Australia has an even better solution, AusPost has a parcel locker system where they place the parcel in a locker and send you an SMS with the code to get it out. Zero chance of theft, no need to...
Australia has an even better solution, AusPost has a parcel locker system where they place the parcel in a locker and send you an SMS with the code to get it out. Zero chance of theft, no need to install amazon spyware, and no chance of untrusted delivery workers gaining access.
The lockers are placed all over the place so there is usually always one near by.
Yeah, same, there's one at the petrol station just down the road from me. I've ranted to my friends about how much more useful it would've been to have had the postal service run it and make it...
Yeah, same, there's one at the petrol station just down the road from me. I've ranted to my friends about how much more useful it would've been to have had the postal service run it and make it open to all deliveries rather than locked to a single retailer. At least that was the issue pre-home-working, when packages were all but guaranteed to arrive while I was at the office.
Same goes for the Post Office branch itself, to be honest. Rather than being a hub that I can get any parcel from, they insist on attempting to deliver to my house twice, and then taking things to the distribution centre that's miles away, at which point I can request it to be redelivered and left at the Post Office. Whole process takes the better part of a week, whereas selecting the Amazon locker as the intended address gets it there next day.
Amazon has a version that accepts packages from any service, actually: https://www.amazon.com/b?node=17337376011 Edit: there are similar products from a few companies
Oh cool! Come to think of it, that's very in keeping with the Amazon approach: they let any supplier sell on their storefront, any partner tie into their logistics services, any developer use...
Oh cool! Come to think of it, that's very in keeping with the Amazon approach: they let any supplier sell on their storefront, any partner tie into their logistics services, any developer use their digital infrastructure; all for a charge, of course. Once they've built something for internal use, they're more than happy to white label it and turn it into an extra revenue stream.
This'll definitely be location-specific, but I'm reasonably sure that Royal Mail only lets you hold PO Box mail at a "Delivery Office" (big depot, usually quite inconvenient to get to) rather than...
This'll definitely be location-specific, but I'm reasonably sure that Royal Mail only lets you hold PO Box mail at a "Delivery Office" (big depot, usually quite inconvenient to get to) rather than a normal Post Office (small, accessible, high street locations).
A lot of retailers and/or delivery companies also just refuse to ship to PO Box addresses, which kind of limits the usefulness. It's a shame, because yeah, you're right, all I'm really asking for is a PO Box at my local branch with an address that doesn't immediately get red flagged.
Side note: there was actually a company called Doddle that set up exactly what I'm asking for - they had partnerships with a bunch of retailers so the customers could collect for free, but I could...
Side note: there was actually a company called Doddle that set up exactly what I'm asking for - they had partnerships with a bunch of retailers so the customers could collect for free, but I could also use their address plus a unique ID in the first line to have any parcel delivered there by any company or courier. If you used the latter, you'd pay a small fee on collection.
It was great, I used it often, they obviously didn't make enough money to be viable. It'd be easy to interpret that as proof that I'm asking too much, but I don't think that's the case - the Post Office is already renting all that space, they're already accepting and sorting deliveries, the overheads are totally covered. Doddle couldn't make it viable as their sole business, but I think it's totally feasible for the Post Office to make it profitable as an additional service.
Amazon also has a locker service where packages are delivered to lockers at local businesses, such as grocery stores. But we’ve never used it because getting packages on the doorstep is more...
Amazon also has a locker service where packages are delivered to lockers at local businesses, such as grocery stores. But we’ve never used it because getting packages on the doorstep is more convenient, though less secure.
It seems like the common doors on apartment buildings aren’t all that secure during the day; tailgating is pretty easy unless people are specifically trained not to do it. It’s more of a speed bump, but is still better than not doing it.
The risk of an unlock device could be minimized by putting it on a separate network and only enabling it during delivery hours.
Hm, I would support Amazon having a key to my apartment complex. They would join all the other private sector delivery companies - FedEx and UPS already get access. Saves some stress over package...
Hm, I would support Amazon having a key to my apartment complex. They would join all the other private sector delivery companies - FedEx and UPS already get access. Saves some stress over package thieves, and the elements.
So for the most part I would have no issue as a tenant if this was brought up - or not brought up and just done.
Still beats the garbage Fetch setup that a lot of newer buildings in my city use. Basically they make every unit in the building non-addressable and require tenants to have packages (no matter the...
