With more consumers relying on online shopping rather than making numerous trips to retail stores, the number of people scouring neighborhoods looking to steal packages has increased as well.

To help you safeguard your packages, we’ve complied a collection of tips that will make sure thieves miss out on whatever you just ordered; be it a brand new iPhone X or just a four pound bag of delicious Rolos.

Install a Video Doorbell

There are a handful of video doorbell companies out there (August, Next, SkyBell), but the most popular one seems to be Ring. Ring was also purchased by Amazon recently, making them the go-to smart doorbell for anyone that’s invested in Alexa ecosystem.

When purchasing a video doorbell, you want to check stats like field of view (how large the angle is when recording), motion detection, night vision and resolution. Video doorbells allow you to speak to the person outside your home, ideal if you want to make them think you are there (thus scaring them away).

Use a Front Porch Lock-Box

There’s a new product hitting the market called BoxLock Home. It’s basically a padlock with a bar code scanner built-in. The delivery person scans your tracking number using the BoxLock and the lock disengages. They pop your package into a lockbox (size of your choosing) and relock the device.

You get a notification that the package has been delivered. The downside is that the lock has to be continuously recharged, usually once a month depending on use. There’s also no guarantee that the delivery person will take the time to use it since it’s more time consuming than just dropping off the package and walking away.

Stack it on the Package Guard

Another experimental product to potentially safeguard your deliveries is the Package Guard. Roughly the size of a Frisbee, the Package Guard fires off a notification the moment a package is stacked on it. It’s connected to your Wi-Fi and can be securely fastened to your porch.

If a thief removed a package from the device, a loud, piercing 100db alarm will sound unless the package is returned to the pad. Additional packages can be stacked on the pad as well, assuming you have multiple deliveries that day.

Install Front Yard / Front Door Cameras

Some thieves will be dissuaded if they spot cameras while considering taking a stroll up to your front door. There are tons of options, everything from a single bullet cam mounted over your front door to complex 8-camera systems with DVR capabilities recording days of footage.

If your HOA is going to get angry about ugly cameras mounted on your home, consider installing Maximus outdoor lights. Each Maximus light comes with a built in 720p security camera, two way intercom, 100 dB alarm siren, & smart light control via Alexa. It’s not an obvious camera to the thief, but at least you will have security footage to supply to the police.

Use Smart Package Lockers

Similar to just redirecting packages from your home to your work, you can also redirect them to lockers specifically designed to hold your packages (like a P.O. box). If these are convent to your area (check here), you can have your Amazon boxes delivered there at no additional cost.

You will typically find these locker locations at gas stations and convenience stores like 7-Eleven. These lockers are also becoming popular on college campuses, ideal for the student living in a dorm.

Consider using Amazon Key

If you have already had a package stolen, Amazon Key is a new option that lets delivery drivers into your home via smart locks, while being monitored by security cameras. Rather than leaving the package on your porch, the delivery person pops open the front door, drops off the package and leaves. Amazon is also offering another option for leaving deliveries in trunks of compatible smart cars.

Of course, this is an entirely different type of risk; allowing someone you’ve never met inside your home. It’s also not a great idea for any home with pets, as cats will dart out the door to freedom and dogs will chase the delivery person away. Both scenarios in which your pet can become lost in the neighborhood.

Add a Front Yard Security Sign

Even just a sign that states a home is protected by security could scare away pesky package thieves. While there are a ton of options, there aren’t many that light up at night. The Ring security sign uses built-in solar panels to power up during the day and stay lit all night; ideal for scaring away night-time prowlers. It’s also weather resistant.

Switch to Signature Delivery Only

While certainly not convenient if you are away from home quite a bit, companies like UPS and FedEx have let consumers decide if signatures are specifically required at your address. UPS’s My Choice, for instance, lets you choose options for each delivery. Ideal if you want to make sure an expensive package isn’t swiped post-delivery.

Utilize Delivery Notifications

There are plenty of apps that can send a notification to your mobile device when a package is delivered. If you work from home or simply have the flexibility to make a quick trip back to the house, removing the package from the front porch immediately post-delivery will keep thieves away since you have nothing to steal.

One of our favorite apps for notifications is Parcel, specifically because you can set it up to scrap your email for tracking numbers. The free version lets you track up to three packages in transit at any given time or you can upgrade for $3-per-year for unlimited tracking.

Make ’em Really Work for It!

If there’s one truth we can all get behind, it’s that most people are inherently lazy. Enter the Porch Pirate Bag, an arguably silly solution that appears to be more frustrating for thieves than anything else. Comprised of a PVC-reinforced nylon bag, a bike lock and what looks like a combination suitcase lock, a delivery driver simply slips your package into the bag and locks it up.

