The days following Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the busiest for parcel deliveries. What's more, opportunistic burglars are on the prowl in the lead up to Christmas as UK homes are attacked by doorstep package thieves.
To ensure homeowners’ Christmas presents are kept safe, here are five top tips to protect doorsteps from parcel thieves.
Five Tips for Protecting Your Packages
- Reconsider your ‘safe place’ – Just because items are hidden behind a pot plant or wheelie bin doesn’t mean they’re completely invisible to burglars. Consider using a fixed outdoor storage locker where you can ask the postman to leave parcels, making sure it’s hidden from immediate sight.
- Keep up appearances – If you are sending deliveries to an empty house when at work, make it look as though you are home by keeping lights on, use automatic timers or download an app which allows you to manually turn lights on and off via a smartphone from wherever you are.
- Use smart home technology – Ring Video Doorbell sends instant notifications to your mobile device when anyone rings the bell or approaches your front door; so you’ll always know when parcels are delivered or if thieves are lurking . And with Ring’s two-way talk feature, you can speak directly with the delivery driver about the safest place to leave your parcel, or ward off strangers.
- Consider an Amazon Locker – Amazon Lockers are perfect for anyone who is planning to be away for days at a time and is looking to secure their packages in another location under lock and key. Click here to find your nearest Amazon Locker location.
- Work with your neighbours – Ask a close neighbour if they will be in during the day of delivery. When the package arrives, use your Ring Video Doorbell to direct deliveries to a trusted home nearby.
