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> If I owned a single-family home and had a bunch of time on my hands, I'd probably engineer a drop box of some kind that shippers can drop my packages into, bu

by cr0sh 7y ago

> If I owned a single-family home and had a bunch of time on my hands, I'd probably engineer a drop box of some kind that shippers can drop my packages into, but that other people can't get them out of. If you honestly gave that some thought, it's not an easy problem to solve. Otherwise, I'm sure that the Amazon Home Locker would be a thing. The main problem is multiple deliveries - how do you make a box that can lock and unlock (automatically or otherwise) for -only- delivery companies and drivers, for multiple deliveries and packages per day - but not allow others to do so? Remember, the drivers and delivery people have very limited time to deliver packages; they won't read instructions, or even pay nominal attention to them. You won't be able to give them (or the company) some kind of RFID key fob or other item to use to open the locker (because you are only a single address, not a large company with "pull power" and a contracted service agreement - and even then, maybe not). There's also the possibility of freelance or other kinds of "couriers" that likely drive their own vehicles and have no other delivery identification (I've had packages delivered to my door by cab drivers in a marked cab - supposedly shipped by UPS). I recall one kickstarter where the idea was a "pad" that packages could be put on, but if the pad or a package was removed, an alarm would go off (it also had some kind of camera and email notification capability). IIRC, it got funded, but I have no idea how well the idea worked. Likely, it probably didn't work well at all - simply because delivery people probably didn't use it, or didn't understand to stack packages on top of other deliveries, etc. I'd personally love a solution for this problem, and so would tons of other people affected by "porch pirates" stealing their packages. My solution is the old fashioned way: Have them delivered to my employer. But this solution isn't available to everyone, unfortunately.

rtkwe 7y ago
It would need to be similar to the current mail entry system where USPS has a key that opens all of them. For the new weird contractor system another option would be to have a scanner on the locker and open when it sees the barcode of a package you're expecting. [0] Alternatively most shopping places already allow you to enter delivery instructions where you enter gate codes for unattended gated communities you could just provide them the key code there. If neither of those would work for reasonably sized packages (ie no TVs) a larger box could have an airlock section like the clothing donation boxes where packages can't be retrieved because they're behind a second door. Really though I think the actual solution is a combination of more prevalent generic lock boxes, like where Amazon or UPS setup drop locations but made so any company can use them, or partnering with grocery stores or gas stations to hold packages. [0] Either with you entering it in or going through things like UPS MyChoice and the Fedex and USPS equivalents.
nkrisc 7y ago
A box that is unlocked when it's empty, but locks once something has been placed in it. No it's not perfect with obvious drawbacks (more than one package coming), but is probably "good enough."
lewaldman 7y ago
Hmm... With an internet connected ring + a internet connected locker... it's quite doable and simple. The deliver guy comes... push the ring... you answer it on your phone and unlocks the box from it.
- 0xffff2 7y ago
  No delivery guy I've ever seen is going to sit around and wait for you to unlock the device. I can't remember the last time a delivery person even bothered to ring the doorbell.
magduf 7y ago
>The main problem is multiple deliveries - how do you make a box that can lock and unlock I used the term "drop box" for a reason. You don't need to let drivers unlock the box. It's a drop box: they drop the boxes into it. It's just like a mail slot: the postperson puts the mail in, but can't get it back out. It doesn't require special access or knowledge to use; it would be just like a trash or laundry chute. The challenge with this is retrofitting some kind of chute so stuff doesn't just drop 8+ ft to a hard floor, and this also requires having an underground floor where the boxes go. Of course, this isn't going to work for something like a 65" TV, but for most packages it's quite doable.

by cr0sh 7y ago

rtkwe 7y ago

It would need to be similar to the current mail entry system where USPS has a key that opens all of them. For the new weird contractor system another option would be to have a scanner on the locker and open when it sees the barcode of a package you're expecting. [0] Alternatively most shopping places already allow you to enter delivery instructions where you enter gate codes for unattended gated communities you could just provide them the key code there. If neither of those would work for reasonably sized packages (ie no TVs) a larger box could have an airlock section like the clothing donation boxes where packages can't be retrieved because they're behind a second door. Really though I think the actual solution is a combination of more prevalent generic lock boxes, like where Amazon or UPS setup drop locations but made so any company can use them, or partnering with grocery stores or gas stations to hold packages. [0] Either with you entering it in or going through things like UPS MyChoice and the Fedex and USPS equivalents.

nkrisc 7y ago

A box that is unlocked when it's empty, but locks once something has been placed in it. No it's not perfect with obvious drawbacks (more than one package coming), but is probably "good enough."

lewaldman 7y ago

Hmm... With an internet connected ring + a internet connected locker... it's quite doable and simple. The deliver guy comes... push the ring... you answer it on your phone and unlocks the box from it.

0xffff2 7y ago
No delivery guy I've ever seen is going to sit around and wait for you to unlock the device. I can't remember the last time a delivery person even bothered to ring the doorbell.

magduf 7y ago

>The main problem is multiple deliveries - how do you make a box that can lock and unlock I used the term "drop box" for a reason. You don't need to let drivers unlock the box. It's a drop box: they drop the boxes into it. It's just like a mail slot: the postperson puts the mail in, but can't get it back out. It doesn't require special access or knowledge to use; it would be just like a trash or laundry chute. The challenge with this is retrofitting some kind of chute so stuff doesn't just drop 8+ ft to a hard floor, and this also requires having an underground floor where the boxes go. Of course, this isn't going to work for something like a 65" TV, but for most packages it's quite doable.