In today’s world, where online shopping and package deliveries have become a common part of our lives, package theft has emerged as a concerning issue. Home deliveries are primary targets for porch pirates who are stealing millions of packages every year.
Package theft has grown as a low-risk venture for petty burglars in recent years and can occur anywhere along the distribution chain, with your doorstep being the most vulnerable point. Package snatchers go around neighborhoods hunting for unclaimed packages on porches.
If your packages keep getting stolen or lost, it is time to take some preventive measures to deter package theft.
Severity of package theft in Boston and preventive measures
A South Boston resident is warning his neighbors to watch out for what appears to be a pretty brazen package thief, according to cbsnews.com. The alleged thief was caught on camera several times.
In 2022, a global report suggested that nearly one in 10 consumers had suffered parcel theft or loss during a 12-month period, equating to more than one billion packages.
More and more holiday shipping is conducted each year online. Nearly 70 percent of homeowners expect to receive packages this holiday season, with 3 of 5 consumers receiving more packages during this time than any other time during the year.
How can you keep your packages safe, and what if you are the victim of a porch pirate?
If your package was successfully delivered and then stolen from your porch, you have a couple of options.
You can file a mail theft complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for USPS deliveries. USPS will start your claims process. If your package came through another carrier, contact the sender of the package to initiate a trace process with UPS or FedEx. The sender will then follow up with you on the progress of your shipment.
You can also avoid instances of package thefts in Boston by implementing the following tips from third-party delivery companies:
The UPS Access Point network offers package pickup and drops off primarily at thousands of local businesses such as neighborhood convenience, supermarkets, dry cleaners, and the like. In order to retrieve your packages, present a government-issued photo ID where the last name and full address on the ID match that on the box. If the address on the ID doesn’t match the address on the package, bring proof of residency that matches the address on the package (like a current utility bill). If the last name or full address doesn’t match, you must provide the package tracking number to the UPS Access Point representative. or your shipper-provided package release code.
Amazon also offers an alternative to home delivery. Instead of adding a shipping address at checkout, designate delivery to an Amazon Locker. This is a self-service kiosk that allows you to pick up the package at a later time. Once your package is delivered to the Amazon Locker, you’ll receive an e-mail notification with a unique pickup code that includes the address and opening times for your selected Locker location. All packages delivered to Amazon Locker locations must be picked up within three business days.
Missed deliveries in Boston
A delivery attempt is unsuccessful when the driver can't deliver the package to the recipient, which in turn results in a missed delivery. Typically, this happens because one of two reasons,
either the customer wasn’t able to physically receive the order, or the delivery agent wasn’t able to leave the order in a secure location (to ensure the customer receives it).
Missed packages also occur due to restricted access. For instance, if the correct address is given but there is no way for delivery attempts to be made i.e. due to locked gates, the driver may not be able to leave the package in a secure place.
Bad traffic or weather conditions may result in delays to a delivery round, leading to some missed deliveries and missed packages scenarios. However, it may be scheduled for a future delivery round.
Another cause could be lack of a secure location at the delivery address to leave a package that’s away from street view i.e., an enclosed porch. The delivery driver may make the decision not to leave the package due to concerns about porch piracy.
Frequent instances of Amazon missing packages and USPS missing packages
can cause confusion and anxiety for those customers who are eagerly awaiting delivery.
Are package lockers successful in combating package thefts and missed deliveries in Boston?
Package lockers are helpful to a certain extent in trying to prevent stolen packages and missed packages. These package storage lockers consist of lockers in public or semi-public areas such as shopping centers, airports, and train stations. Carriers can place their parcels inside each locker for safekeeping until the recipient collects them.
However, delivered parcel lockers cannot be considered as efficient last-mile delivery solutions. One challenge is the parcel locker’s storage size. Although most companies offer various sizes of smart lockers, the most common ones are medium-sized. This becomes a problem when a customer wants to use a smart locker for a large order. In fact, the customer will have trouble finding lockers large enough. An additional problem emerges if the customer wants to pay only at delivery to check the parcel in front of the courier.
Alongside parcel lockers must be prepared against hackers and failures, guaranteeing that, at the end of the day, only the customer can pick up his parcel or goods.
An effective solution will be to utilize services like package receiving and package acceptance instead. These package receiving services work by partnering with local businesses, which act as your alternate address where your packages can be received, thereby eliminating the possibility of issues like package theft, UPS lost packages, missed deliveries and FedEx lost packages.
Find out how travelers can benefit by making use of package receiving and package acceptance services all over the USA in this blog.
Receiving packages safely with Stowfly package acceptance services in Boston
Stowfly offers such package acceptance services for package storage not only in Boston but also in all major cities in the USA like NYC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, Austin, Washington DC, Miami, Denver, Las Vegas & Philadelphia as well.
A vast network that consists of trusted shops and stores that allows you to receive your online deliveries at any Stowfly location of your choice and pick them up at your own convenience. You simply have to find a location that works best for you in terms of hours of operation and distance from your home or office and begin receiving your packages there.
Pricing options are as affordable as $4 for one-time use or a $7.50 subscription for up to 5 packages a month and a $15 subscription for up to 15 packages a month. Along with this, a $1000 insurance policy per package is also offered.
Once we receive your packages at a Stowfly location a unique pick-up PIN is generated for you. All you have to do is show the same to our location partner to retrieve your packages. You can stay assured that your precious parcels will not be handed over to anyone unless they show us the unique pick-up PIN that is generated only for you.
With Stowfly package receiving and package acceptance services in Boston, you can finally get rid of all your package delivery issues hereafter.
Check this blog for more details on how to achieve a positive last-mile delivery experience in Boston.