Unlike the swashbucklers of the past, today’s porch pirates target front steps instead of ships — snatching packages whether there’s a porch or not. Package theft surged during the first year of the pandemic and remains a serious problem, with an estimated $8 billion worth of goods stolen from doorsteps in 2023 alone, according to Security.org. Some thieves have even gone so far as posing as Amazon workers and taking packages with the delivery van still present.
With the Amazon Spring Sale underway, you’re probably eyeing some of the season’s best deals, which means a wave of packages heading your way. While no one wants to imagine their purchases disappearing before they even make it inside, a few simple precautions can go a long way. Here’s how to stop porch pirates in their tracks and ensure your Amazon Spring Sale finds make it safely into your hands.
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Make sure to track your packages
Knowing the exact location of your package in its journey to your home will reduce the amount of time it sits in front of your house, giving porch pirates less opportunity to steal it. All the major delivery services and the US Postal Service allow package tracking.
Reducing the time between delivery of your package and your retrieval of it is an easy, no-cost way to avoid porch piracy, especially if you’re usually home. If you aren’t going to be home when a package arrives, you have a couple of other free ways to prevent theft.
Ask your neighbors for help
Making friends with your neighbors is a great way to build community, but it also can bestow personal benefits, including potential prevention of package theft. If you aren’t going to be home when a package is expected to be delivered, contact a neighbor’s friend and let them grab it for you.
If you have a neighbor who’s always home and you aren’t, you could even have your packages delivered to their address instead and pick them up when you get home.
Get your packages delivered to your work address
Another option for protecting your packages from getting stolen is to have them delivered to your office or work address, especially if you never work from home. Many offices have full-time receptionists or shipping departments who will gladly hold your personal packages.
Talk to your boss or HR department before making the switch, however. Some companies have explicit policies about not accepting personal deliveries.
Install a video doorbell camera to add another layer of security
Video doorbells add a layer of protection against porch pirates.
Video doorbells can deter package theft, and not only because the video might scare away criminals. Doorbell cameras from companies like Ring, Wyze and Blink will not only record activity but also alert you to any motion on your porch and let you communicate with anyone out there, whether you’re home or not.
Read more: Best Video Doorbell Cameras
If your video doorbell lets you know that someone is delivering a package, you can chat with them to tell them where to stash your package so it won’t get stolen.
Amazon Key allows packages to be delivered inside your garage
If you’re an Amazon Prime member with a smart garage door, you can get your packages delivered inside your garage for free using Amazon Key In-Garage Delivery. Simply link your garage door to Amazon Key using the app for your smart garage, and when you make a purchase, select Free Key Delivery.
Read more: Best Outdoor Home Security Cameras
When the Amazon driver arrives at your house, they’ll scan your package to open your garage door — you don’t need to do anything. If you’re uncomfortable with a stranger accessing your garage, you can also add a video camera to watch the delivery. Real-time alerts will tell you exactly where your package is at all times.
Amazon Lockers are another great option
Amazon Lockers offer the convenience of picking up your package on your own schedule.
If you want to shut down porch pirates for Amazon packages, use a secure Amazon Locker if there’s one close to your home. Amazon Locker lets you send packages to a lockbox in an external and secure location. You can pick up packages whenever you like, within three days after the arrival of a package.
Amazon Locker is free for all Prime members. Other Amazon members will need to pay standard shipping rates. Some Amazon Lockers are open 24 hours, but every Amazon Locker has unique hours. Check the Amazon site to see exactly when they’re open.
To help you find an Amazon Locker near you, Amazon offers a search tool that shows available locations. A third-party tool called LockerMap shows a graphic display of all the Amazon Lockers in the US, but be aware that it isn’t an official app and confirm locker info on the Amazon site.
Getting ripped off by porch pirates can be a frustrating experience, but with a little preparation and care, you can stop those thieves from stealing your wonderful new stuff.