Porch Pirates - any recourse at all?

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

I’ve been bitten twice by thieves stealing packages - both from Jegs, both FedEx. A bunch of LS gaskets and some Dana44 rebuild stuff.

FedEx (through a 3rd party carrier) has left the packages at my mailbox on a busy road, instead of driving the 1/8th mile up our private road to drop it at my house, as they (and UPS) have done for years.

I assume it’s because these 3rd party people are under the gun, time is money and somewhere in the fine print of shipping we all agree to, a mailbox = a physical address.

Both packages vanished. I marked both missing with FedEx.



Do you see any other path forward except
- I file a complain with FedEx
- FedEx says
1) we have a photo of it delivered to your mailbox
2) we actually hand off custody to FlyByNight Inc to deliver the package, so file a claim with them.
- FlyByNight Inc. has no claim process, and even less care to resolve it, pointing to the photo and “we did our job.”
- I take it in the tailpipe for a few hundred dollars

[old Rusty C10]

between fedex and jegs i have no idea which is worse for customer service. Best to use a credit card that offers protection and try to get a signature required for drop off other than that youre basically stuck

[Getter-Done]

You could take it out on the Pirate.

Use whatever level you feel comfortable with.

Glitterbomb 3.0 vs. Porch Pirates - YouTube

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

Everything I do online is through PayPal.

[weq92f]

.

In this case, maybe you do need a PO box eh? LOL... If you have a somewhat local neighbor who has more accessible front door or maybe a business near you (small business) would agree to receive packages for you. Ship USPS and have them keep it at the PO for pickup. I think even FedX allows the holding of packages at their nearest facility for pickup in some cases.

Unfortunately, as I'm reminded far too often, the end customer just doesn't matter anymore to a large and growing number of Corporations. Ironic isn't it that the end customer is the driver of their growth and in fact the entire economy.

I would get back on the phone with the carrier and demand they support you. Don't take "it's the best we can do" from anybody. Escalate your issue with them, have your CC revoke your payment on the goods you did not receive from the retailer. You have recourse but it's going to require you to use facts/honey/facts/sugar very firmly with them.

Good luck CrappyTruck,

-Kevin

[WorldsCrappiestTruck]

Neither UPS or FedEx will deliver to a PO Box….and unless you use something like RockAuto to select your shipping method, the carrier is usually pretty blind to the customer.

I’ll follow the process and see what happens. Planning to get the shaft, but screaming at someone might make me feel better.

[Dead Parrot]

Install a game cam that covers the mail box area. At least you can get a picture of the theft. Bonus points if you can place one that also captures the vehicle plate.

I think there is a way that you can receive a text when the package is marked as delivered. Might have a chance to beat the pirate to your package. May have to create a FedEx account.

As mentioned, have the package sent as "Signature Required". I have a similar length drive off the road to my house. Ordered a Dell laptop. Dell marked it as Signature Required. Contract FedEx guy did come to the house, I signed and got the laptop. Have had OP's issue with FedEx folks leaving packages by the road. Including books left in the rain.

So far both UPS and USPS will bring packages to the house. USPS only if it doesn't fit in the mail box but at least in the mail box, it is out of sight.

If you aren't the live hunting type, put out a box with an old cell phone or apple tracker gizmo inside. Watch. When the pirate takes the bait, call the local LEO with the cell phone or tracker info. Let them do the hunting.

[Richard]

Mark Rober built trackable glitter bombs. The videos are entertaining Here is version 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_TSR_v07m0 Recall there are 6 versions. There were arrests that came from his pursuit.

[Boog]

I would rather pack some kind of exploding paint or marker. Something not easily washed off. They can change clothes but can't wash that stuff off their face and hands. Thievery is one of the oldest sins known to man. They need to experience some pain.

[weq92f]

Originally Posted by Boog

I would rather pack some kind of exploding paint or marker. Something not easily washed off. They can change clothes but can't wash that stuff off their face and hands. Thievery is one of the oldest sins known to man. They need to experience some pain.

.

I got interested in the glitter bomb videos some time back and found the particular ones I was watching later to be staged. Not sure about the ones in this thread but it is something to think about and I agree, using glitter is more of a stunt. Using something with a little more...teeth as they say, that would be something to see.

Just place a box on your porch/OP's mailbox, preferably one that has maybe Dell or Apple printed on it in big letters maybe even their logos. What to put inside said box is the question. I would want something in there that would make that thief seriously consider never doing it again. Short of that, it would need to inflict the maximum amount of inconvenience.

-Kevin

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by Boog

I would rather pack some kind of exploding paint or marker. Something not easily washed off. They can change clothes but can't wash that stuff off their face and hands. Thievery is one of the oldest sins known to man. They need to experience some pain.

Yeah

That or this guy got a Big Suprise.

EPIC FLASH BANG ??Marine Booby Trap Amazon Porch...

