RANT: package thieves

[tom66]

I must be really lucky because I don't think I've ever had a package stolen.

[IanB]

I'm still really surprised someone stole it. My house isn't visible from the street, and where they supposedly left the package isn't even particularly visible to anyone who is actually walking past the front of the house.

I had a missing package recently, where the delivery confirmation said "package left by front door", and yet no package was there. A day later, after thinking the package was lost, I discovered it on the driveway beside the garage. It seems the delivery driver didn't want to walk all the way to the door and had just left it in the most conveniently reachable place close to the street. I guess I should have been suspicious when there was no picture of the delivered package like there usually is.

[Bud]

Do not discount the possibility that the delivery driver placed the package by the door, snapped a photo and took the package with him. There are youtube vids capturing that.

[xrunner]

Do not discount the possibility that the delivery driver placed the package by the door, snapped a photo and took the package with him. There are youtube vids capturing that.

If they did that on my porch they would get in trouble ... because my camera would record the act.

In this day and age you need a camera to record what's happening at your front door.

[Xena E]

I refuse the use of one carrier by default.
I live at the end of a private drive, and the house can't be seen from the road.

Their local carrier on two occasions was recorded on my door camera walking to the door with the package, placing it on the porch step, taking a photograph of the parcel, then, picking it up again and walking off.

I complained and was told that under interview he had claimed I had insulted his "protected characteristics" and he was "teaching me a lesson", he still has his delivery round with the company.

I've never spoken to the man but I'm now a girl with a grudge.

The parcels were replaced by the vendors after some hassle, again just some electronic components the second time, clothing the first.

Evri one a wiener

Arseholes!

[linux-works]

Do not discount the possibility that the delivery driver placed the package by the door, snapped a photo and took the package with him. There are youtube vids capturing that.

I'm pretty sure that happened twice to me.  I saw the photo of the item in my closed hallway and yet the box was not there just an hour or less after it got there.  our neighbors in that hallway have no history of issues, so it was likely the driver.  yes, take a pic and then take the item!  no way to prove otherwise.  I think the opened ones were from that kind of situation, tbh.

[HwAoRrDk]

I refuse the use of one carrier by default.

Unfortunately, sometimes you don't know who the carrier is until you actually get the delivery. This is a particular bugbear with eBay, where sellers will just list the delivery method as "Other courier".

Evri one a wiener

We used to have a great Evri driver in my area. Always polite and would actually wait for you to open the door. But recently there's a new guy, and although post-delivery Evri send e-mails asking you to "rate your courier", I don't know how I'm supposed to when I've never interacted with him or even laid eyes on him. He just rings, drops, and runs. One time I was actually standing in the hallway near the door when I heard the bell ring. I opened the door, and there was a package on the step, but the guy was nowhere to be seen. Either he rivals Usain Bolt in his sprinting ability, or he's a ghost.

[Xena E]

The Evri (Hermes) carrier who used to be in the area was very helpful and efficient.

This guy though needs to watch himself and where he parks his van and doesn't want to be upsetting people who own side cutters...they may also have "protected characteristics."

I've spoken to several neighbours who have had problems, seems once again one bad apple spoils it for all, DPD, RM, UPS all fine, just this idiot with a chip on his shoulder causes crap in the neighbourhood.

[Nominal Animal]

I've had only excellent service from both FedEX and DHL here in Helsinki, Finland, and only horrible service from PostNord: the driver stopped in front of my building only long enough for the GPS to record he was here, and then he sped away without even stepping out from his van.  Arseholes even sent the package back before I could collect it from their only warehouse on the other side of the city!

The previous Finnish Post "point"  operator lost a couple of registered packages after automation had told me to come collect it.  Fortunately, they lost the license, and now a supermarket nearby handles it with zero issues in a couple of years now.  Just picked up a Banggood mini hot plate for small SMT board soldering experiments I ordered on Jan 31.

Reliable and predictable post and courier service is one thing I'm willing to bribe/tip/reward a carrier/courier for.  Finland is not a tipping country, though, and I don't exactly know how to do it.  I do make a point about giving good feedback (on the DHL/FedEX website), in the hopes that that matters any.

[jpanhalt]

Where in the US?

I lived in a gated apartment complex when I first moved to Ohio  All packages were delivered to the gate house.  Maybe you can make a similar arrangement where you are, even if it does not apply to everyone?

[jmelson]

Over a year ago, I had an $800 package of parts supposedly delivered by the carrier.  I went looking for it, and couldn't find it.  I eventually filed a police report for an expensive stolen package.  THEN, TWO DAYS LATER, the package was actually delivered!  I had to call the police and tell them that the package had finally arrived.  I informed the carrier that the delivery person had done this.

Another time, I had a package delivered to a gazebo nearly a block from my house.  Just by luck, I did see it while wandering around the neighborhood.

