How to Recover Your Stolen Packages?
Online shopping is a rapidly-growing trend popular among all age groups. Survey results showed that 90 percent of the respondents received a package once a month, while more than 55 percent received a package weekly. The online shopping boom began ever during the pandemic. Since then, there has been a significant rise in the number of online shoppers.
Many people continue to shop online because of convenience and the ease of getting things delivered to their doorsteps. However, one of the biggest challenges for online shoppers is stolen packages.
Though package thefts increase during the holiday season, they can occur anytime and to any online shopper living anywhere and in any home. In other words, no home type or location is immune to package piracy. This brings us to the real question: what to do if your package gets stolen? Read on to learn the best ways to recover the stolen packages.
How to Recover
Your Stolen Packages?
Don’t Panic or Jump to Conclusions–
Ask Around First
If you received a delivery confirmation in your email, but once you arrive home and can’t see your package on the doorstep, don’t panic. In such a situation, keep calm and ask around before jumping to conclusions and reporting the seller.
Sometimes neighbors also receive packages from other neighbors, especially when they know the neighborhood isn’t safe and the risk of porch piracy is high. Therefore, ask people in your neighborhood about your package to see if someone was kind and thoughtful enough to keep your package safe from porch pirates. Confirm the Delivery Status
Once you’ve asked around and nobody knows about your package, the next step should be to reconfirm the delivery status with the shipping company. Sometimes you may receive auto-generated mail by mistake. So, call the delivery company to confirm the status of your package. Let’s suppose:
Scenario 1– the package was not delivered, and the confirmation mail was an error; then you should get the status update of the package. Make sure you’re available at the time of delivery.
Scenario 2– the package was delivered. In such an event, take the next best step listed below.
Check Your Property Thoroughly and Ask Roommates and Family Members About the Package
Look around your property thoroughly. Check the mailbox and the front porch. Sometimes the delivery driver may place the package in an unusual place to ensure that the box is out-of-sight and hidden from porch pirates. It is their way of reducing the risk of stolen packages.
Also, if you share your condo with a roommate or live in a home with family, then ask them about the package. There is a huge possibility that they might have received the package on your behalf or brought it inside and forgot to tell you about it.
Contact the Neighborhood Watch
If you live in an area with a neighborhood watch program, contact them and ask about package thefts. A neighborhood watch includes a group of people from the neighborhood devoted to vandalism and crime prevention in the locality. This group of individuals works cohesively and enthusiastically to keep the neighborhood safe, lower crime rates, and improve the quality of life for all locals in conjunction with the law.
Hence, meeting with the neighborhood watch to discuss your case is advisable. Ask them about package thefts in the neighborhood and if there is anyone they suspect. They may have much information about package thefts and porch pirates- all much needed to resolve your issue and recover the stolen package. However, when asking around doesn’t help, contact the seller.
Inform the Retailer
Connect with the seller/retailer and inform them about the stolen package and how it didn’t reach you. The good news is that most retailers are cooperative and willing to work cohesively with you to resolve the problem. Some product sellers may replace the order, while others may refund the purchase order.
For example, if you ordered from Amazon, the largest e-commerce retailer, report the missing package. Amazon will investigate the case. If their software shows the package was delivered, but you didn’t receive it physically, and it went missing, Amazon will issue a refund for eligible items up to $2500. They will also refund third-party parties when sellers fail to cooperate. Amazon’s goal is complete customer satisfaction. Hence, even if the Amazon seller doesn’t answer your refund request, you can get your money back by claiming a refund under the A to Z guarantee with Amazon.
Report the Shipping Company Directly
What if a friend or a family member sent the parcel through a shipping company? In this situation, report it to the shipping company. It is crucial to understand that every shipping company has a process for handling stolen packages.
For example, FedEx has a simple process for reporting stolen packages. With FedEx, claim a lost package online. Fill out the claim form and submit it. It takes roughly 5 to 7 business days to resolve the claim by FedEx.
UPS missing or stolen package claim is different. To file a claim with UPS, you must wait at least 24 hours from the delivery time. Ensure to keep the product’s seller informed because UPS will refund that money to the seller, not to you. Things can become even more complex with UPS if the stolen package is delivered from a foreign address.
On the other hand, if USPS shipped the package, fill out their Help Request form first. This form is to notify the local post office. It helps locate the stolen or missing package fast. Nonetheless, if the package can’t be recovered in seven days, you must fill out the MMSR claim. MMSR is a missing mail search request. You will have to provide the following details to proceed with the MMSR claim:
- Order tracking number
- Insurance evidence
- Item’s value proof
- Provide any evidence you may have about the stolen package
Stolen Packages - Ways to Prevent the Risk
It’s said prevention is better, and we couldn’t agree more. Therefore, here are some of the best ways to prevent the risk of stolen packages:
- Get a parcel locker like an Amazon hub locker. It allows you to receive the parcel in a safe location and retrieve it within three days at your convenience.
- You can request the company delivering the package to request your signature when receiving the order. It can also minimize the risk of missing or stolen packages as the delivery service may not hand over or leave the package at the doorstep unless they have the recipient’s signature for confirmation.
- If you are getting your order shipped by UPS, take advantage of their My Choice member service. Under this service, you can ask them to hold your package for seven days at no additional cost, especially when you are out of town for work or vacation. Furthermore, UPS also allows you to:
- Change the location and delivery date
- Inform the driver where to leave the package
- Get all the delivery updates on your phone
- View the estimated delivery time to ensure you’re available when the package arrives.
- Install sensors and cameras for optimum home security while staying vigilant of porch pirates. These devices can help you monitor your premises and record all activities outside and inside your home. In case of package theft, the sensing devices can reduce the success rate, while the camera recordings can help catch the porch pirates and recover your stolen package.
- Benefit from 24×7 monitoring service by Alarm Relay. They have been in the business for over 40 years and are strongly committed to protecting properties from potential crimes like break-ins, vandalism, and package thefts. The company offers UL-certified security systems and a real-live security expert who monitors your property 24x7x365. So, even when you’re not around, you will still have someone watching your property, ensuring it is safe and secure. More importantly, no long-term contracts exist, so you’re not bound.
Furthermore, if you are a customer of any other service like ADT and want to upgrade to Alarm Relay, you can easily do so without equipment replacement. All you need is a new communicator to make the transition. Contact the team at Alarm Relay for more information or residential monitoring service assistance.
