porch package

Study: One in Four Americans Have Had Package Stolen By “Porch Pirates”

Nearly half of Americans don’t believe that delivery companies are doing enough to prevent theft, but the survey respondents also aren’t willing to change their online shopping habits.

Package theft and “porch pirates” have become key concerns of American adults both during and outside of the holiday shopping season, with almost one in four adults saying they have had a package stolen in a recent study.

The survey of more than 1,000 online shoppers by Illinois-based Shorr Packaging Corp. found that 24 percent of respondents had a package stolen. Sixty-four percent of people who had a package stolen said they have since decided to mail their packages to a different address to prevent theft, and nearly 80 percent said they have changed their plans to be around to pick up the package right after it’s delivered.

Among all of the respondents, though, Americans were less likely to send a package to a different address. Almost 70 percent said they were not willing to change their holiday shopping practices due to fears of package theft, according to MarketWatch.

But victims of “porch pirates” have taken several steps to improve residential security. One in four people who have had a package stolen said they added a doorbell camera to their front door, and 17 percent said they installed motion lights to sense when someone is at the door.

The study found that 44 percent of all respondents said delivery companies, like Amazon, UPS and FedEx, are not doing enough to prevent package theft. The companies pointed to services that allow customers to track their packages as they are traveling to the delivery point, ostensibly giving consumers the chance to plan their days around package deliveries.

Some package-theft victims reported taking precautions to prevent future porch piracy, shelling out an average of $191 on home security: One in four said they’d added a doorbell camera, 19% said they had added some other camera, 17% employed motion lights, 10% bought a dog, 5% installed a fence or gate, and 4% said they had used Amazon’s AMZN, +0.10% Key and Smart Lock Kit to enable in-home delivery.

UPS suggested to MarketWatch that customers could have shipments sent to where they are during the day or to a trusted friend who is home during the day. Amazon and FedEx have advised worried customers to send their packages to Amazon package lockers at convenience stores or FedEx offices.

Ordering products online and selecting “in-store pickup” is another option to ensure packages are not taken off the porch.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • Unique Oversized ID Card Printer

    Unique Oversized ID Card Printer

    Idesco Corp. is announcing its card printer – the XCR100 2.0 printer- that allows customers to personalize oversized ID cards on demand. The printer is ideal for assisting healthcare organizations find the right badging solution. As healthcare facilities continue to combat the spread of COVID-19, issuing oversized ID cards has helped identify staff clearly while adding an extra layer of security. The XCR100 2.0 printer is the only dye-sublimation printer on the market that can personalize CR100 cards (3.88" x 2.63"). The cards that are 42% larger than the standard credit card size. The printer can produce up to 180 full cards per hour in color, and up to 1,400 cards per hour in monochrome. An optional flipper is available to print dual-sided badges in one pass. Contactless encoding comes as an option to help healthcare facilities produce secure access badges on demand and the card printer features a 2-year warranty. 3

  • XS4 Original+

    XS4 Original+

    The SALTO XS4 Original+ design is based on the same proven housing and mechanical mechanisms of the XS4 Original. The XS4 Original+, however, is embedded with SALTO’s BLUEnet real-time functionality and SVN-Flex capability that enables SALTO stand-alone smart XS4 Original+ locks to update user credentials directly at the door. Compatible with the array of SALTO platform solutions including SALTO Space data-on-card, SALTO KS Keys as a Service cloud-based access solution, and SALTO’s JustIn Mobile technology for digital keys. The XS4 Original+ also includes RFID Mifare DESFire, Bluetooth LE and NFC technology functionality. 3

  • Kangaroo Home Security System

    Kangaroo Home Security System

    Kangaroo is the affordable, easy-to-install home security system designed for anyone who wants an added layer of peace of mind and protection. It has several products, ranging from the fan-favorite Doorbell Camera + Chime, to the more comprehensive Front Door Security Kit with Professional Monitoring. Regardless of the level of desired security, Kangaroo’s designed to move with consumers - wherever that next chapter may be. Motion sensors, keypads and additional features can be part of the package to any Kangaroo system in place, anytime. Additionally, Kangaroo offers scalable protection plans with a variety of benefits ranging from 24/7 professional monitoring to expanded cloud storage, coverage for damage and theft. 3