The bike lock slips through your front door handle and the suitcase lock goes through the bag’s zipper. A thief that wants your packages would have to come with bolt cutters, unlikely for someone that just wants an easy score. That would also draw more attention to someone that’s trying to look like a solicitor as well.

Bonus Tip: Monitor Neighbor (app) & NextDoor (social network)

Created by Ring, the iOS & Android app Neighbor just switched from limited to Ring-only users to available for the entire public. Anyone can now use the app to check out videos taken by Ring users, specifically local to your neighborhood (up to a 5 mile radius). Most of the videos in my area included lost dogs, kids playing ding-dong ditch, shady solicitors and, of course, package thieves.

Spotting a package thief on video will help you identify them if you see them roaming in your area. Lots of these types of updates are found on local social network Nextdoor (along with insane posts all cataloged on the Best of NextDoor Twitter account). Local police often post on NextDoor as well, ideal for keeping up to date on property theft in your area.

10 Ways to Deter Thieves from Stealing your Amazon Packages

We have all come home at least once to find an online shopping purchase hidden poorly around our home, if at all. Some delivery drivers are expert ninjas at hiding your packages from would-be thieves, but there are some folks that simply just don’t get it.

There’s probably some sort of motivational poster floating around in UPS and Fedex warehouses that states “When in Doubt, Hide it under the Mat!” With that in mind, here are some of the best hiding fails of your packages:

You are welcome…to steal this package!

Definitely not a Brother laser printer.

Wipe your feet on our packages before you enter.

We like to give our packages a nice hat.

Impossible to spot from the street!

Who wants a new computer case? You’re welcome!

Putting that mat over your grill was a team effort.

This half-moon mat will disguise your tall speakers.

Why bother with the front door when it fits so well?

See-through mats are the best for hiding brightly colored boxes.

What package? This is just a snow shovel.

Surely, package thieves will only take the large box.

This is clearly just another step of concrete.

See-through star mats will protect anything.

Stealthy apartment hiding, just amazing.

The packages are here under my wiener.

The kids built another mat fort again!

Surely these extremely heavy chairs will protect it!

Thanks OfficeMax! I can barely see it now.

Leave! Nothing to see here!

This seems like a artwork sculpture, put a mat on it.

A rug hiding more rugs, what could possibly go wrong?

Thieves will have no idea this is an expensive Bowflex machine.

Making it super easy for thieves to drive and steal.

When in doubt: Pin packages to ground with heavy stones.

When in doubt deux: Hide a package under a mat, then under another package

Hiding packages at eye level is a lost art.

Note to self, buy fake corn for delivery man to use.

Pumpkin welcome signs will hide anything, ANYTHING!

That’s just part of the chair, you sillyhead.

And as a bonus, here’s a few expert level hiding jobs from the true ninjas:

At least thieves will need a ladder.

Not Even Mad. That’s thinking outside the mat, for sure.

30 Times when Delivery Drivers Failed at Hiding Packages

If you are staying put at home during the coronavirus outbreak, there are a number of restaurants that have rolled out free delivery promotions or are slashing delivery fees (not including a tip for your delivery driver). We will continue to update this list going forward:

Auntie Anne’s

$0 delivery fee on $15+ orders with DoorDash through March 30

Blaze Pizza

Delivery fee waived, no end date announced.

Bob Evans

Free Delivery, no end date announced.

Buca di Beppo

Free delivery, no end date announced.

Burger King

$0 delivery fees on $10+ orders when ordering through GrubHub & Postmates.

Chipotle

Free delivery on orders $10 or more through March 31.

Del Taco

Free Delivery through Postmates using code DELTACONOW.

Denny’s

All delivery fees waived through April 12.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

Free Delivery, no end date announced.

Famous Dave’s

Free delivery on orders of $25 or more with the checkout code FREEDELIVERY

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)

Free delivery through April 26 via GrubHub on orders more than $12.

Little Caesars

Free delivery through March 22

Moe’s

Free Delivery on orders $10 or more, no end date announced.

Macaroni Grill

Free delivery on $25 Feast for Five meal.

Outback Steakhouse

Free delivery at select locations through April 30

P.F. Chang’s

Free delivery on orders $25 or more.

Popeye’s

Free Delivery, no end date announced.

Red Lobster

Free delivery on orders $30 or more.

Ruby Tuesday

Free delivery or 25% off carryout orders, no end date announced.

Taco Bell

Free deliver on your first order $12 or more through March 31

Uber Eats

Delivery fees waived on 100,000 independent restaurants in the U.S. and Canada.

Which Wich

Free delivery at select locations through March 31.

