The thread on the new FedEx Cessna has prompted me to post this.

Have any of you had a package pilfered that was left by a delivery service from your doorstep?

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/10/package-theft-how-amazon-google-others-are-fighting-porch-pirates.html

In the past 5 years or so that I have been ordering from Amazon I suspect only one and I get about 4 or 5 deliveries a month.

I suppose it would depend on the neighborhood you live in, the type of dwelling you live in (single family home vs apartment building), and the city you live in.

That one parcel that never got delivered was quickly replaced by Amazon.

I would suspect that delivery by drones or other automated delivery carts would easily be pilfered.

In my small city almost every convenience store/gas station has an Amazon locker where I could go and pick up my package.  But I don't really find it necessary given I've only had one package lost or stolen ever since FedEx-UPS-USPS has been delivering to me.

But if these Amazon lockers become more ubiquitous and popular which would make it easier for the delivery truck driver to unload a number of packages to an Amazon locker in a single stop that any plans for drones dropping packages on your doorstep will never happen.

Not to mention vandals finding great sport in shooting down those drones.

Noel 

 

 

 

I have never had a package stolen.  I'm normally at home when a package is out for delivery to me.  Also, my porch cannot be seen from the street so someone would have to be sneaky and follow the driver around. 

11 minutes ago, charliearon said:

Also, my porch cannot be seen from the street so someone would have to be sneaky and follow the driver around. 

And that is exactly what may of these thieves do.

I haven't had anything stolen myself yet, but there have been a few package thefts around here.

As for the drone idea, I think the aerial model isn't going to happen for a number of reasons (here's a good video covering this I posted in the other thread), or at least not for a while yet. Ground based may work better, but really only removes the human delivery driver from the equation. They could be set up with GPS tracking and somewhat secured from people stealing the package inside, but someone will still find a way much like they do with the current model.

There are some amusing videos of people getting back at the so called porch pirates though.

https://youtu.be/3c584TGG7jQ

My front door is in easy view and just a few steps from the sidewalk.  It would be very easy for someone to pick up a package.  But I have only had once package missing after they said they delivered it.  And I don't know if it was stolen or if it was delivery driver error. 

There isn't a lot of foot traffic on my block and we pretty much know all of our neighbors.  So the risk isn't that great.

Noel

2 hours ago, birdguy said:

I suppose it would depend on the neighborhood you live in,

Or in today's climate, what jurisdiction you live in. 

 I had two deliveries in a row with the package opened from Amazon. I called customer care and they gave me ten dollars off on my next order and assured me it would not happen again.

In a separate incident with my wife ordering Jewelry from the liquidation channel delivery by DHL we had several packages disappear at one of the DHL en-route points. They tried to blame it on Canada post, I live in Canada and basically stonewalled me.

Since this is an America based company I submitted all my paperwork and communications to FTC (Federal Trade Commission) online. That got action and the Liquidation channel refunded 4000.00
dollars to my wife from the orders she made that disappeared.

Keep all paper work and if you miss an item and cannot get a satisfactory result from the company submit all to the FTC. There is also Ombudsman when all channels are exhausted.

I live in a 5 story building, on the top floor, and Amazon used to leave packages on our door steps. Never had a problem until a few years ago when someone took a package that was left on my door step. Fortunately it was only a puck of Taylor of Old Bond St shaving soap. I reported it and Amazon sent me another. I can only imagine the reaction of the person who stole it when they opened it to find a puck of shaving soap. They probably tossed it in the trash since not many people shave like that anymore.

We've since gotten package lockers in my building for FedEx, UPS, etc., to leave our packages in. The only issue is if the packages are too large to leave in the locker they get left in the parcel room.

That being said, I get some large items delivered to me for work and someone took 4 boxes back in early Dec. Fortunately the parcel room has a camera and we were able to determine who the person was who took the boxes. Management contacted the person to but got no response. A few days later the lady was caught on camera returning my items. However, she opened each large box and every box inside the large boxes looking either for what she was going to keep or out of curiosity. Since it was near the holidays, I assume she was looking for things to keep but when she found items used for merchandising products, she probably had no interest. 

I’d love to find a way to punish porch pirates with booby traps but apparently doing so can be illegal and you can get in more trouble than the thief will, go figure.

26 minutes ago, cmpbellsjc said:

I’d love to find a way to punish porch pirates with booby traps but apparently doing so can be illegal and you can get in more trouble than the thief will, go figure.

Check out the video in the second link in my post above.

Edited February 13, 20224 yr by goates

Some of it never even makes it to the doorstep:

 

No issues where I am. Crime rate is very low. Amazon parcels get left safe. UPS on the other hand have a tendency to leave outside our front door, not visible though as there is a gate.

 

Quote

I would suspect that delivery by drones or other automated delivery carts would easily be pilfered.

 

I think the drone delivery premise is that its urgently required deliveries only, where the recipient will be waiting for our hovering drone friend to arrive. 

Edited February 13, 20224 yr by martin-w

I had wanted to make use of an Amazon locker but there's only two in a 30 mile radius (which surprised me).  Neither location is easy to get to from here.  I wanted to save our postal person the trouble of delivering cases of nutrition drinks which can be quite heavy.

On another note though -- I once made an order from Amazon grocery that included both two bags of flour and two bags of Doritos.  I never thought they'd put them in the SAME box.  Luckily they refunded the Doritos.

2 hours ago, martin-w said:

I think the drone delivery premise is that its urgently required deliveries only, where the recipient will be waiting for our hovering drone friend to arrive.

That's a more reasonable idea, but the original aerial drone delivery concept in cities was talked up as being used for most deliveries, urgent or not. Even the more reasonable concept still has to deal with the issues outlined in the video I linked. Airspace restrictions, how to identify a safe place to land, etc. all make it less practical in the real world.

24 minutes ago, goates said:

but the original aerial drone delivery concept in cities was talked up as being used for most deliveries

 

I've not heard that. Only that it's intended as a premium rapid delivery service. 

I guess if you are scared of having you parcel stolen then you leave your upstairs window ajar and the drone flies straight into your bedroom and dumps it on your bed. 🤣 Probably while you are sipping your morning tea and eating marmalade on toast in bed. 👍

Edited February 13, 20224 yr by martin-w