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Can Consumers Fight Package Thieves With Technology? (geekwire.com) 295

Posted by EditorDavid from the Santa's-little-helpers dept.
Every year more than 10 million packages are stolen off doorsteps, according to a study by August Home Inc. -- a company which sells a "smart" door lock that's controlled by your cellphone so you can remotely let a delivery person into your house. But that's just one of the weird ways consumers are using technology to try to fight package thieves. An anonymous reader reports: Some online shopping sites will now also text you when one of their packages gets left on your doorstep, according to GeekWire, which reports that for a thousand bucks you can also just buy a lockable iBin parcel-delivery box. But there's also a startup selling an odd new product called Package Guard, "a Frisbee sized, wi-fi-enabled device that alerts a user when a package has been delivered and set on top of it. Package Guard sets off a loud alarm if anyone unauthorized tries to remove the package."

GeekWire details the frustration of one Seattle police detective. "Bach knows the crimes are happening, he knows it all spikes during the holiday season and he knows that the few thieves who are caught are likely to see little if any jail time." (Though Bach admits "We do a wide variety of undercover stings," including a recent operation involving mobile surveillance with a "major delivery company.") One Seattle man even attempted to stop thieves by installing a Ring smart doorbell to film activity on his doorstep, only to discover that this only enabled him to watch helplessly as a thief opened his package, and then successfully stole all of its contents.
Though he yelled at the video "Bring my package back now!" that thief was never caught.
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Can Consumers Fight Package Thieves With Technology? More

Can Consumers Fight Package Thieves With Technology?

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  • to get a PO box, and have all packages shipped to you there. Its 100% secure, nobody but you can get your package. And USPS shipping is usually less expensive than other options.

    The only problems are:

    - many companies have exclusive contracts with shipping carriers that cannot deliver to PO boxes, and
    - many companies refuse to ship to PO boxes even if they do offer USPS shipping, possibly out of obsolete paranoia.

    • Re: The simplest solution would be (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward

      According to my local post office, if you want UPS or FedEx to deliver to a PO Box, just address the package to the street address of the post office with your box as an apartment number, and it will be delivered to you. I've been to scared of losing a package to try this myself though.

      • I've been to scared of losing a package to try this myself though.

        How about mailing yourself a worthless test package?

    • Re:The simplest solution would be (Score:5, Informative)

      by mjwx ( 966435 ) on Monday December 19, 2016 @08:01AM (#53512909)

      to get a PO box, and have all packages shipped to you there. Its 100% secure, nobody but you can get your package. And USPS shipping is usually less expensive than other options.

      The only problems are:

      - many companies have exclusive contracts with shipping carriers that cannot deliver to PO boxes, and - many companies refuse to ship to PO boxes even if they do offer USPS shipping, possibly out of obsolete paranoia.

      This. It is extremely uncommon for a delivery service to leave parcels on doorsteps in England and Australia because someone might pass it and thing "I'll have that".

      In Australia if you cant have someone present for the delivery, you'll have to pick it up from a Distribution Centre or Post Office. In the UK they might leave it with a neighbour.

      Smart door locks are not the solution as they just expose your home to burglary. In fact like the parent poster pointed out, a solution already exists. This kind of thing just screams "solution looking for a problem".

      • In the UK they might leave it with a neighbour.

        The Amazon drivers here (USA) frequently leave my packages with my neighbors. It would be nice if they tried my house first, though.

        It's fair though, as they also frequently leave the neighbors packages at my house.

      • Re:The simplest solution would be (Score:5, Funny)

        by Calydor ( 739835 ) on Monday December 19, 2016 @08:42AM (#53513109)

        In Denmark and Germany they have a foolproof system, the mailman or delivery guy doesn't actuallly have the package in his truck, all he has is a pad of notices all saying "You weren't at home, go get your package at the post office tomorrow!"

        That gets REALLY awkward when you open the front door while the mailman is coming up towards it.

