch. “Cameras only show you it happened, they do nothing to alarm, notify, or make a thief think twice about stealing your packages,” he says. Package Guard, which is the size of a Frisbee, is Wi-Fi- enabled device that sits on your front stoop, alerting you when a package has been delivered and more importantly setting off a loud alarm if an unauthorized person tries to steal the package.

WEBCAM

There are many webcams currently on the market including Nest Cam, Canary, Piper ($200) just to name a few. They mostly operate the same way live streaming a picture of your doorstep and sending you notifications if anything moves in the area. They even have mobile devices like Perch, which can turn a mobile device into a security system. Kuna is probably your best option since it HD features and is disguised as outdoor lights that you can control from an app on your phone; it even lets you talk to anyone that approaches through a two-way intercom.

IoT

IoT or “Internet of Things” refers to the rapidly growing network of connected objects that are able to collect and exchange data using embedded sensors. Shipping providers or vendors who want to keep better track of their inventory can equip boxes, packages and even envelopes with RFID or BLE tags. “These tags can then be configured to inform specified parties (through alerts sent via text or email when the tagged item arrives at or leaves a designated location. If a package is stolen from a doorstep (or anywhere else along the way), the shipper can be notified immediately,” explains Media Relations Manager at GPS Trackit, Hannah Steffensen.