RANT: package thieves

[HwAoRrDk]

I was due to have a delivery of components today from LCSC that I'd been waiting a couple of weeks for, eager to get going on a project and assemble some boards. Apparently it was "delivered" earlier today, and the tracking info even includes a photo of said package left outside my house. But I got no notice or anything that it'd been delivered and dumped outside, so when I checked later in the day and realised what had happened, and went outside to check, it wasn't there - presumably stolen. Searched all over, not a sign of it.

Enjoy your pile of worthless-to-you electronic components, package thieves! I bet they'll just dump it all in the trash - what a waste.

To make matters worse, it's the Chinese new year break right now, so any re-order I place right now won't even get fulfilled until end of this week or next week, so I'm going to have to wait another 2 or 3 weeks!

[Monkeh]

I wish they'd never adopted the policy of dumping stuff outside your door. Deliver it to a neighbour or take it back.

[globoy]

Rant on HwAoRrDk, I feel your pain.  That sucks.  It feels especially terrible because you're right, you know the thieves have no idea what it was and just pitched it.  I am pretty lucky because I live in the country but even here there are mailbox thieves and one time I lost some custom electronics I had built and was was sending to someone.  We even had one rural mail carrier who felt it was fine to just throw packages near the mailbox when it was snowy (we keep our mailbox dug out so they can get close).  grrr...

[SiliconWizard]

Yeah. It has become very common in some areas. I've also been affected and had to never get any package delivered this way, ever again. That sucks because companies will often charge more to get the package delivered with a signature (which does not always guarantee anything, as sometimes the delivery guy will sign himself, dump the package and run), or delivered to some other place.

Also got stolen in mailboxes.

Welcome to the jungle.

[Andy Chee]

[linux-works]

you worry about getting your package stolen?  my ID was stolen!  out of my mailbox, physically.  tl;dr: some thieves (a large org, it seems) have been going around apartment complex buildings where there are groups of mailboxes (US mail only) and the keys are somewhat known to be hackable.  they were selective in what they took; they didnt just take all your mail.  so you didnt' notice some bills or some things missing.  I eventually got a call from the police a few towns over and they caught one of the guys with lots of my mail in his car.  he's now in prison (the system worked!).

lesson I learned is: try not to leave any mail in your mailbox.  I was lazy and left some bills there (no rush to get them, they're just paper copies) but with that info, the bad guy ran up all kinds of charges against me and it took months to unravel (years, really, since it took that long to taper off).

its not just packages that you have to worry about.  you really have to secure your mailbox, too!

[linux-works]

and here's a funny one:

I order a lot from amazon (they will replace things if they are not delivered or if the photo shows it being left in some incorrect place).  a few times, at least twice, I've gotton my package but clearly opened and searched thru.  but the package was still there!

it seems I must have insulted the thieves with some of my purchases.  what, switches and relays and resistors not good enough for you, thief-man?  no way to resell on ebay so they drop the package.  I suspect amazon drivers, actually.

but it was funny to get an opened box that was clearly searched thru - and REJECTED by the thief.  should I feel sad or happy?

[SiliconWizard]

To add to the anecdotes of that kind, once I also got the contents of a package stolen, they just put back optical fiber, which they probably either didn't care about or didn't even know what it was. But they cared to put it back in a largely destroyed package, as if to say "ha! not interested! Do better next time!"

[linux-works]

my stuff is not good enough for the thieves.

no jewelry, no designer names on things, no consumer electronics that they'd recognize.  although I was building quadcopters at the time and I did notice some motors never arrived.  (all my mail that was stolen is still locked up as evidence in some court somewhere and I'm told its next to impossible to get it back even after the trials are over.  wow.)

can I fly with 3 motors?  I really wanted that 4th one.  damn.

seriously, person-to-person delivery seems all but dead.  'sign' for delivery is mostly meaningless these days.

[rdl]

I had a package stolen just a few weeks ago. It was the first time it happened ever in over 15 years. I suspect probably some friends of one of my neighbor's teenage kids being opportunistic, since it is a "gated" apartment complex and the package was not visible from the street. The day before the package was expected I received an email saying that the package was arriving early. The email was sent less than 2 hours before the package was actually delivered. I was asleep at the time and was unaware of the email. I did not realize there had been a theft until the next morning. Had the delivery been made when it was originally estimated there probably wouldn't have been a theft, because I am retired and home most of the time.

Note: This was amazon's delivery service, it has not existed here for very long.

[SiliconWizard]

Amazon delivery varies a lot depending on where you are.

Over here, back when they were using their own service, it was an absolutely horrific service. Delivery guys would practically give the packages to just anyone nearby if you weren't there. They would also claim you weren't present when you were. They switched to third-party delivery companies now and that's certainly for the better.

[Andy Chee]

In case some weren't aware, Amazon have "Uber-ised" their delivery by creating Amazon Flex.  Basically anyone with a car or bicycle can sign up to the platform and deliver parcels.

https://flex.amazon.com/

So if you were delivered an open parcel from Amazon, you definitely need to report it in order to get the driver removed from the platform (though they may pop up again using another stolen phone and stolen credentials).

[Messtechniker]

Things like cameras do exist......
Be sure to cover your own property only.

[rdl]

Amazon here allows you to actually track the delivery truck once it's close. And they have been pretty accurate with the predicted delivery time once it is within 8-12 hours or so. However, bumping up the delivery time by 24 hrs (or more) and only giving 2 hours notice prior to delivery is something I'd prefer not happen.

[Traceless]

I'd check the legal situation in your country. In Germany delivery workers have to hand over the package to a person and are not allowed to dump it somewhere unless you explicitly agreed to a delivery to a storage location.

