Online shopping has made the holiday season infinitely easier. Rather than struggling to find a parking spot at a crowded mall and hoping the perfect gift is still in stock, you can simply place an order online and wait for the gift to arrive—but what if it doesn’t? Holiday package theft is a growing problem. Don’t let a thief make away with your family’s gifts this year. Here’s how to stop holiday package theft this season.
Unfortunately, it’s not just the Grinch who stole Christmas. According to a survey conducted by Shorr, 31% of Americans have been the victim of package theft on at least one occasion. With the influx of deliveries over the holiday season, the risk becomes even greater.
Criminals are even more active during the holidays, driving through neighborhoods to look for packages that have been left unprotected. It can be an easy crime, which is why this problem has become so significant in recent years.
So, do you have to just cross your fingers and hope that a thief doesn’t take your deliveries this season? Absolutely not! There are several ways you can prevent package theft from putting a damper on the holidays. Let’s take a look at some of your best options:
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Many of the options to stop holiday package theft are deterrents rather than surefire preventative solution. One of the only sure ways to keep your packages safe is to put them under lock and key. Placing a secure package lockbox, like PARCELBIN, on your porch can make it easy for delivery drivers to drop off your packages while preventing would-be thieves from seeing or accessing your packages.
Note that a lockbox will only be a good solution if you select a high-quality, durable model such as the PARCELBIN.
Another option to thwart porch pirates is to simply have your packages sent somewhere else. As an alternative to shipping packages to your home, you could have them sent to your office, as long as your employer doesn’t mind. Since deliveries are typically made during business hours, the package will be brought inside, and you can take it home at your convenience.
Another option is to send the package to a locker or P.O. box. As porch piracy has become a bigger and bigger issue, some companies like Amazon are offering the option of sending packages to secure locations where you can stop by and pick them up using a code. If you know that you won’t be home when a package is likely to arrive, avoid the worry and just have it shipped somewhere else.
Bringing the neighborhood together is a good way to fight back against this frustrating issue. Most likely, at least one or two of your neighbors will be home during the day. There might be some stay-at-home parents in the area, or a few people who are retired. Just by making a neighbor aware of an upcoming delivery, that individual may be able to keep an eye out and bring the package inside after the delivery truck rolls through.
Generally speaking, thieves don’t want to go poking around on a porch unless they know that there is a package waiting to be stolen. If you use creative landscaping like a couple of carefully placed bushes or flower pots, it might not be possible for thieves to see the packages from the street. With the boxes out of sight, a criminal may decide to just keep driving in search of an easier target.
During the holiday season, daylight hours are limited, and the sun goes down relatively early in the evening. That means packages may be sitting in the dark on your porch before you get home. This is an ideal situation for a thief, as walking up to a dark house means it will be hard for anyone to see what’s going on.
The solution here is simple. Add lighting to your porch and keep those lights on. Even just a couple of LED bulbs will shine a bright light on your porch and make it far less attractive for anyone thinking about nabbing a delivery.
If you add a security camera or two to the area around your porch, criminals might think twice about having their actions caught on camera. You can even opt for models that will notify you when there is motion on your porch, allowing you to see what’s going on in real-time. It’s important to remember, however, that cameras can’t actually prevent a theft—and a criminal could easily wear a mask to hide their face.
Instead of relying on deterrents, get a solution that can actually prevent theft this holiday season.
Don’t let porch pirates rob you of holiday cheer. By taking some simple steps, you can keep these criminals at bay and enjoy the holidays with your family and friends. To stop package theft this holiday season and year-round, order a PARCELBIN today. Our durable and stylish package lockbox will keep your deliveries safe until you return home to retrieve them. Thanks for visiting, and happy holidays!
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.