Another time I had a computer projector left out in the rain next to the mailbox.  If I hadn't found it very quickly, it would have been reduced to scrap.
In some other cases, the delivery person just threw boxes of expensive electronic parts on the very end of our driveway, just a foot from the sidewalk, to avoid having to walk down the driveway.
Jon

[Black Phoenix]

Well my experience is mixed. While in Portugal it was common for packages not even been trying to be delivered. Mailman leaves the letter in the box and I have to pick up next day on the post office.

If it was a delivery company as DHL, TNT or FedEx the guy would call me early on the morning and I would get an arrangement with him. If I was at home I would most of the times meet him in a place close to his delivery route if my package was the only one on that part of the city (or the city itself) or to set a time he would arrive. For me was always easier to put my company address and then it would be delivered there and someone would leave it in my desk.

Now in Hong Kong/Shenzhen it depends. In Hong Kong is the same as in Portugal, letter on the box, pick up 2 days later at the post office.

In Shenzhen is where I have the best delivery experience. All packages are left in a automated recieving station (basically a big machine with small, medium and big drawers) and as soon the door closes I receive an SMS with a code to the lock and location of the machine where it was left.

If it doesn't fit the box it is delivered at my home door or he returns later the day and deliveres personally, calling me before. If it is more than one smaller, they put all inside the biggest box available and again the code on the phone for the lock.

If it requires signature it has to be myself signing on their PDA/phone, no other way around. If it is someone else to pick up instead of me I have to go to the app and say I authorize someone to pick up on my own and write the name and phone number of that person (but most of the time just calling and telling him that someone is going to pick up other than me is enough).

If you don't pick up by the end of the day, at midnight you pay an extra fee (normally 0.5rmb per day, free during Lunar New Year and October Festival holidays) for the package being left there more than a day.

Thank god I never had packages stolen but got some lost and scammed deliveries where nothing was sent. Also had 2 cases of packages sent, didn't delivered, got refund and then they arrived later that week. Both were in Portugal during the French Tunnel Truck blockage in 2018.

[Nominal Animal]

In Shenzhen is where I have the best delivery experience. All packages are left in a automated recieving station (basically a big machine with small, medium and big drawers) and as soon the door closes I receive an SMS with a code to the lock and location of the machine where it was left.

Ah yes, parcel lockers.  I like them too.  They're ubiquitous here in Finland, owned by the Finnish Post, but it requires the sender to supply the recipient's cellphone number (for SMS).  They're the usual way you receive domestic packages.  You have a week to pick up the package, too.  You can even send packages from a parcel locker, although the locker reservation for sending is only valid for 24 hours.

[jpanhalt]

What if you value privacy and don't have a cell phone?  No postal service in Finland?

[Nominal Animal]

What if you value privacy and don't have a cell phone?  No postal service in Finland?

Pickup from post pickup point, typically located in/next to shops, or a (rare!) genuine Finnish Post Office.  Only the parcel locker service requires a cellphone number.  Ordinary mail, including smallest packages, are delivered to mailboxes.  I live in an apartment, and have a mail slot in my door.

Some post pickup points have excellent service (like the current one for my local area), others –– like the previous one for my local area –– can be 'lacking'.

As to package loss, it tends to happen either in the sorting center, or in a local pickup point (edit: I haven't heard any from parcel lockers).  For political reasons, the sorting centers employ some based on "social" reasons, and apparently their theft prevention measures are rather lacking.  For example, any cash money in envelopes or inside cards will invariably be stolen.  Local pickup points have various operators, and aren't too profitable per se; and sometimes can have serious problems with drug-addicted personnel and misplacing/misdelivering packages, and theft.

[Bud]

From some random forum post 

[linux-works]

wish I could find the photo, but during xmas 2 seasons ago, amazon had some items that they claimed would be delivered by 7am the next day.  I ordered and was up early that day and watched for when the delivery notice would appear.  I got the mail but when I looked around the usual places, nothing was there.  it was 5am, I think; really early for a delivery.

I got in my car and started driving around the property (20+ buildings in this complex).  I drove to the main manager building (no resident units there, its all offices) and there was the box, sitting on the ground, OUTSIDE the front door.

it was clear that no tenants live at that building but I guess the driver thought that 'main building' is better than nothing.  but to leave it on a street where people walk by (that's what he essentially did), if I didn't drive around and find that sole box sitting on the public street like that, it would have been gone by sunrise.

simply amazing that someone can get a job as a driver and be that stupid.

[rstofer]

We have a couple of German Shepherd Dogs that announce the arrival of everything - loudly!  Plus a couple of WiFi cameras that wake up a cell phone with video.

[SiliconWizard]

We have a couple of German Shepherd Dogs that announce the arrival of everything - loudly!  Plus a couple of WiFi cameras that wake up a cell phone with video.

Turns out dogs are still one of the most efficient ways of deterring thieves in 2024.

[Bud]

Thanks to dogs, now delivery drivers throw packages not coming to the door and not ringing doorbells.