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 "I could see somebody come into the picture, take a couple of UPS
packages and run away," he said.
Within seconds, Harris, 53, owner of a software company, alerted
neighbors and contacted police. He also called UPS and the
merchants. Because Harris was able to attach the video of the theft
to his claim, he had no trouble getting a refund.
This is the new age of combating thieves who steal packages from
doorsteps, a growing problem as more Americans shop online. The old
stand-by solutions, paying extra for signature delivery, sending
packages to the office or getting a post-office box, are meeting
their technological match.
Some 23 million people said they have had packages stolen from their
homes before they could open them, according to a new survey from
insuranceQuotes.com, a division of Bankrate Inc.
But the problem goes beyond theft to the mere inconvenience of
waiting for a package to be redelivered. Of the more 6 billion
packages shipped yearly, up to 40 percent miss their first delivery
window, said Neel Murthy, co-founder of Swapbox (https://www.swapbox.com/),
a locker-type system for alternative package delivery.
Here are some of the new ways to make sure you get what is coming to
you this holiday season:
1. Webcam security
There are a myriad of webcams on the market, including Nest Cam
(https://nest.com/), Piper (https://getpiper.com/) and Canary
(http://canary.is/), which all cost around $200. Other apps can turn
a mobile device into a security system, like Perch (https://perch.co/).
Cloud-based video storage can run about $100 per year.
Any of these could provide the proof to substantiate a theft.
Otherwise, you are left to follow the steps for filing a claim with
the merchant; some are easier than others. Your credit card may
provide additional coverage.
When Raymond Pelayo and his wife had five packages stolen last week
in Norwalk, California, several of them were easy Amazon refunds,
but they were told one specially made dog birthday cake ordered
through Etsy was not eligible for a refund. They called their credit
card company, provided video proof of the theft from their Kuna
(https://www.getkuna.com/) webcam, and their issuer took care of the
charge.
"Make sure you understand the terms and conditions. You do have
recourse," said Miranda Marquit, a financial journalist (http://plantingmoneyseeds.com/),
who had a $307 Lego Death Star go missing a few holidays ago and was
able to get a refund from eBay after getting proof from the shipper
that it was misdelivered.
2. Virtual neighborhood watch
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If you are not on a first-name basis with all your neighbors,
technology has a solution for that, too.
Veronica Clyburn, a 28-year-old graduate student in Tulsa, Oklahoma,
posted about a missing package in early November on Nextdoor
(https://nextdoor.com/), a message board app which connects more
than 83,000 neighborhoods across the United States. A neighbor saw
that and told her he had found the empty box nearby, which was
enough proof of theft to easily get her a refund.
Nextdoor, which has about 11 million messages posted every day, said
that it has already seen a 36 percent rise in conversations about
package theft this holiday season.
3. Smart mailboxes
Frequent online shoppers may also want to look into a digital
lock-box. One example: the uCella, which just launched a
crowdfunding campaign (http://bit.ly/1QOQeeZ) for a wi-fi-equipped
expandable mailbox for $129.
Co-founder Shuai Jiang said he came up with the idea when he was
stuck behind a self-driving Google car on his way to a post office
in San Francisco to pick up a package. "I thought, if the cars can
drive themselves, why do we still not have a reliable way of getting
our packages?" he said.
4. Concierge services
With today's advanced package tracking, consumers can get pretty
close to knowing when their packages will arrive. For an extra $40
per year, UPS My Choice (https://www.ups.com/mychoice/) allows you
to redirect a package at will.
Other services, like doorman.co (not .com), will take in your
packages and set up an alternative delivery for $4 per package.
(Editing by Lauren Young and David Gregorio)
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