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Nobody's home during the day. What neighbor? How do you know which neighbor will be home, or which neighbor to trust? When 90% of your package recipients are no

by rconti 8y ago

Nobody's home during the day. What neighbor? How do you know which neighbor will be home, or which neighbor to trust? When 90% of your package recipients are not home, you spend 3x as much time per package delivery. Carriers offload responsibility by allowing the sender or receiver to opt-out of signature/package acceptance, so why would they care? Just one data point, but I've been having packages delivered to my home my entire life and never had a single one go missing. Seems like a really high cost to prevent something unlikely. On the other hand, I had never had a home or vehicle broken into until someone smashed my car window last night at the movie theater. So, there's a first time for everything.

the8472 8y ago
You can specify a neighbor in an online form. A commercial entity on the ground floor may be generous enough act as "neighbor", accept the packages in bulk and put them in the stairwell of the building. If neither of that works you still have pickup points in shops or dedicated lockboxes[0] in central locations. [0] https://i.imgur.com/F0sDNJO.jpg https://i.imgur.com/F0sDNJO.jpg
- rconti 8y ago
  Huh, I haven't heard of shipping companies that allow you to designate a neighbor. That's cool. I've not shipped to myself using an Amazon locker since I've never had an issue with package theft, but if a package is worth more than $500 or $1000 I'll often have it sent to my office, which I suspect is what most people do if possible.
Emma_Goldman 8y ago
This is also the norm in the UK. If you're not in they try and leave the package with a neighbour. If that doesn't work, they'll try again, and if you're not there again, try for for a neighbour again. If that fails for a second time, they leave it at a nearby depot for you to pick it up. I've never heard of a package being stolen here in the UK.
- King-Aaron 8y ago
  America: "It's a real problem! There is no solution!" Overseas viewer: "This literally never happens here. Try solution (a), (b), or maybe (c) and see if that helps?" America: "Yep there is no solution in the entire universe" Substitute "package theft" for: Gun crime / public healthcare / public education / insert social issue here
  - rconti 8y ago
    I agree with all of your points except for the package theft one. The package theft "solutions" proposed really are insanely inconvenient and unworkable* in most suburban environments. I've seen all of the reasons listed many places here, so I won't bother rehashing them. If I'm at work on Tuesday, for example, a redelivery attempt on Wednesday doesn't really help, does it? * unworkable in the sense that they're less efficient than the alternative of just allowing the rare package theft to occur
    - King-Aaron 8y ago
      My local Caltex/7-11/Fuel Stations all do package holding here in Aus, I honestly had similar thoughts until they started doing it. In the last 12 - 18 months I'd say I've had completely seamless package delivery because of it.
      - rconti 8y ago
        Thinking about it a bit, I bet one reason package holding isn't more popular in the US is the (very Australia-like) combination of suburbs, and people driving to work. Assuming your employer allows it, it's convenient to have packages sent to work, AND if you drove a personal car to work, it's easy to drive your own package home. This equation gets flipped if you use transit or live in a multi-unit building where it might get easier to just hold it "downstairs".
- EnderMB 8y ago
  I guess one reason it's less common over here is because it rains a lot, and it's a lot harder to leave a package in plain sight. In Bristol, I've known a few people have packages stolen from porches or from under recycling boxes/bins, so it definitely does happen. My parents found someone in their hedge a few months ago trying to get one of their parcels.

by rconti 8y ago

the8472 8y ago

You can specify a neighbor in an online form. A commercial entity on the ground floor may be generous enough act as "neighbor", accept the packages in bulk and put them in the stairwell of the building. If neither of that works you still have pickup points in shops or dedicated lockboxes[0] in central locations. [0] https://i.imgur.com/F0sDNJO.jpg https://i.imgur.com/F0sDNJO.jpg

rconti 8y ago
Huh, I haven't heard of shipping companies that allow you to designate a neighbor. That's cool. I've not shipped to myself using an Amazon locker since I've never had an issue with package theft, but if a package is worth more than $500 or $1000 I'll often have it sent to my office, which I suspect is what most people do if possible.

Emma_Goldman 8y ago

This is also the norm in the UK. If you're not in they try and leave the package with a neighbour. If that doesn't work, they'll try again, and if you're not there again, try for for a neighbour again. If that fails for a second time, they leave it at a nearby depot for you to pick it up. I've never heard of a package being stolen here in the UK.

King-Aaron 8y ago
America: "It's a real problem! There is no solution!" Overseas viewer: "This literally never happens here. Try solution (a), (b), or maybe (c) and see if that helps?" America: "Yep there is no solution in the entire universe" Substitute "package theft" for: Gun crime / public healthcare / public education / insert social issue here
- rconti 8y ago
  I agree with all of your points except for the package theft one. The package theft "solutions" proposed really are insanely inconvenient and unworkable* in most suburban environments. I've seen all of the reasons listed many places here, so I won't bother rehashing them. If I'm at work on Tuesday, for example, a redelivery attempt on Wednesday doesn't really help, does it? * unworkable in the sense that they're less efficient than the alternative of just allowing the rare package theft to occur
  - King-Aaron 8y ago
    My local Caltex/7-11/Fuel Stations all do package holding here in Aus, I honestly had similar thoughts until they started doing it. In the last 12 - 18 months I'd say I've had completely seamless package delivery because of it.
    - rconti 8y ago
      Thinking about it a bit, I bet one reason package holding isn't more popular in the US is the (very Australia-like) combination of suburbs, and people driving to work. Assuming your employer allows it, it's convenient to have packages sent to work, AND if you drove a personal car to work, it's easy to drive your own package home. This equation gets flipped if you use transit or live in a multi-unit building where it might get easier to just hold it "downstairs".
EnderMB 8y ago
I guess one reason it's less common over here is because it rains a lot, and it's a lot harder to leave a package in plain sight. In Bristol, I've known a few people have packages stolen from porches or from under recycling boxes/bins, so it definitely does happen. My parents found someone in their hedge a few months ago trying to get one of their parcels.