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by Getter-Done

Yeah

That or this guy got a Big Suprise.
EPIC FLASH BANG ??Marine Booby Trap Amazon Porch Pirate [bad language] - YouTube

[RustyPile]

I have a P.O. Box and use that shipping address most of the time.. I live in a very rural area with 2 gates between my house and the mail box on the road, and neither FedEx nor UPS will open a gate to deliver to the door steps. The nearest UPS facility is about 15 miles from my house, while FexEx is 60 miles away in another city. I don't deal with vendors and suppliers that ship only FedEx. When dealing with vendors that use only UPS, I use the nearest UPS facility as the shipping address and UPS will hold my packages for pickup. Packages shipped to me via USPS are shipped to my P.O. Box..

In the 14 years of using these techniques only one package has been "lost".. And that one was a package I returned for a refund.. The vendor had provided me with a prepaid shipping label. Activation of the tracking number provided proof that the package had been shipped, so even though the package never made it to it's destination, I was given my refund..

WorldsCrappiestTruck, get yourself a USPS P.O. Box for Postal Service packages and use that as a shipping address. For UPS, have the packages held for pickup.. Porch Pirates cannot get to packages at those places.

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by Getter-Done

Yeah

That or this guy got a Big Suprise.
EPIC FLASH BANG ??Marine Booby Trap Amazon Porch Pirate [bad language] - YouTube

I absolutely LOVE IT! Epic and best porch pirate come back I've ever seen! Karma struck with avengence!

[richard2717]

I thought it was illegal For any carriers to leave packages in or on USPS mailboxes other than USPS?

[Boog]

Originally Posted by Getter-Done

Yeah

That or this guy got a Big Suprise.
EPIC FLASH BANG ??Marine Booby Trap Amazon Porch Pirate [bad language] - YouTube

Yeah, that's good.

Whatever you do, you must consider the potential risk of seriously injuring the thief or someone near them when it goes off. You wouldn't want to get sued over it.

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by Boog

Whatever you do, you must consider the potential risk of seriously injuring the thief or someone near them when it goes off. You wouldn't want to get sued over it.

Yeah, that's true, even though they wouldn't get hurt if they weren't committing a crime.

Similar situation, sorta: A coworker was having firewood stolen from his woodshed. He considered drilling holes in a few pieces and loading them with gunpowder. His brother, who was a cop, talked him out of it: He could be sued if someone's house got burned down. Especially if someone was injured.... or worse.

That said, I still got a good laugh out of that video.

[Sheepdip]

My son has a MyQ external garage door opener key pad which also has a camera linked to his WiFi and notifies him on his phone with video every time it opens or closes. I have the same set up on my gates.

Amazon, UPS, FedEx, USPS etc all have a code to open his garage door and place the packages inside....all caught and recorded on video in case of any monkey business. So far so good!

But nothing is 100%

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by richard2717

I thought it was illegal For any carriers to leave packages in or on USPS mailboxes other than USPS?

It is.

Link: https://mailboxempire.com/blogs/news...0monopoly%20on

[weq92f]

Originally Posted by Getter-Done

It is.

Link: https://mailboxempire.com/blogs/news...0monopoly%20on

.

I kind of new it was unlawful to place things in someone's mail box but dang. 5000 dollar fine just for touching someone else's mail box. That's nuts.

-Kevin

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by weq92f

.

I kind of new it was unlawful to place things in someone's mail box but dang. 5000 dollar fine just for touching someone else's mail box. That's nuts.

-Kevin

My FIL and His Mother were both Postmaster's.

I remember stories from them about stuff happening in other towns.

Most of the Huge fine is to make people think Twice about messing with the Mailbox or the Mail carrying vehicle itself.

There is lots of Personal stuff in the Mailbox like checks/ Personal info and Social Security info.
I think about this a lot when my wife asks me to put a Check in the Mailbox.
I take it Directly to the Post office. (Which may not be convenient for some).

If this was not in place I can only imagine How much junk mail that some of the businesses would leave in there.
For example (Gutter businesses or Tree trimmers in the area).

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by Getter-Done

It is.

Link: https://mailboxempire.com/blogs/news...0monopoly%20on

The text says you can’t put anything inside of a mailbox nothing about around or on top of. This is why you see the newspaper receptacles under the mailbox

[best view]

Ups delivers to my P.O. Box all the time

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by best view

Ups delivers to my P.O. Box all the time

Same here, and FedEx does too. They both also do home delivery. No idea what determines the delivery method....

[TKCR]

You can have your packages delivered to a drop off point, and then you pick it up there. I’m going to assume all the shipping places use the same stores like my town does.
UPS will drop ship to your local CVS.
FedEx will drop ship to Walgreens.
Then when get the notification that it was delivered, you go into that store and show your ID to get your package.
Just look online at the respective shippers website, it should list all the stores that they will drop ship too.
I know they will hold packages also at the local hub for pickup, but in my case being in a small town, there are no UPS or FedEx hubs close by. All of them would be at least a 45 min- an hours drive. So that’s what’s nice about the local stores like CVS & Walgreens being used for package pickups.

Here’s an example of UPS. I went to their website and entered my address in, and it gave me a list of places I could use to have a package delivered there.
CVS is the closest, 1mile from me. I don’t have problems with porch pirates, but if I know I won’t be home and I don’t want to risk it, I’ll have the package routes to CVS. Then I can pick it up at my earliest convenience.