        • We've had that problem sometimes. Where my wife was home the entire day and when she opens the door (to check, not because of a doorbell ring), she sees a "you weren't at home" note. They don't even bother with the courtesy doorbell ring, just a "tag and leave." We haven't had that happen in awhile, though we have plenty of "drop package on front steps and walk off without ringing the doorbell" incidents. Luckily, Amazon sends us text messages when our packages are delivered or they might sit out there for

        • In Italy, they have another solution to avoid carrying packages to houses. During transit, the package gets some very slight damage to the outer packaging. Because of the damage, you have to go to the post office and open it there, so that they can see that the contents were not damaged in transit.

          The postal workers also get to see what is in your package, as they will look over your shoulder while you open it.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by doom ( 14564 )

        many companies have exclusive contracts with shipping carriers that cannot deliver to PO boxes

        Yeah, but if you don't use Amazon, that problem goes away and you help make the world a better place.

        Many companies, huh? There's a remarkable inability to diagnose a problem, if the result requires one to admit y'all fucked up by making some idiotic fad the "new standard"...

      • This happens in the US too. I just missed a shipment from UPS the other day. They hold at the nearest location which in my case is a UPS store two miles up the road. USPS holds it at the post-office. Low-value items can be delivered without a signature. It's not a very profitable criminal enterprise to steal low-value packages!
    • I use street addressing feature and it is very effective. The only thing you have to pay attention to is the length of the address. The safest thing to do is put the street address on one line and the unit number on another line. I only had a problem once when a shipper truncated the address line and the unit number was cut off. The post office did a return to sender and the shipper claims he never got the package back and would not provide a refund.

    • Re:The simplest solution would be (Score:4, Informative)

      by wbr1 ( 2538558 ) on Monday December 19, 2016 @08:49AM (#53513147)
      UPS stores have what are essentially PO Boxes but are not USPS. The mailing address is often an office number at the UPS store location, so 111 any street Ofc 321.

      UPS and USPS will deliver there (not sure for fedex) and it can be used as a business address.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by rwyoder ( 759998 )

        UPS stores have what are essentially PO Boxes but are not USPS. The mailing address is often an office number at the UPS store location, so 111 any street Ofc 321.

        UPS and USPS will deliver there (not sure for fedex) and it can be used as a business address.

        I did this for 10 years.
        *Any* shipper can deliver to them.
        And since the store was only one mile away, it was very convenient.
        I only quit using it when new owners bought the store, promptly doubled the annual fee, then tripled it the following year.

    • PO boxes (Score:4, Informative)

      by sjbe ( 173966 ) on Monday December 19, 2016 @09:03AM (#53513217)

      to get a PO box, and have all packages shipped to you there.

      UPS will not deliver to PO boxes [ups.com] and in fact they cannot by law. Neither can FedEx, DHL, etc. Only the United States Postal Service can deliver to PO boxes. Since most of my deliveries do not come via USPS a PO box is rather useless to me. You can get a similar sort of service through places like UPS stores and they will accept packages from other couriers. Not the post office though.

      And USPS shipping is usually less expensive than other options.

      Not for equivalent service it isn't. USPS is generally more expensive and less convenient if you are paying for a similar level of service. I ship lots of packages and you can save money on postage in some cases through USPS but you generally get what you pay for.

      • Not entirely true. Many post office offer street addressing [usps.gov] as an option for your PO box. All you need to do is sign an agreement for it work. I find a USPS PO box a better option than a private PO box because I like to go to one place to get all my mail and some items cannot be delivered to a private PO box.

        • Many post office offer street addressing as an option for your PO box.

          So instead of simply dropping the prohibition against delivering packages to a PO box, USPS put an additional layer of abstraction on the problem with a quasi-fake street address that points to a post office box. This is why USPS sucks. They rarely do anything the easy or efficient way.

