Online shopping is more popular than ever, and if you’re like us, your dogs instantly recognize the sound of the UPS truck’s brakes as it parks in the street to make a delivery on your front door. Who needs the text message notifying you a package was delivered when you have a pack of dachshunds barking at the front door?
But before you schedule those deliveries to be made on your front doorstep, here are a few tips to prevent your packages from being stolen this holiday season.
And, even if you have a nosey neighbor, smart doorbell like Ring or surveillance cameras posted on your home, these measures can only offer help after the fact and do little to prevent theft from happening in the first place.
1.) Have your packages delivered inside your home.
Many packages are delivered between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays when many of us are working (although, many of us are working from home these days). Some services allow you to arrange to have your package placed inside your home, usually in conjunction with a smart lock or doorbell. But this may not be a good idea if you have a million pets as we do!
2.) Have it delivered to your workplace.
Another option is changing the delivery address from your home to your office or place of work, suggests CNN, where you know you’ll be during typical daytime delivery hours. This may incur a charge, depending on the carrier, but it guarantees you’ll get your goods. Do this by accessing your free online account with the carrier.
3.) Ship to store instead or do curbside pickup.
Instead of having packages shipped to your home, have the retailer send it to a store near you where you can pick it up at your leisure, recommends CNBC. Plus, Amazon’s Locker program lets you retrieve your delivery from a secure location.
4.) Receive notifications to track progress.
Want to plan ahead to intercept your delivery? Sign up for a free account with the carrier or just opt in to receive text or email notifications about the route and delivery of your package so you can be home when it arrives, suggests experts at Valet Living.
5.) Request signature confirmation.
To make sure your package isn’t left at your doorstep when you’re not home, you can request through the carrier that your package require signature confirmation upon delivery, says CNBC
6.) Ask a neighbor to receive the package for you.
If you simply can’t be home to receive it, Valet Living experts recommend asking a trusted neighbor to pick up and store your package for you until you get home.
7.) Have the carrier hide it.
Again, if you have an account with your carrier, you can go online and request in special instructions that the delivery person place the package in an area out of plain view, such as on the back porch or behind a planter.
8.) Have the package held.
If you’ve exhausted all your other options, many companies like UPS and FedEx will hold your package for a certain amount of time so you can go pick it up at one of their locations when convenient, according to Valet Living experts.
