Have you ever made a purchase online only to discover that even after months of waiting it has not yet been delivered to your doorstep? After spending hours searching for the right item on the internet, the last thing you want to worry about is whether or not it has been stolen after it is delivered to your home.
Today, about 9.6 million Australians use e-commerce sites to purchase things. Shopping online makes everything easy but you will just have to wait for the goods to be delivered directly to your home after making a purchase. Although shopping online is very easy Australia has experienced a significant increase in the number of goods stolen from doorsteps by ‘porch pirates’. This is the euphemism for people who steal packages from peoples doors and porches.
According to reports, 141 people were charged with mail theft crimes in 2018, in Victoria, which is twice the number of people that were charged with the same case in 2017. This theft has the potential to cost buyers and businesses a tremendous amount of time and money. To make matters worse, even seemingly obvious deterrents like gates and surveillance cameras may fail to deter porch pirates from committing their crimes. There are, however, some precautions you can consider taking to strengthen the safety of your ordered packages.
Since a lot of people love to take long vacations, it is important to always exercise caution if you are taking vacations while expecting a certain delivery. To secure online shopping delivery, it is recommended that you follow some of the following steps :
- Make arrangements for your package to be delivered to one of the free parcel lockers provided by Australia Post. You can sign up for a MyPost account and modify your options to obtain a service that meets your needs. There are over 330 drop-off sites to pick from. You will also be notified via SMS and email when your package is available for pickup; you will have 48 hours to pick it up after receiving your notice.
- You should also try having things delivered to your workplace or to the house of a relative who is usually at home or works from home. Whenever possible, choose a delivery service in which you will be required to sign for it upon receipt.
- If you prefer home delivery, add obvious cameras to your property. Prevention is always the best route to take. With cameras in place thieves are much more likely to walk past your property unmolested if they know they will be on camera committing crimes as camera footage is one of the best ways police can get convictions for porch pirates.
Several eCommerce websites now allow you to choose where you would want your package to be placed if you are not at home to accept it. As a result, make sure you provide the delivery person with specific directions, such as naming a location that is simple for them to reach yet where the item will not be obviously apparent to onlookers or passers-by.
As well as CCTV, mounting an interactive camera outside the entrance door is something to think about. Through the integration of cameras with surveillance systems, consumers can verify whether or not the delivery has been delivered to their location. Alternatively, you may instruct the system to send you a notification whenever the camera senses activity, allowing you to see when somebody is approaching your front door.
What if My Package Has Been Stolen?
If you have reason to believe that your package has been stolen, you should consider taking a few actions. For example, you can try calling the merchant to see if they can provide you a refund, or chat with the shipping business to double-check the delivery information.
If you have had your package stolen, you should make sure to contact the police so that they can investigate the possible pattern of criminal activity in the area. Furthermore, you may try to contact your credit card issuer to see if they can give any insurance coverage for the stolen products.
If you interested in CCTV for your property. give us a call and we can let you know what we recommend for your needs and the costs of various options available.