          • Just use the post office (Score:4, Interesting)

            by doom ( 14564 ) <doom@kzsu.stanford.edu> on Monday December 19, 2016 @11:21AM (#53514067) Homepage Journal

            Look, this is getting ridiculous. If you just use the post office for package delivery, you know what happens if they can't deliver it into your hands? It goes back to your local post office, and they hold it for you-- you go by and pick it up whenever convenient. A postal worker is not just going to abandon your package on your doorstep pretending that you live in Mayberry RFD...

            This is the key thing here: UPS sucks. They don't maintain anything like the network of post offices managed by USPS, and instead they like to gamble with the safety of your packages in ways the post office simply won't.

            Blaiming the USPS for being "less efficient" is crazy: they *do more* for you. UPS cuts corners, and the result is a theft problem everyone is looking for slick technical fixes for.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by thomn8r ( 635504 )
      Its 100% secure

      Here in California at least (and I'm sure other states as well) we have a problem with postal employees pilfering certain items before they even get to your door; you'll get your envelope, but the gift cards and money will be gone.

  • And this is why (Score:3)

    by Pollux ( 102520 ) <speter@[ ]ata.net.eg ['ted' in gap]> on Monday December 19, 2016 @07:50AM (#53512871) Journal

    I'm a fan of the USPS.

    They make sure the package gets in your hands. If you're not home, they leave a ticket in your mailbox to pickup the package at the office, which is far less inconvenient then having a package stolen.

    And if it's small enough to fit in a mailbox, sure, someone might take it. But it's a federal offense. [uspis.gov] And it's far less likely to happen when potential thieves can't see what's inside, as opposed to an inviting box sitting on one's doorstep.

    Seriously, why did this even become a thing? Twenty years ago, I remember when a package that came by UPS or Fedex always had to be signed for and was never left on a doorstep.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Bigbutt ( 65939 )

      They have deadlines to get a package to a door and be on their way. That's why sometimes they just leave a sticky on the door even though I'm sitting in the living room watching them scurry up, stick it to the door, and be gone before I can get to the door. They're behind schedule.

      [John]

    • USPS sucks at packages (Score:4, Informative)

      by sjbe ( 173966 ) on Monday December 19, 2016 @08:38AM (#53513087)

      I'm a fan of the USPS.

      Evidently you haven't had to deal with them as much as I have. USPS is clumsy and inefficient. Their workers don't work quickly and shipping anything through them is a pain in the ass. Shipping packages through USPS is generally more expensive for equivalent service to UPS or FedEx. USPS "tracking service" is generally utterly useless. It tells you that it's been shipped and that it's been delivered and nothing in between most of the time. USPS does a fine job with letters but they are the only ones allowed to handle those so it's not like there is any alternative unless you want to hire an expensive private courier.

      They make sure the package gets in your hands.

      Only if you pay them extra to do so, no different from UPS or FedEx. Ship something without requiring the recipient to sign for delivery and they will not take special measures to get it to you and only you.

      If you're not home, they leave a ticket in your mailbox to pickup the package at the office, which is far less inconvenient then having a package stolen.

      UPS and FedEx do the same thing provided you pay them to do so. Just like USPS. And speaking solely for myself, I find having to make a special trip to the post office to be a colossally bad use of my time. It's inconvenient and the postal workers at the counter take FOREVER to do anything. It's typically a half hour trip every time I go and sometimes worse. Furthermore you can have UPS or FedEx hold packages at their depot in exactly the same way if doing so makes sense.

      And if it's small enough to fit in a mailbox, sure, someone might take it. But it's a federal offense.

      "Might"? Theft from mailboxes happens all the time. It's illegal to steal a package even if it isn't in a mailbox so I'm not sure why you think thieves give a shit just because the post office is involved. I've had packages I've shipped stolen right off the back of the truck long before they even got to their destination both via UPS and via USPS.

      Twenty years ago, I remember when a package that came by UPS or Fedex always had to be signed for and was never left on a doorstep.

