No more stolen packages

Did you know that one in five Americans were victims of package theft between March and May 2020 alone? By the end of the year, the total estimated worth of stolen packages in the U.S. amounted to billions of dollars. Around 5 million packages were stolen in the U.K. in 2020. Similar statistics exist all over the world.

When you order items from the U.S. through an international package forwarding service like Shipito, you might think that you don’t have to worry about package thieves. But don’t count these criminals out just yet.

Criminals can get their hands on your package at any point during the fulfillment process. However, they most commonly steal packages directly from your porch. This tactic is effective since most people are not home when packages are usually delivered.

With the right strategy, however, you can prevent these criminals from grabbing your packages before you get the chance to bring them inside your home. Here are a few tips to prevent your packages from being stolen:

Ship to Your Workplace Address

Do you spend most of your time outside the house? Perhaps you’re at work for most of the day when couriers are typically delivering packages. If that’s the case, you might want to have your package shipped to your work address to keep it off your porch.

Be sure to confirm if the company you work for allows its workers to receive personal packages. If so, consider your work address instead of your home address when ordering online. This way, you can avoid package thieves altogether. You’ll be at your workplace for most of the day, so you have better chances of receiving your package.

Ask a Neighbor to Receive Your Delivery

Some companies may not allow their workers to receive deliveries in their workplace. In this case, consider asking a neighbor or friend who usually stays at home during the day to keep an eye out for your packages.

Be sure you coordinate with the shipping company and online trackers to know when your packages are set to be delivered. Let your neighbor know when you are expecting a delivery, that way they can collect the packages and contact you whenever they arrive.

Require a Signature Upon Delivery

Not requiring a signature for your package upon delivery is opening yourself up to package theft. Leaving things out in the open for hours at a time when you’re clearly not home makes you an easy target. At that point, you might as well hand your packages over to thieves.

This is why you should always require a signature on delivery, whenever possible. If you know that someone at your address signs to receive the delivery, you can be sure that your packaged will be well-taken care of.

Some delivery services may still try to deliver your package when you aren’t home. To avoid inconveniencing the courier and causing yourself a headache, we refer back to the previous tip of having a neighbor sign to receive your package. This will help make everyone’s lives easier.

Update Your Delivery Preferences

Many couriers these days allow you to change your delivery preferences while your package is being delivered. For example, if you suddenly need to go out of town or leave your home for any other reason, you could set the package to deliver to a different address. Some couriers also offer vacation holds, where they’ll keep your package safe for you until you’re home.

Of course, you should keep in mind that changing these preferences will most likely change your delivery date, but it will be worth the wait if it means your package is safe and secure

Track Your Package

When ordering online, you typically have the option to sign up for delivery alerts. These notifications keep you updated on the estimated time of arrival and when the packages are delivered.

You can rest assured that reliable couriers offer delivery tracking services with accurate shipping information because they value their customers. Be sure to track updates on your package to know where it is. Be aware that during busy shipping seasons, like the holidays, it is common to have shipping and tracking delays.

Request Plain Boxes

Certain brand logos really stand out and can catch the eye of opportunistic thieves. Popular stores might give you an option for your package to arrive in a plain box. Consider opting for this more discreet shipping option if you’re ordering from these stores. This way, people will have no way of identifying what’s inside the box, thus making it less likely to be stolen.

Join Your Local Community Group

See if your neighborhood has a social media group you can join. Maybe there’s a local Facebook group where you connect with your neighbors. Your local community might be using the Nextdoor app to get tips, post important alerts/updates, or buy and sell items.

You could use these platforms to help each other watch out for package thieves in your area. People can report suspicious activities in their area, which will warn residents near those places to take extra care of their packages.

Clear Your Porch

Be sure your porch is clean, so package thieves have no place to hide when they attempt to steal your package. Some thieves might be smart enough to avoid porches where they’re visible. So, they’re less likely to risk going up to take your package from your porch when no one’s around to claim it.

Another thing to remember is to make sure your porch looks well-trafficked. If potential thieves know that people are always coming in and out of the front door, it makes it more difficult for them to find the right opportunity to grab a recent delivery.

Your neighbors will also have a good view of a thief when you keep your porch clear. They can immediately report them to local authorities to discourage future thefts.

Get Porch Lights

These handy devices alert burglars to your presence, making them less likely to continue their porch piracy if they think you’re home. Consider getting automatic light timers that go off at specific times of the day, or motion sensor lights that light up when someone goes up to your porch. These lights can also help let your neighbors know if there’s some suspicious activity going on near your home.

Porch lights are low-cost investments that improve your home’s overall security, especially at night. Thieves don't want to be seen. Lighting up as much of the outside of your home as possible is a great overall deterrent. These lights can also serve as guides to help you find your house when you’re coming home at night and help you find your way around your property without stumbling.

Install Home Security Systems

Along with getting lights, you should also consider investing in some sort of home security system. You might notice how some stores have signs that announce they have security cameras in place to prevent theft. You could have the same protection for your home to help discourage thieves from stealing your packages.

Consider placing security cameras that can capture a clear image of your porch and the faces of potential culprits. Or you could install video doorbells, like Ring, so you know exactly who’s at your door taking your package. When you expect couriers to drop packages on your doorstep, you’ll want to equip that area with as much security as possible.

Nowadays, these kinds of systems and devices have mobile apps that will alert you if there is movement in front of the door or by a sensor. This can help you know when a theft is in progress and can thwart it right away.

Lock It Up

Another security option that has been gaining popularity recently are package delivery boxes . These lock boxes sit on your front porch and provide a secure place for the courier to store your delivered packages. Simply unlock the box through the smartphone app or supply the courier with the pin number to the box.

Package delivery boxes help prevent theft by hiding taking the packages out of plain sight and locking them away until you can receive them. Such precautions keep you informed about your package, lets you know when things are delivered, and provides a secure option for package delivery.

Conclusão

Considering how many packages are stolen each year, you need to have all the right strategies in place to prevent theft. Working with a reputable international parcel forwarding service, like Shipito, allows you to protect your packages throughout the shipping process. Sign up today and start shipping packages to over 220 countries and save over 80% on shipping costs. Whether you’re an avid online shopper or buying a gift for a loved one, you want to make sure each package arrives safely in your hands.