Contact-free deliveries are the norm for couriers like Amazon and UPS, and though this is safe and convenient in many ways, packages and parcels left outside can be an invitation to thieves and porch pirates.
While there are many ways to prevent the theft of packages, it’s also wise to know what to do if a package is stolen from the porch, mailbox, or doorstep.
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Who is Responsible for Stolen Packages?
Delivery companies create their own guarantees, terms, and conditions which outline responsibility for stolen packages, the most popular of which are listed below.
Generally, delivery companies do not accept responsibility for a stolen package if it has been a) successfully delivered and b) left in a designated ‘safe place’ with photographic proof.
Retailers that handle all stages of the purchase and delivery process, like Amazon, have more relaxed rules around missing packages. Amazon’s A-to-Z Guarantee, for example, usually covers packages that have disappeared.
In either circumstance, buyers have to do the legwork to resolve the issue by contacting the seller or making a claim to the delivery company. Buyers should also contact the police to report the stolen package.
Footage of the theft is helpful for reporting a burglary to the police because it is proof of the theft. A police report won’t be provided unless sufficient evidence of victimhood is provided. It may also capture what the thief looks like.
AlfredCamera lets users transform old phones into surveillance cameras in minutes. Download the app and place the viewing device in the window so it can see the front door/porch area. Then, let motion detection do the work. If a person is detected, AlfredCamera will notify the user immediately and start recording. Catch the porch pirate in the act and sound the siren to scare them off.
Add an AlfredCam to the arsenal for just $29.99 to get infrared night vision in 1080p HD, ensuring that a keen eye can watch over the porch even in total darkness.
For more examples of how users have been making the most of Alfred, head here.
What To Do If A Package Is Stolen
There’s no denying it—realizing a package has been stolen sucks. But remaining calm and following the steps below will help resolve the situation as fast as possible.
1. Check the status of the delivery, security footage, and order information
When a package goes missing, it is most likely a mistake in the delivery rather than a theft. With contactless deliveries on the rise, delivery companies like Amazon, UPS, DPD and FedEx require their couriers to provide a photo of packages they leave outside.
If a photo isn’t provided, it might not have been delivered in the first place. With AlfredCamera, you can easily double-check this by looking at past footage.
When items are reported missing, often the buyer later notices that they have entered an incorrect address for delivery, so it is also worth confirming the address on the order confirmation receipt.
2. Check with neighbors
Couriers are required to provide detailed information in the event that they leave a package with a neighbor. In reality, they don’t always do this.
If you come home to find a package is missing, check with a neighbor in case it’s with them.
In some cases, even if the package has been left in a designated safe place, a neighbor will collect it in order to prevent it being stolen by porch pirates.
3. Request a refund from the seller
If a parcel goes missing and there is insufficient evidence of delivery, the seller will sometimes give the buyer the benefit of the doubt and issue a refund or send a replacement, especially if the purchase is inexpensive. Find out how in the section below, where we explain the policies of some of the most popular courier companies.
If a package was proven to be delivered and was then stolen, liability is not in the hands of either the seller or the delivery company.
4. Contact the police
Do police investigate stolen packages? They do so long as sufficient evidence of being the victim of a crime is provided. That’s why video footage, which can be recorded for free via AlfredCamera, is so important. Without it, there is no investigation to be made.
Hopes shouldn’t be high for the return of the package, but by reporting it to the police, an official police report will be made. A police report is usually required to make a claim under a ‘buyer protection’ policy, which may apply to the purchase in question.
Without an official police report, there likely won’t be sufficient proof of victimhood, so it is worthwhile obtaining one if intent on making an insurance/buyer protection claim.
A Google search for your city name followed by ‘police report online’ should turn up the relevant place for filing an online police report for a stolen package. Alternatively, call the non-emergency number for the local police department. Likewise, this can be obtained through a quick online search.
Missing Package Policies from Different Providers
Different delivery couriers have different policies that cover what happens in the event of a package going missing, whether it is listed as delivered or not.
Check out the missing package policies for the most popular delivery services below.
| Replacement | Refund or Reimbursement | Relevant Policy Pages | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | A replacement can be requested and sent at no extra cost if entire order is fulfilled by Amazon | A refund can be requested and sent at no extra cost | A-to-Z Guarantee (Third-party seller) Fulfilled by Amazon |
| USPS | USPS do not provide replacements | A refund can be requested for Priority Mail Express items If an insurance claim is made and accepted, it may be paid out in full or in part | Online help request Missing Mail Search Refund request for Priority Mail Express items Online Claim Claim filing periods for different services |
| UPS | UPS do not provide replacements | Shippers and receivers can both file a claim for reimbursement Both shipper and receiver will see updates of the claim A claim can be paid out in full, in part, or rejected | Report missing package via email File a claim Claims support Contact |
| FedEx | FedEx does not provide replacements | A claim can be filed within 9 months of shipment A claim will be paid out in full, in part, or rejected | Report Missing Package File a claim |
FAQ
Does insurance cover stolen packages?
More expensive delivery options may include a kind of insurance that covers missing packages, but if a package is proven to be delivered in the designated safe space, the company isn’t liable for its theft.
Insurance or buyer protection guarantees don’t necessarily account for the entire cost of a lost/missing package. Successful claims may only reimburse part of the cost.
Independent insurance policies should be considered when it comes to shipping very expensive, one-of-a-kind items.
What do you do if someone steals your package?
If someone steals your package, the first thing to do is to check whether the seller will offer a refund. Then, notify the authorities, obtain a police report, and let the bank know, as they may provide cover in instances of theft or burglary. If the delivery was insured or was shipped using a particularly expensive method, coverage may also apply there.
AlfredCamera is an inexpensive option for monitoring porch piracy, and can provide footage that will help prove victimhood (which is necessary in getting a police report filed).
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Conclusion
When a package appears to be stolen, it is always important to contact the courier and report to the seller. Often, the missing package will be the result of miscommunication during the delivery.
Obtaining a police report is necessary to make insurance claims, and this is much easier to do with adequate surveillance footage, which AlfredCamera can provide.
Recommended reading: Use This Hilarious Porch Pirate Trap to Put an End to Package Theft