      Bullshit. I was shipping packages by the thousands (literally) twenty years ago and it was no different then than it is now. You can pay UPS and FedEx extra to require a signature to deliver the package or you can just tell them to drop it off and save the extra cash. Same with insuring the package. You pay them if you want the extra handling. Some areas they will not deliver to without a signature but that is not widely true and hasn't ever been true for all packages as far as I know.

      • Evidently you haven't had to deal with them as much as I have. USPS is clumsy and inefficient. Their workers don't work quickly and shipping anything through them is a pain in the ass. Shipping packages through USPS is generally more expensive for equivalent service to UPS or FedEx. USPS "tracking service" is generally utterly useless. It tells you that it's been shipped and that it's been delivered and nothing in between most of the time. USPS does a fine job with letters but they are the only ones allowed to handle those so it's not like there is any alternative unless you want to hire an expensive private courier.

        Anecdote time!

        My wife ships a lot of packages for her business. She recently sent a small package USPS from Chicago to Southern Indiana. She was able to track the package online, but only when the package arrived at a USPS facility. UPS and FedEX scan the packages when they arrive and depart any facility. The package was scanned at Evansville, Indiana, and then in Anchorage, Alaska! That is way out of the way! Frustrated, my wife looked into sending a new package UPS. For a package USPS chared $3 f

      • Evidently you haven't had to deal with them as much as I have. USPS is clumsy and inefficient. Their workers don't work quickly and shipping anything through them is a pain in the ass.

        The mailman who does my route has come up with a unique way to be lazy. If I get a package, certified letter, anything that needs my signature, he simply doesn't deliver it. The day before the USPS is scheduled to return the package to the sender (about two weeks), I get a slip in my mail saying the first delivery attempt w

      • Theft off of the back of the truck seems way more profitable. You get a lot of packages at once. Plus if you know where the truck is coming from, you can predict whether you're stealing something of value. If it comes from the toilet paper factory, you won't rob it. If it's an electronics distributor, you have dollar signs in your eyes. Well if you are a thief you do.

    • Re:And this is why (Score:4, Interesting)

      by JeffOwl ( 2858633 ) on Monday December 19, 2016 @08:49AM (#53513149)
      USPS left a card in my mailbox for me to fill out with delivery preferences like : only leave with a person, leave on the porch, leave with X neighbor, hold at the office,

    • I think, more generally speaking, driver release is the problem.

      I used to drive for UPS and we had specific rules about where we were allowed to driver release and where we needed to get a signature.

      The rules used to be:

      1. Air packages (Next day, next day AM, 2nd day and 3 day select) were not driver releasable ever
      2. Commercial buildings were not driver releasable (including apt buildings)
      3. Residences were driver releasable (unless the customer specifically indicated otherwise in the handling notes) but a

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by doom ( 14564 )

      Pollux wrote:

      I'm a fan of the USPS.

      Yup. They do their best to get it into your hands-- they don't just abandon it outside and hope for the best-- and if they miss you, you get the package at a convenient post office located nearby, and they have a lot of them (yes, "brick and mortar", how pass).

      This whole issue reminds me of the recurrent claims that some latest fad technology is so much more faster than an RDBMS-- they're "faster" because they're not doing as much for you, but there's reasons RDBMS d

  • Do like them thar foreigners (Score:5, Informative)

    by coofercat ( 719737 ) on Monday December 19, 2016 @08:02AM (#53512915) Homepage Journal

    Easy: don't let distance retailers leave parcels on your doorstep!