Here are all the restaurants offering free delivery due to coronavirus

Starting first in Dallas, Orlando, Philadelphia, and Phoenix, Amazon is attempting to shave time off same-day delivery service. Previously, same-day delivery service meant users would receive packages by the end of the day.

Now, Amazon is shifting to order time windows. For instance, if you wake up early and order something before breakfast, it will arrive on your doorstep by 1 p.m. Here are the four order time windows:

• Midnight to 8 a.m.: Delivery by 1 p.m.
• 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Delivery by 6 p.m.
• 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Delivery by 10 p.m.
• 5 p.m. to Midnight: Delivery by 8 a.m. the following morning.

This change is driven by Amazon creating mini-fulfillment centers around the city rather than using a single giant warehouse. These centers are about 90 percent smaller than a standard warehouse and only stock about 100,000 of the most popular items sold on Amazon. It’s also being driven by the expansion of Amazon’s own fleet of delivery drivers, rather than relying on UPS or Fedex for deliveries.

If you are planning on placing orders for a 10 p.m. delivery, please leave your lights in front of your home or the front porch. The same goes for the overnight delivery option. I’ve personally experienced deliveries at the 5 a.m. hour with this new system, deliveries that my dog was more than happy to alert me about.

Also, be wary of porch pirates. As these new delivery windows could leave packages at your front doorstep after you’ve gone to bed, porch pirates may shift their thievery to late nights in order to avoid detection in the dark. You may want to consider investing in a delivery lock box at your front door or night vision security cameras to capture the thieves on video.

Same-Day Delivery is free to Amazon Prime members on qualifying orders over $35 or $2.99 for delivery on orders under $35. To see if Same-Day Delivery is available in their area, you can use the zip code checker here.

Amazon speeds up same-day shipping in 4 U.S. Cities

Launching a pilot program in Silicon Valley this week, Walmart is testing out a service that would send employees into homes to restock the fridge, even if the customer isn’t home. This is specifically for homes with smart locks and monitoring tools, in order to keep track of the delivery person in your home.

This is how it works: After an online order is placed, a Walmart delivery worker uses a one-time code for entry into a home (like on an August smart lock). When that code is punched in, the door unlocks and the homeowner receives a smartphone notification that the code has just been used.

At this point, the homeowner can watch the delivery worker enter their home and place groceries inside their fridge; assuming they have security cameras in the right areas of the home. Once the fridge is stocked and the employee leaves the home, the homeowner receives a notification about the delivery being completed. The door lock automatically secures the home when the worker leaves.

Of course, it’s unlikely that a homeowner would always have the time to watch deliveries taking place. It’s likely that a homeowner would need to invest in DVR technology to record the video feed during the delivery. In addition, it could be a security issue if the worker wanders out of view of the camera.

At this time, this only appears to be tested with August Home customers. If Walmart wants to take this concept to a wider audience, they will have to work with other home security manufacturers like Nest. There’s also no information on how much this type of delivery service will cost. It’s likely to have a more significant delivery fee than someone simply dropping off a box on your doorstep.

Walmart wants to stock your fridge while you aren’t home

Originally developed for retail locations like 7-Eleven, Amazon has announced the creation of a delivery system for apartment buildings that don’t have any secure way to store packages when delivered. Called The Hub, this set of lockers is installed at a central location of your apartment complex; ideally in an area like the lobby on the first floor.

Digitally connected to all the lockers, a touchscreen on the front of The Hub controls access. Basically, Amazon sends you a 6-digit code on your mobile device. After punching in the code, the locker holding your package will automatically unlock and open. The smallest version of The Hub is six-foot wide and has 42 compartments, although apartment building owners can purchase larger sizes as well.

It’s very similar to owning a post office box as a USPS facility, but accessible to all delivery companies. It would save time for delivery drivers as well, since they would only have to visit a single location to deliver all the packages for a building. It would curb theft as well, since packages left at the front door of apartments are often targets for thieves.

All the package compartment sizes are pre-configured and include multiple sizes for various box sizes. There’s not a specific price for The Hub, but anyone interested can forward the information to their apartment managers / owners in order to investigate.

Amazon launches ‘The Hub,’ delivery lockers for apartments

Detailed in a new patent granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office yesterday, Amazon is considering airdropping packages from drones and guiding those packages to a destination near your home. Hypothetically, this will keep the drones from colliding with customers, animals, trees or other items that could be an obstruction in a yard.

Of course, this would also keep a drone on the move. If able to carry mulitple packages, the drone would be able to make mulitple deliveries without taking the time to land and take off. Amazon would also be able to preserve battery life from those actions.

