Porch Pirates! Arggh! They’re Maddening!!

What Can You Do To Combat This Scourge?

Just what is a good person supposed to do if they’re concerned about delivery security at their home? There are a handful of relatively easy steps a consumer can take:

1. Make updates to your front porch stoop: install motion-detecting lights, video and/or WiFi-connected video. Theft from USPS is a federal offense, after all. Note: those motion-detecting lights won’t help if your pirates are doing their deed in broad daylight.
2. Neighbors. If you have neighbors who are home during the day, perhaps you can enroll them in your efforts – either as a lookout or delivery destination.
3. Get a special mailbox. A bevy of lock-equipped home mailbox systems exist as do options for offsite boxes such as Amazon Locker, the UPS Store.
4. Get a signature or pay for premium tracking. Parcel services such as UPS offer tracking services that allow you to view minute-to-minute progress and even customize your delivery on the fly if needed, e.g. rerouting.
5. One last unique option – basically a WiFi-enabled disc that your delivery is set upon – is promising. The Frisbee-like disc communicates that a delivery has been made and reports any change in status (i.e. were it to be picked up).

Do you have a method for fighting off the porch pirates? Give us a shout!

Footnote: International Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19th, for what it’s worth.