    Here in the UK, if a parcel is on your doorstep and gets stolen, it's still the retailers responsibility. Also, many large employers will let you receive parcels at your place of work, so they're received by a human into a secure building. Your neighbours can do the same thing for you if you have some you talk to (and are home when you're not). Larger apartment blocks have a conceirge. Most places I've ever worked at least have let me work at home for a day to receive deliveries. Amazon have 'Amazon Lockers' (as do a few others), and some other retailers have small shop fronts at stations and whatnot where you can 'click and collect'. I'm not sure if it died off due to disuse, but there used to be a chain called 'doddle' (funded by our rail companies of all things) that did collection and delivery services. Then my least favourite, but occasionally used option: saturday delivery. If all else fails, most couriers here will take the parcel back to their base (which is invariably a bit of a distance away) so you can pick it up from there.

    Honestly, this isn't that hard.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      You can also get locking delivery boxes. They are basically large mailboxes that packages can fit into, which auto lock once the package is deposited so it can't be removed by anyone but the owner. The Panasonic ones have a time-coded barcode that the delivery person can scan in lieu of a signature too.

      Every place I have ever worked allowed packages to be delivered there though.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by mlts ( 1038732 )

        This is probably the best solution out there.

        I wish someone could invent a lock mechanism that would have two parts. A standardized lever key (or a HID style keyfob) for the delivery people (so only one key is needed for all mailboxes), and a unique key or code for the individual. Or, perhaps a system like a KNOX box, where a key to the storage bin is kept in lock box that only the delivery person has access to.

    • What would be nice would be an option to have the parcel delivered to a local shop and then pick up from there. The shop should be more than happy because you'll probably buy something whilst you are picking up your parcel anyway.

      • UPS do exactly this here (as do some others, actually) - they signed up a bunch of small corner-shop type places and you can go there to pick up your parcel.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Okind ( 556066 )

      Here in the UK, if a parcel is on your doorstep and gets stolen, it's still the retailers responsibility.

      This is the law in The Netherlands as well. In fact, in The Netherlands the sender/retailer is responsible (and liable) for delivery to you. If you don't receive the parcel, it has not been delivered. This includes stops in between like a parcel service, but also your neighbours! If the parcel service looses your parcel, or if the neighbour decides to give it to a nephew, the parcel has not been delivered to you and the sender/retailer is liable for the loss.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by sjbe ( 173966 )

      Also, many large employers will let you receive parcels at your place of work, so they're received by a human into a secure building.

      So do many small ones. I have most of my packages delivered to me at work because my driveway is basically impossible for a delivery truck to traverse in bad weather plus they tend to leave packages out in the weather by my garage instead of on my covered porch. Most employers are pretty cool about this sort of thing if you ask. Obviously not an option for everyone but it can be a good alternative.

    • My recent Amazon deliver resulted in a $1200 (exchange rate equivalent) TV being left in a shop 6 miles away.

      I knew it was on its way from the Amazon tracking, but the lovely deliver person at S**R just dropped it where it was convenient and headed on his (or her) way. I got a call from the shopkeeper who found my phone number on the label stuck to the manufacturer's carton, that said exactly what it was. Luckily, he was honest and let me know or he could have had a very nice christmas present.

      Even now,

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by pr0t0 ( 216378 )

      Unfortunately, most of your solutions are regional and/or situational.

      Here in the UK, if a parcel is on your doorstep and gets stolen, it's still the retailers responsibility.
      Here in the United States, it is not.

      many large employers will let you receive parcels at your place of work
      Some do, and some do not.

      Your neighbours can do the same thing for you
      So, you actually know your neighbors and... talk to them? I've actually never seen my neighbors. I assume someone lives there though.

      Larger apartment blocks ha

      • Your first point is the crux of the issue - fix that, and the rest really is easy. I can receive a parcel in about a dozen different ways, none of which involve leaving it on the doorstep (although we have low crime here, so I'm happy for them to do that with most deliveries).

        As for your neighbours - I can sympathise, as it's much the same in London. I used to live in Brixton (not known for it's safety and low crime!) but knew a few of the neighbours by site - I wasn't going to invite them over for a drink,

        • The Crux of the issue is that Thieving is considered "petty" crime, and isn't really prosecuted. The thieves know that the chances of getting caught are slim to none. And even if caught, the penalty is just a blip on the clock and then they are back at it again 30 seconds after they get off. The worst part is, that even if you catch them in the act, there is little a citizen can do to stop them without being in more trouble than the original thieving.