According to the details in the patent, the drone would monitor the progress of your package at it plummets to the ground. If the package veers off course, the drone would send a signal to the box (holding your package) and deploy options like compressed air, a landing flap or multiple parachutes to redirect the box.

Of course, the patent doesn’t detail how the housing  (for the packages) will be collected by the online retailer. It’s possible that warehouse workers would have to constantly retrieve housing from customers after deliveries have been made. It’s also unclear what responsibility the customer will have to retain the housing in a safe, secure area of their home.

Amazon hasn’t released any information on the launch of Prime Air in any area of the Unites States as of yet. Interestingly, the company featured Prime Air in an ad for the Amazon Echo during the Super Bowl earlier this month.

Doritos. Drones. Drama. The perfect recipe for the big game. #JustAsk Alexa #SB51 pic.twitter.com/5sMvM5O6mU

— Amazon Echo (@amazonecho) February 6, 2017

Amazon wants to drop packages near your house using parachutes

Showing up recently in a registered patent, Amazon wants to build an “airborne fulfillment center” (AFC) that would hover 45 thousand feet in the sky in order to dispatch drones around a city for deliveries. Conceptually, this would allow customers to receive packages much faster since drones would be dispatched at a location closer to their home.

In addition, Amazon envisions smaller airships that would transport Amazon warehouse workers to and from the giant airship. These ships would also refuel the giant airborne fulfillment center, resupply the AFC with inventory and return drones that ran out of power.

Within the patent, Amazon poses as example of the technology. An AFC could hover over a stadium during a football game and airdrop products like team merchandise to fans during the game. Hypothetically, this function could be useful for any live event as well as any area that’s experienced a natural disaster, thus delivering a constant flow of emergency supplies.

Also hypothetically, Amazon could limit AFC as a delivery option to customers that have signed up for Prime. Since it would likely be the fastest way to receive a package, Amazon would be able to attract new household to the Prime subscription or charge a premium for the expedient delivery method.

Of course, this delivery concept is only a patent at this stage. Amazon has just started testing the feasibility of drone deliveries from land-based warehouses in the United Kingdom to a limited number of customers. Prime Air deliveries may or may not become feasible in the United States in the near future as the method is dependent on airspace restrictions developed by the FAA.

Related: The Do’s and Dont’s of Prime Air Deliveries

Amazon wants a giant warehouse in the sky for drone deliveries

Possibly pairing with Amazon’s fleet of white delivery vans in metropolitan areas, the online retailer is currently beta testing package delivery that’s left inside your home or garage. Running a test in Seattle, Amazon is linking up with August (smart lock company) and Garageio (smart garage door company) to make this happen.

This is likely how it works: When you place an order that’s eligible for Amazon white van delivery, you would have to option to check a box for in-home delivery. The courier of your order would be issued a one-time access code that would work with an August smart lock or a Garageio smart garage door opener.

Via the smartphone app, the delivery driver would open your front door or garage door to leave the package, then close / lock the door when leaving. This feature is becoming relatively common for smart locks. August rolled it out during 2015, basically allowing people that visit your home, like dogwalkers or cleaners, to access your home without you having to be there.

Conceptually, this could be a savings for Amazon as they wouldn’t have to pay for that familiar brown box that gets left at your front door. Whatever you order could be delivered packaging free, since there’s no need to hide it. Hypothetically, Amazon could release their own set of smart devices that accomplish this as well, all with voice assistant Alexa communicating with your delivery driver.

Of course, this creates a glaring security issue for homeowners. Do you really want to give a stranger access to your front door or even to your garage? Let us know in the comments below.

Amazon wants to deliver packages inside your home, not outside

Captured using a networked, mini-dome Sony 4K video camera this week, one Amazon customer got to watch his package being delivered by USPS in the most expedient fashion. We won’t spoil too much, just watch:

As shown in the video, the driver chucks the Amazon customer’s package onto the sidewalk in front of his house and slinks back into the driver’s seat. The driver doesn’t even bother to close the sliding van door as it flies open as he drives away, as if escaping from the scene of a crime without a care in the world.

According to the owner of said package, there wasn’t any harm done to the contents of the box. Of course, the USPS driver made it much easier for thieves to steal the box, as it was simply on the sidewalk rather than hidden near the front door.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that a driver has screwed up a package delivery. We collected some of our favorites, as seen below:

Fedex Chucks a Computer Monitor

USPS Professional Package Tosser

Amazon Logistics Tossing a $300 Camera

UPS Guy Steals iPad Mini Left by Fedex

Fedex Leaves Door Open While Driving

UPS Driver Tossing Boxes Like a Champ

Fedex Driver Forgets to use the Parking Brake

Hey Amazon, This Delivery Driver Hates Your Packages