Battling Porch Pirates ...

[mr_lincoln]

... saw on the news tonight one city is putting GPS trackers inside packages and tracking Porch Pirates back to their lair homes! 

[gwzcomps]

Things were better when criminals had less rights than hard working honest people.

[turquoisetulips]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

... saw on the news tonight one city is putting GPS trackers inside packages and tracking Porch Pirates back to their lair homes! 

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Good idea !  Crooks may give stealing  a  second thought  if they think  they may be leaving a trail of breadcrumbs . We seen a story on the news  about this problem as well . A lady put her cats used litter  in a wrapped box on her porch  and sure enough it was stolen . LOL . Tulips

[turquoisetulips]

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@gwzcomps wrote:
Things were better when criminals had less rights than hard working honest people. gwzcomps 

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Of course most people  would agree with that . However  I doubt it will take too long  before the minority of  teary eyed  come out of the woodwork complaining about entrapment  or some other nonsense .  And the worst part is  they usually get their way .  Tulips 

[lex-talon]

That's a good idea, especially in cities where porch pirates run rampant. I've been fortunate to have never had a package stolen off my porch. Even with porch cameras, it might not be enough to deter thieves.

[mr_lincoln]

@turquoisetulips   Yep, "deterrence" is an effective tool ...

[mr_lincoln]

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@lex-talon wrote:

That's a good idea, especially in cities where porch pirates run rampant. I've been fortunate to have never had a package stolen off my porch. Even with porch cameras, it might not be enough to deter thieves.

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Exactly, effective deterrence is a good tool ...

[richard1rst]

How about some positive ideas (And, yes, I know that some of these will not work for some people - but for those they will work for - give it a thought)

UPS/FedEx offer options to have packages delivered to a safe location. I am aware that some people do not live close to the FedEx or UPS OFFICE. However, in my town there are FedEx stations in Wal-Mart, Walgreen and Kinkos that I know off - maybe more. There is a UPS station at Office Depot. And, as retail locations, they are open late for the benefit of those who work during the day. In other words, I do not have to go to the FedEx or UPS OFFICE but merely to a FedEx or UPS drop off point.

There are “lock box” delivery stations available. There is a drop chute to put the box into but the package can only be retrieved by opening the lid with a key. They are heavy enough that only a brute can lift it. Or you could bolt it down. There are even some designed to fit into an exterior wall so you can retrieve the package from inside the house.

Do you have a neighbor who is home all day? Maybe an arrangement can be made that packages are delivered to them for safekeeping until you get home instead of just leaving them on your porch. Of course, you will owe them a favor (free babysitting? home baked pies? whatever)

USPS - rent a P O Box and pick up your packages at the port office. Or, for those who may not live close to post office or be available when the post office is open consider this next idea.

Are you an entrepreneur looking for some extra income? If you already own a brick and mortar store or if you are willing to rent a small storefront you can offer that as a drop off point. Doesn’t have to be anything big or fancy. Consider that for UPS and FedEx it now becomes a commercial delivery address thereby eliminating the additional residential fee that UPS and FedEx charge. So you can charge them a fee equal to what the residential fee would have been and it doesn’t cost them any extra, Sort of, to them, a free service. But you make some money in the process to cover the rent. And you can also accept USPS for those who can not make it to the post office. Obviously you will need enough subscribers to make it worth while - but isn’t the fun of being a creative entrepreneur?

There is an adage in business: If you would be a success in this world find a need and fill it.

And again, yes I know that some of these ideas may not work for some people. But I believe that some of them will work for others. So don’t be too quick to dismiss an idea out of hand just because YOU can not use it.

[mr_lincoln]

@richard1rst   Good post, some good ideas there ... here are some more

1. Signature required by the carriers this time of year for FREE (the downside, increased package volume would slow the whole delivery process down ... significantly)

2. Just remember, "ugly" boxes don't get stolen! 

3. Message the Buyer ahead of time that you will be putting BIOHAZARD labels on the box

4. RFID tags on the inside of the box ... ones that work LOL!