By Lorie Ham
The holiday season is upon us again and everyone is starting to think about Christmas shopping. Many of us now do most, if not all, of our shopping online, which means we need to stay aware of the possibility of someone stealing our packages if we aren’t home when they arrive.
Porch pirates have been an issue for a few years now, and back in 2017, we shared an article with you that has some great tips on how to not become a victim and let those pirates ruin your holiday.
There are a couple of fascinating new ways to help keep the packages you order from Amazon safe. The first one is called Key. Key is a simple solution that gives you the freedom to enjoy keyless smart access and receive packages delivered inside your garage, home, or car, where they will be safe. The Key app seems to be completely free-the trick is to use it on your front door or your garage you will need to have a camera installed. You can learn more on the Amazon website.
If you don’t feel comfortable using Key, Amazon also offers another free solution–Amazon Hub Lockers. Amazon lockers are secure self-service kiosks where you can pick up your packages when it’s convenient for you. Simply select your locker location as your delivery address at checkout. You will then be sent a code you can use to open your locker. There are lockers all over, including in a small city like Reedley CA, so you should be able to find one near you. You can learn all about them on the Amazon website as well.
I learned about these services from Amazon in an article on the Family Handyman website, you can check out that article for even more ideas.
While you are at it, you may want to check with your Mennonite Insurance agent to see if such thefts might be covered by your insurance, just in case! Don’t let porch pirates steal your holidays.
