[:en]https://youtu.be/BBrABHE-ffQ
With the advent of Amazon Prime and other super fast online shopping delivery services, we now rely on package deliveries more than ever. While it’s amazingly convenient to buy anything from toothpaste to a new laptop online and have it show up at our front door a couple of days later, our national obsession with online shopping has also given rise to “porch pirates.” These thieves brazenly walk right up to homes and steal packages from porches and doorsteps, hoping to find something valuable inside they can sell for cash. In fact, reports have shown that at least 23 million Americans have had packages stolen from their property, and that number seems to keep rising.
Thankfully, with a little effort and ingenuity, you can protect your packages from porch pirates and ensure the safe delivery of your online purchases. Here are four of our favorite ways to keep packages safe:
Consider a Porch Lockbox
For a low-tech solution, you may want to purchase a large lockbox designed specifically for keeping packages safe. These are bolted down to your front porch and opened with a passcode. When you place an online order, enter the passcode and instructions in the “delivery instructions” section of your order so that the delivery driver can safely stash your package for you.
Have Your Packages Delivered Elsewhere
Sometimes the best way to keep a package safe is to have it delivered where it will definitely be received by a trustworthy person instead of left on your porch. This may mean having a package delivered to your office instead of to your home, or to a neighbor who works from home or is retired. If your package is being delivered via FedEx, you can opt to have it delivered to a FedEx Express location instead of your home, and simply pick it up once you receive notification that it’s been delivered.
Try Amazon Locker
If you are having something valuable delivered from Amazon, you may want to check out their new Amazon Locker service if it’s available in your area. Amazon Lockers allows you to have a package delivered to a secure delivery site near your home, where it will be kept safely inside of a locker. You will then receive a one-time use access code so you can pick up your package at your convenience.
Invest in a Doorbell Camera
Finally, our favorite way to combat package theft and a whole host of other home security issues is to add a doorbell camera to your security package. Fluent’s doorbell camera features motion sensing, HD video, and remote monitoring so you can check the video feed from your phone no matter where you are. If someone approaches your front door you can see them in real time and even talk to them through the two-way microphone.
If they are foolish enough to steal a package despite your doorbell camera, you will have crystal clear video to show the police (and possibly share with your neighbors). For most homeowners, this is the most convenient option for protecting packages.
Just to show you how effective doorbell cameras can be at catching thieves in the act, enjoy this video compilation we put together:[:]
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