          Change the view, change the punishment, change the nature

    • Since we seem to be going around in circles a bit here, I'll reply to my own post...

      Making it the retailers problem until it reaches *your* hands means retailers are motivated to provide ways to get the parcel delivered and via good couriers who aren't likely to do stupid things (like leave parcels in plain site in bad neighbourhoods). It seems the US is somewhat alone in this regards - most European (and maybe elsewhere) countries seem to do something like this. To demonstrate how the invisible hand of the

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Jaime2 ( 824950 )

      Honestly, this isn't that hard.

      Apparently, it is. I used to work at a warehouse that shipped Class 2 Pharmaceuticals (Hydrocode, Xanax, etc...). We sent all of them "Addressee Signature Required". For packages sent to California, we were required to keep records of the proof of delivery receipts, so we got a chance to look at a lot of them. A good ten percent either said stuff like "left with girl", or had no signature at all.

  • Ring (Score:3)

    by 110010001000 ( 697113 ) on Monday December 19, 2016 @08:09AM (#53512945) Homepage Journal
    Maybe that guy should have bought the Ring 2.0 that shoots lasers at the thieves.

  • Solutions available in this country : (Score:5, Interesting)

    by RockDoctor ( 15477 ) on Monday December 19, 2016 @08:22AM (#53512987) Journal

    - Various "locker" countries. Lockers at many locations, often post offices, petrol stations, 24-hour shops. After selecting a bank of lockers which is convenient (e.g. on your way home to/from work), the delivery driver gets the location and a code for sealing the locker ; the recipient gets a code for opening the locker ; the shop keeper/ station manager etc has nothing to do unless there's a dispute, but they get a rental fee. PROBLEM : multiple companies. NEAREST to me : 2 locations in my city of < 10000 people.

    - At least one "warehouse chain" (no store as such, just a warehouse ; you select from the catalogue or online, pay, and the goods are brought to you at front-of-warehouse) leverage their existing delivery network for people to collect goods from their chosen store. PROBLEM : limited number of stores. NEAREST : six miles from me, but I'm often there anyway. Another one 10 miles away in a different direction..

    - Locker by front door : bolt a weatherproof locker by your front door. Close it with a programmable combination lock. Set code on lock, send code to delivery company, lock locker, put paper seal on locker. When you get home, unlock locker, inspect goods. Reverse works for collecting returns. Change lock code for next delivery. PROBLEM : might be too small, might be ugly, these are your problems. NEAREST : I've made these temporarily - metal locker secured by chain through letter box.

    But to be honest, the "card through the door and collect item from post office" generally works fine for me.

    This is not a problem that really need sophisticated technology. Just a little of that rarest of commodities - common sense.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by gatkinso ( 15975 )

      No need for a programmable combo lock. The locker could simply have a door like a public mail box in the US.

      Not fool proof - but good enough.

      • I don't know what a public door mailbox looks like in the US. But I do know that I have one of those post office cards on the hall table at this very moment, with the box for "too large for your letter box" ticked. Which is the common problem.

        What I used when I needed it was a box like this [alamy.com], with a padlock hasp welded to one of the latches, and a length of (welded-link) chain threaded through the carrying handle, both chain ends through my letter box, then the chain ends padlocked through a bike-frame in t

  • Typically if I'm ordering something online, I will try to mandate that it ship via UPS or FedEx so I can obtain the tracking number. ( If necessary, I'll use the more expensive Next and 2nd Day Air options to ensure one of those two carriers are utilized ) Once I know what day the package is going to arrive, I will either telecommute or flat take the day off to ensure I take possession of the package the moment it arrives.

