Holiday Shopping Means Greater Risk of Package

Theft by Floyd Arthur

Carmoon Group Ltd.

Holiday Shopping Means Greater Risk of Package

Theft by Floyd ArthurAnother holiday season is rapidly approaching here in the United

States, and it promises to be even busier than last year as an improving economy and increased consumer confidence spur greater spending and bigger profits for retailers everywhere.

What’s more, an ever increasing number of holiday shoppers are purchasing their gifts online. The National Retail Federation

predicts that 50 percent or more of all holiday spending will be done on digital channels this year. According to Matt Lawson,

director of performance ads marketing for Google, fully 30 percent of those purchases will be made on a smartphone—a 64 percent

increase over 2014.

Holiday Shopping Means Greater Risk of Package

Theft by Floyd ArthurUnfortunately, the convenience of online shopping comes with a significant threat—package theft.Although data is not available

on how many packages are stolen each year, both FedEx and UPS report that the number increases between December 1 and

December 24th, and some law enforcement officials are already reporting a 50 percent increase in package theft over last year. Given the total number of deliveries—UPS estimates that it will deliver 585 million packages in December, 34 million of them on

December 22nd alone, the overall incidence is negligible. Nevertheless, it can be heartbreaking if it happens to you.

Holiday Shopping Means Greater Risk of Package

Theft by Floyd ArthurStrategies to Prevent Package Theft

Both UPS and Fed Ex offer a number of tips -- and some

helpful tools – to help consumers discourage “porch pirates” -- thieves who follow delivery trucks and steal packages as they are left on customer’s doorsteps. For example, FedEx

offers a free service, Delivery Manager, which allows users to customize delivery options.UPS offers a similar option with its

free service, UPS My Choice. Somechoices offered by both services include:

Holiday Shopping Means Greater Risk of Package

Theft by Floyd ArthurHave packages delivered to an alternate

location. A majority of package thefts happen during the day, when customers are at work or

school. If you know you will not be home to accept a delivery, have it sent to your workplace

or to an alternate address. Additionally, both UPS and FedEx allow you to have packages held

at a local office for pick up.

Holiday Shopping Means Greater Risk of Package

Theft by Floyd ArthurGive specific instructions for

delivery: Both FedEx and UPS allow customers to give specific

instructions to drivers about where to put deliveries, such as at the back

door or behind a potted plant.

Holiday Shopping Means Greater Risk of Package

Theft by Floyd ArthurAsk the driver to ring the bell: Many delivery drivers do thisautomatically when leaving a package at your door, but it doesn’t hurt to make a special

request.

Holiday Shopping Means Greater Risk of Package

Theft by Floyd ArthurGet alerts via email, text or

automated voice call:Both UPS and Fed Ex will, upon request, provide

advance notice of when your package will arrive and send a notice when it

has been delivered to your door.

Holiday Shopping Means Greater Risk of Package

Theft by Floyd ArthurCustomize delivery time: Both Fed Ex and UPS offer a variety of

options for customized delivery. For example, FedEx Delivery Manager allows customers to request a specific delivery date and time or reroute packages in transit for an additional fee (charges vary depending on delivery location and package

weight.) Additionally, premium members of UPS My Choice ($40 annual fee) can reroute an unlimited number of packages and

request alternate delivery dates at no additional cost. The service also offers two free customized delivery windows each

year, and you can add more for just $8 each.

Holiday Shopping Means Greater Risk of Package

Theft by Floyd ArthurAdditionally, video surveillance cameras may help catch porch pirates in the act. In November 2015, Los Angeles law enforcement officers were led to the home of a “porch pirate” who was videotaped stealing packages from a home and loading them

into a U-Haul truck. Police tracked the license plate captured on the video and discovered thousands of

dollars of stolen items in the thief’s home.

Holiday Shopping Means Greater Risk of Package

Theft by Floyd ArthurSame Day Delivery May End Package Theft

If you shop at Amazon.com and live in one of 16 metropolitan areas**the online giantcan alleviate your delivery worries with same-day or next-day delivery. You must be an Amazon Prime member ($99 a year after 30 day

free trial) to use the service, which promises delivery by 9 p.m. on all orders placed by 12 noon and early morning delivery for orders placed later in the day. Orders over $35 ship for free; orders for less than that amount

incur a $5 flat fee. In addition, shoppers in some areas of the United Statescan now use the

Amazon’s Prime Now app, which offers one or two-hour delivery on thousands of items for a nominal fee.

Holiday Shopping Means Greater Risk of Package

Theft by Floyd ArthurTechnology Adds a New Dimension to Preventing Package Theft

Most delivery services stop delivering at 8 p.m., but a new service, Doorman, promises to bring your packages to your door in the evening

when you’re actually at home. The brainchild of CEO Zander Adell, Doorman lets you order packages online and have them delivered to a

Doorman storage facility, where they are held until you schedule delivery using the Doorman app. Two-hour delivery windows are available between

6 p.m. and midnight, seven days a week, for a flat per-delivery charge of $3.99, or you can choose a monthly membership ($19.99 to $29.99) and receive unlimited deliveries at no additional charge. The service is only available in Chicago, New York and San Francisco as of December 2015.

Holiday Shopping Means Greater Risk of Package

Theft by Floyd ArthurOf course, even the most conscientious consumer can become the victim of package theft. That’s why everyone should be protected with insurance

that covers them in the event a valuable item disappears. Whether you own or rent your home, our experienced agents can design an insurance package tailored to your individual needs. Just call us at 516-292-3780,

Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6.p.m., to schedule an appointment, or request a free consultation online now.

** New York City, Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C.,

Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Orlando, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle/Tacoma, Chicago, Indianapolis, Dallas/ Fort Worth, Phoenix