The convenience of ordering from Amazon is incredible. The site has just about anything you could imagine for sale, and items can be shipped directly to your door. With that said, the process of having packages delivered to your home is not perfect. There is a threat of theft that often hangs over a delivery, especially if you are not going to be home to receive the package. In this post, we’ll cover what to do if someone has stolen your Amazon package as well as potential solutions to help you prevent future theft.
According to a survey conducted by Shorr, 31% of responders had been the victim of package theft on at least one occasion. Nearly one-third of people are personally familiar with this issue. These numbers can be even higher in dense metro areas like New York, Seattle, San Francisco, etc.—but “porch pirates” are increasingly targeting suburban homes as well. Thieves are finding it easy to roll through neighborhoods and nab packages that are left in the open with little consequences (unless you count the occasional glitter bomb).
Check out our blog post on Package Theft Statistics for some more figures about this growing issue.
Ideally, you will be able to take steps to avoid theft in the first place. We’ll get to that idea in a bit, but first let’s discuss what you can do if someone stole your Amazon package.
If someone has already made off with one or more packages that were left on your porch, follow these steps:
If a package has been marked as “delivered” but it isn’t on your front porch, you will probably assume that is has been stolen. That very well may be the case, but you should dig a little deeper to confirm. Start by contacting the delivery carrier to inquire about the location of your package. Check your order for a tracking number and contact the appropriate delivery company.
It’s possible that your package was actually left in the truck, or back at the warehouse, and is still in their possession. Take this step first, as it is the easiest resolution if it turns out that no theft actually occurred.
As you may know, many of the items you purchase on Amazon are actually sold by third-party retailers using the Amazon platform. So, if you have determined that a theft actually took place, contact the seller to ask about either a replacement or a refund. The results of this option will vary from seller to seller. Note that sellers are not required to replace a stolen package, but some may choose to do so in certain cases.
There is a program available through Amazon known as the A-to-Z Guarantee. If you are unable to get a resolution from your seller, consider filing a claim through this program. There is generally coverage provided here up to $2,500, so there’s a good chance that this is as far as you’ll need to go to settle the matter.
Note that Amazon will often require you to contact the seller first and attempt to resolve through them. The A-Z Guarantee is also only for items purchased through a third-party seller on the site. For items purchased directly from Amazon, Amazon suggests that you contact their customer service department for assistance.
If a third-party seller does not offer a refund or your Amazon claim is not accepted, you might want to turn to your credit card for help. Depending on the card you used to make the purchase, you might have some form of purchase protection. The process that you will need to go through varies from card to card, so check into the specifics by contacting your card company right away. Many card companies, however, will have some way of cancelling a payment due to theft.
It can be a hassle to request a refund or a replacement item. However, if you see it through and provide the necessary documentation, chances are good that you won’t have to bear the loss when all is said and done.
PARCELBIN Package Lock Box
Rather than having to respond after a theft has taken place, the far better option is simply to prevent theft from occurring at all. That might not sound easy, but it is more achievable than you may think. With a little planning and forward thinking, you can give the thieves very little chance to nab your hard-earned items.
Consider the following ideas to steer clear of package theft:
If possible, you can place your orders at such a time that the delivery should occur when you are home to accept the package. For instance, if you are using two-day shipping from Amazon, you can order two days ahead of a time when you know you’ll be home. A thief can’t grab the package off your porch if you are there to take it directly from the delivery person when it arrives. The only downside to this solution is that you will have to ensure you are present, which can be difficult if you have a busy schedule.
Not going to be home and don’t want to risk having your package stolen? Consider having your order sent to your place of work, instead. Not all employers will be okay with this plan, of course, so you should probably check in advance to see if this is something that is allowed around your office. Also, don’t forget that the item will then need to travel home with you—so big orders that might not fit in your car would not be a good candidate for this strategy.
Another great option to prevent porch piracy is to add a lock box to your porch. Your lock box can receive packages for you while you are away and keep them secure from potential thieves in a way that no other solution can. Of course, you will want to purchase a quality product that looks nice in front of your home and can’t be easily tampered with. That’s where the PARCELBIN comes in…
If you would like to order from Amazon or other online sources without worrying about theft, consider a PARCELBIN package lock box. With a PARCELBIN in place, the delivery person will have a secure location to leave the package at any time of day. Then, you can simply retrieve the package from the bin when you arrive home.
Between the protection from thieves and inclement weather, this is a gorgeous lock box that you will be happy to have on your side.
Porch piracy is at an all-time high, with 76% of Americans reporting package theft in 2022. Learn more about our package locker options to secure your packages and make online deliveries almost as easy as online shopping.
