How Holiday Shoppers Can Prevent Package Theft This Holiday Season
Winter has arrived, and the fact that more of us are spending more time indoors means there’s probably a lot of online shopping happening. From the holiday season through the post season gift-card spending season and right through until Valentine’s Day, more people are at their computers shopping, which is why it’s vital for shoppers to protect themselves from package theft through multiple tactics including shopping at retailers offering a BOPIS solution.
BOPIS lockers in Montreal and other urban centres across Canada have become a much-appreciated service offered to customers from retailers. These “buy online pickup in store” options help customers with an easy solution that offers better security than having your orders be dropped off on your porch or into your apartment mailroom. BOPIS lockers can offer customers round-the-clock convenience through use of click and collect lockers. However, there are other tips you can follow to prevent package theft anytime you’re ordering online. Here are a few suggestions beyond BOPIS solutions.
- Consider options offered by online shipping platforms. Companies like Amazon offer options to pickup your orders at Amazon click and collect lockers located in select stores. This could be a local retail mall or a convenient store that provides space for such transactions. Check to see if providers like Amazon, FedEx or UPS offer such solutions in your area.
- If you’re at work for long hours and not always at home during regular business hours you might want to check to see if your company would accept your deliveries at your workplace. Some companies might already have a smart locker system in place to help facilitate deliveries. Not every workplace is suitable for accepting personal deliveries, but it does offer an option.
- Making your residential delivery space more secure is also a smart step. Porch pirates often stake out neighbourhoods to see which homes are receiving large numbers of online deliveries and when the best times are to steal. Installing a smart security system at your entrance way is one layer of protection. Purchasing an interactive system that allows you to monitor your area and use a live intercom can also help deter thieves. Make sure to check the perspective shown on your camera feed so that you can maximize security, monitoring who comes and goes but also vehicles that may pull up into your driveaway. It may not protect your package 100 percent, but it will help serve as a deterrent and provide police with much needed information to help catch such brazen thieves.
- It may not always be convenient given your schedule, but asking for a signature for any package coming to your house is a smart move. If you are not home at the original time of delivery, a company will leave you a note providing information where you can go pick up your package. It may require extra travel on your part, but it does provide the added security on knowing exactly where your package is.
- You can pay extra to ensure a delivery is scheduled at your convenience. This helps avoid situations where packages arrive at times you will not be home. Several companies offer web apps that help reroute your parcels to another address should you not be able to make it home in time for your pickup.
Learn more about smart lockers for retailers and residential spaces. Visit Snaile Lockers online.