As more people use amazon for delivering marketplace and their goods, more packages are lost than ever. It might be due to a wrong delivery address or lost in transit. However, more and more package theft take place throughout the United States. Not only delivery companies or local authorities should oversee the safety of the neighborhood but also locksmith services can help to reinforce and prevent theft activities.
While package theft occurrence depends on many factors, still there are things that can be mitigated. Below are the 6 most effective tactics to prevent package theft.
- Mechanical lock for a metal gate (if there is any gate)
- Use Smart Kwikset Halo to grant access codes to the delivery staff
- Amazon hub
- Neighbors
- Ship to work
- Require a signature
There are many scenarios in which some of the options won’t work for you and some could but with some modifications. We will go over each option and analyze what will work for any type of housing such as houses, condos, or apartments.
Mechanical lock for a metal gate (if there is any gate)
Did you know that most of the gates that lead either to the front yard or back yard have a metal gate with a double-sided deadbolt on it? We had this scenario many times where a client asks if we can install a lock that can be unlocked with a combination so that the package delivery person can open it with a passcode (instructed on a delivery platform such as Amazon, Walmart, etc)
It is logical that the delivery person cannot have your key carried with him/her so that the package can be safely delivered and the gate locked back with that key.
Delivery person has no option to leave a package in front of the gate or front door if you eventually leave gates unlocked. That is the case when the package can be easily stolen. Lock in the picture is a commercial Kaba Simplex that is mostly used in apartment complex gates.
Use Smart Kwikset Halo to grant access codes to the delivery staff
What if you don’t have a gate that has front or back yard access? What if your front door is actually right on a public area/sidewalk? Or maybe you live in an apartment complex (where package theft happens a lot) because it’s easy to walk and grab someone’s staff from the ground.
Kwikset halo is an amazing option to solve this issue. You can install it on most of the doors, and usually, it can be brought to life by installing the right one instead of the existing deadbolt.
Kwikset halo is a top-notch smart keypad that can be controlled remotely anywhere in the world with an internet connection. The keypad can be connected to a home wife without any additional equipment.
So what you can do is create a one-time password that will allow the delivery person to use it so that he/she can unlock your front door and leave a package inside your home. In case you worry he/she can forget to lock the door back, you can do it using your phone (and surely watch through the installed camera inside and outside your home). Speaking of security cameras, we think Ring is an amazing technology to monitor, record, and prevent crime simply by speaking out through a speaker so surely robbers might be scared to continue the “operation”
Amazon hub
Amazon is one the biggest online e-commerce and they try to implement a lot of new projects to make shopping easier and safer. One of the great things we noticed is the amazon hub. The amazon hubs are not only available in public places or next to gas stations but also many apartment complexes adopt the amazon hub system.
In case your apartment complex simply doesn’t have an amazon hub and packages are being stolen then you might consider sending (at least expensive) items to the nearest hub so that you can pick them up after work or evening errands.
Moreover, you can set an instruction for the package to be delivered to the leasing office rather than letting the package beckon potential pirates.
Neighbors
Setting packages delivered to your neighbors might be an option, but that would be a little annoying and bring some hustle to your neighbor as they might have their own things to do, rather than concentrating or waiting for your package.
Neighbors are a great option if you inevitably have to leave town for a couple of days while the package should arrive exactly between those days.
Ship to work
Shipping packages to work is not the best option. Work is a place to work and nothing personal should be integrated. The kitchen is for dining, and the bedroom to sleep. We guess you don’t want coworkers or bosses to ask why so often those packages.
You should use your work address for personal package deliveries only if is a must situation. Other than the option above much better
Require a signature
The signature request is typically for extra services where it might be charged, and sometimes carriers don’t have that option. The biggest BUT is that someone has to sign, which means be inside the house and wait for that package. So, the signature request is usually great when you want to make sure you receive an expensive item directly with your hands.
Requiring a signature would be the least helpful option to prevent package theft in this whole article.