Apparently it was "delivered" earlier today, and the tracking info even includes a photo of said package left outside my house.

Luckily the delivery service provided you with image proof that they did just that. While that does not help with shipping time, in Germany the delivery company would be liable for the financial damage caused by the theft. Maybe things are similar in the UK.

[Haenk]

I'd check the legal situation in your country. In Germany delivery workers have to hand over the package to a person and are not allowed to dump it somewhere unless you explicitly agreed to a delivery to a storage location.

This is - unfortunately - not true. The delivery can be done "in good faith" (aka "im Ermessen des Zustellers"). For DHL, not handing the package to a person will require you to sign an agreement ("Ablagegenehmigung"). On the other hand, the option to not hand it over to your neighbour is an extra (called "keine Ersatzzustellung"). UPS and FedEx/TNT are quite strict on handing over to the receiver. Hermes, GLS, Amazon will just dump your package whereever they like.

[Ranayna]

One important thing regarding packages in germany, as a customer (as opposed to acting as a company):

The seller has the responsibility that whatever you ordered actually gets to *you*. If you never receive the package for whatever reason, including theft, the seller has to re-send at no cost to you. The seller might be able to get reimbursed by the courier, depending on circumstances and contracts.
Except, and that is important, unless you explicitly allow DHL to put the packages somewhere, without personal delivery. That is called "Abstellgenehmigung".
Once you have given this "Abstellgenehmigung", the seller has fulfilled his responsibility once DHL says the package has been delivered.

So if you have issues with package thieves, do not provide a "Abstellgenehmigung", if you have given one earlier, you need to rescind it.

[jonpaul]

Use "SIGNATURE REQUIRED" when settin gup shipping.

If order at disty, epay, Amazon communicate to seller/shipper:

"DUE TO THIEFT OF PACKAGES A SIGNATURE MUST BE REQUIRED"

Suggest a large locked post box and several high res PTZ surveillance cams plus warning signs.

Jon

[nctnico]

my stuff is not good enough for the thieves.

no jewelry, no designer names on things, no consumer electronics that they'd recognize.

That doesn't matter. I lost a really nice Agilent power supply due to a break-in at my employer; they ripped it right out of the test setup. Thieves take anything that is electrical and looks like it is worth something.

[mikeselectricstuff]

One important thing regarding packages in germany, as a customer (as opposed to acting as a company):

The seller has the responsibility that whatever you ordered actually gets to *you*. If you never receive the package for whatever reason, including theft, the seller has to re-send at no cost to you. The seller might be able to get reimbursed by the courier, depending on circumstances and contracts.

Good luck trying that with LCSC...

[xrunner]

I was due to have a delivery of components today from LCSC that I'd been waiting a couple of weeks for, eager to get going on a project and assemble some boards. Apparently it was "delivered" earlier today, and the tracking info even includes a photo of said package left outside my house. But I got no notice or anything that it'd been delivered and dumped outside, so when I checked later in the day and realised what had happened, and went outside to check, it wasn't there - presumably stolen. Searched all over, not a sign of it.

Enjoy your pile of worthless-to-you electronic components, package thieves! I bet they'll just dump it all in the trash - what a waste.

To make matters worse, it's the Chinese new year break right now, so any re-order I place right now won't even get fulfilled until end of this week or next week, so I'm going to have to wait another 2 or 3 weeks!

Damn that sucks. 

If you go back in time you would find that it was accepted that a mail system needed to be set up and that the delivered mail had to have a place to reside when delivered. My mailbox is at the curb, but there are still 'hoods where the mailbox is on the porch next to the door, and the postal worker walks around delivering the mail. My mailbox is secure: you cannot simply reach in and grab the mail.

We are at the point with Amazon et al. where the mail was at the beginning. These deliveries need a specific secure area to be placed, but that is like a secure mailbox. Maybe a large metal safty box on the porch which is bolted down. Really, houses need to be designed for these deliveries - have some sort of secure delivery portal for packages to be placed. If the package won't fit, you will have to go to a secure pickup area in town run by the delivery service. If you don't want to go there, you can opt-out at the time of ordering, but accept the consequences of your decision - possible theft.

Another option for houses like mine would be to drop the packages over the fence into the backyard. The fence is made of wooden boards which will conceal the delivery and the gate is locked.

[Ranayna]

One important thing regarding packages in germany, as a customer (as opposed to acting as a company):

The seller has the responsibility that whatever you ordered actually gets to *you*. If you never receive the package for whatever reason, including theft, the seller has to re-send at no cost to you. The seller might be able to get reimbursed by the courier, depending on circumstances and contracts.

Good luck trying that with LCSC...

Sure, but that is a risk you take when ordering from outside the EU.
One of the reasons why shops in the EU have such a high markup. And one of the reasons why many professional shops to not sell to customers anymore.

[DavidAlfa]

I'll never understand the delivery companies leaving the packets outstranded, at least here in Spain it's uncommon.
The driver usually calls you for instructions if you're outside and might leave it there if you say so, but not by default.

[mendip_discovery]

I am that neighbour that if I am home I will take many of my neighbours parcels. The driver puts a card through thier door to say who has it. I do it for them, they do it for me.

I had to collect a few bits from a neighbour for him as they had put a 1.2k item on his doorstep and he was 200miles away. They delivered a day early.

[HwAoRrDk]

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.

Good luck trying that with LCSC...

Yeah, I'm fully expecting LCSC will tell me to get stuffed, because they see it on the tracking as "delivered". I'm resigned to the fact I'm going to have to re-order. And now one of the items I ordered is out of stock...