    If the package is trivial ( read that not expensive ) then I may not bother with it.

    • It sounds like you hold an office job. Why can't you just have your stuff shipped there? That's what I, and all my coworkers, do.

  • A US mail box with its trapdoor drop.

    A simple system that is good enough.

    Won't accept large packages - but this is a limitation of any locker type system.

  • Rather than wait for your packages to be delivered then stolen, start early. Say around October. Put your own package on the front step when you leave for the day.

    Inside you can fill it with dog shit or dirty diapers.

    The first time a thief takes it they'll probably think better of stopping by a second time.

    Which leads to the next step. Since that thief probably won't try again you can either rinse and repeat for the next thief or go to the next level and rig a fake package to shoot out pepper spray when o

  • Unless you look at the totals.

    According to what I'm sure was a rigorous study by the company wanting you to buy their widget US homeowners receive on average 27 packages per year and of those nearly 11 million are stolen. The Great Omniscient Optimal Guessing Library Engine says there are 86 Million homeowners which gives 2.3 Billion packages per year

    So the theft rate is about .5%. So the average home owner would see one theft per 8 years (assuming homogenized thieves).

  • Shopping locally doesn't have this particular problem.

  • You can't apply a technological fix to a human problem, especially if the human is an idiot.

  • I live in the EU.

    Whenever I make an online purchase,
    - I receive an SMS from the courier company with the delivery date and approximate time.
    - Then I get a phone call from the courier to confirm the delivery time and place, reschedule if needed.
    - I then receive the package and have to sign for delivery. Until I sign it off, there was no delivery.
    - Oh, and most retailers accept cash on delivery, so there's an extra incentive for them, as for couriers, to deliver packages successfully.

    Leaving packages on doors

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ledow ( 319597 )

      I live in the UK.

      Despite all of the same above infrastructure, often they just throw it in your porch, out front, over the fence or behind a recycling bin, sign for it themselves and then you have hell of a time claiming for anything lost (often, retailers just absorb the cost and send you another as it's hardly worth claiming for most things).

      However, nobody accepts cash on delivery as the drivers just get robbed instead.

      More often than not, however, they deliver it to a random neighbour and put a card thr

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by niks42 ( 768188 )
        I have a particular delivery company that puts packages IN the recycling bin. Not always the brightest move, especially on Mondays when the bin collection happens.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by guruevi ( 827432 )

      I used to live in the EU - shipping is also 5-10x more expensive for shorter distances than the US. You can get a package delivered for ~$5 anywhere in the US, the same package delivered across Belgium costs $25

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by radish ( 98371 )

      That sounds incredibly inconvenient. SMS & phone call & have to be home?

      I live in the US, I get multiple packages a week delivered from all the major shippers. Unless the item is explicitly marked as "requires signature" (maybe 1 in 100) it gets left on the doorstep. Never had a single thing go missing in 10 years. Plus, 90% of what I get is from Amazon and their customer service is so good I'm 100% sure they'd fix it if something did go AWOL.

      If I did have a crime problem here I'd install a secure d

  • If something is high dollar, I have it sent to my office. Otherwise, it can be left at my door. In 20 years I haven't had a problem, so I'm not going to change my system.

    Plus, really, Amazon can have a replacement to me in a couple of days worst case.

  • I'm able to have everything delivered at my office. Safer that way.
  • Is renting a post office box. UPS, FedEx and other carriers can ship to PO box.

  • ... when you order an item that was being shipped to your home, the delivery person rang the bell or knocked on the door. You then signed something that showed that you'd received it, and you took your package inside. Some shippers still do this. In fact, I have signed for two packages in recent weeks. If I'm not home, a note is stuck on my front door telling me that I missed the delivery and that they'll be back tomorrow. Or I can drive over to the depot, sign for the package, and bring it home.

    I'm sure

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Every nonzero finite dimensional inner product space has an orthonormal basis. It makes sense, when you don't think about it.

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