Still beats the garbage Fetch setup that a lot of newer buildings in my city use. Basically they make every unit in the building non-addressable and require tenants to have packages (no matter the carrier) delivered to a custom address for a Fetch warehouse, who then turns around and delivers them to individual buildings. Adds 1-3 days to turnarounds, my local subreddit has had lots of complaints about packages going missing, being delivered to the wrong people, damaged, or caught in an endless loop of trying to deliver but needing a signature, only delivering during hours when the tenant is not home, and then sending the item back to their warehouse-- with no option to go pick it up in person, so it ends up as return to sender.
I'm glad my building is small enough that the management company just has a separate door code for delivery companies to enter and drop them off in our lobby. It's not so secure that it could stop someone truly determined (the front door to my building has a large glass pane in the middle of it, so a dedicated thief could just smash it, get inside, and take the packages), but it's been fine as far as stopping the opportunistic thefts.
I wish we'd just get a carrier-agnostic locker system set up in our laundry room, since there's more than enough spare space in it to handle a locker for the building, plus they wouldn't be sitting in direct view of everyone walking by or every other tenant in here.
That Fetch system sounds insane - what's the theoretical upside? I'm sadly unsurprised to see the tenants getting the short end of the stick, but in this case it seems like it would end up...
That Fetch system sounds insane - what's the theoretical upside? I'm sadly unsurprised to see the tenants getting the short end of the stick, but in this case it seems like it would end up creating additional costs for the building owners too.
I think the pitch to management companies is requiring less or no on-site staff for the building to handle package deliveries, plus something about security by only allowing one company access to...
I think the pitch to management companies is requiring less or no on-site staff for the building to handle package deliveries, plus something about security by only allowing one company access to the building for said deliveries. They'd have to charge some obscene amounts to end up more expensive than another FTE, so I figure that's why it's had such popularity with these buildings.
I wouldn't be shocked to discover that Fetch is owned by or has substantial investments from companies like Greystar, Starwood Capital, and AMLI, either.
This could be resolved via an open standard so maybe the government regulates it instead of a private company. Give it to the USPS, even, and make tampering a felony like mailboxes. The only...
This could be resolved via an open standard so maybe the government regulates it instead of a private company. Give it to the USPS, even, and make tampering a felony like mailboxes. The only organization allowed to tinker with mailboxes is the USPS.
My wife and I own a condo we don't live in, and the management company recently set this up because of porch pirates.. But at the same time, we also have a problem of someone (or possibly multiple...
My wife and I own a condo we don't live in, and the management company recently set this up because of porch pirates.. But at the same time, we also have a problem of someone (or possibly multiple people) who don't live in the building being able to get in. It could just be some dumb person in the building who lets anyone in if their buzzer is rung. Or it could be that every time we change the code, someone at one of these services gives it away. It's still better than packages being left outside, though..
To me, it's just crazy that they put anything on the porch. This illustrates how different the US is from Brazil. The mere idea of leaving anything by the porch at all, let alone a game console or...
To me, it's just crazy that they put anything on the porch. This illustrates how different the US is from Brazil. The mere idea of leaving anything by the porch at all, let alone a game console or a TV, is something no one even considers doing here. The post office will try delivering 3 times (other companies have different policies), and if there's no one home they may leave it with your neighbor if you authorize it. Most buildings have doormen that will receive the package for you anyway. Leaving anything outside is basically equivalent to give it to (opportunity) thieves.
No security is always more convenient if you can get away with it. We have a bush in front of our porch that at least hides the packages, making it a bit less obvious. Also, security cameras after...
No security is always more convenient if you can get away with it.
We have a bush in front of our porch that at least hides the packages, making it a bit less obvious. Also, security cameras after a package was stolen several years ago. I’m not sure they are worth it, but my wife likes them and maintains them.
I see. Even in that case, the thought of having a PS5 unattended behind a bush just gives me sympathetic anxiety lol. If I was in the states I'd probably be very Brazilian about it and just ship...
I see. Even in that case, the thought of having a PS5 unattended behind a bush just gives me
sympathetic anxiety lol. If I was in the states I'd probably be very Brazilian about it and just ship to a place where there's people 24/7, like my workplace, relatives home, etc.
For Amazon specifically there are also Amazon lockers sprinkled throughout the US where you can pick up packages instead. You scan a QR code at the locker and someone brings it out for you. You...
For Amazon specifically there are also Amazon lockers sprinkled throughout the US where you can pick up packages instead. You scan a QR code at the locker and someone brings it out for you.
You also get one day shipping (and 0 day shipping for some items), I suppose since they skip the last mile part.
In general, for expensive items you can request the carrier to require a signature.
Australia has an even better solution, AusPost has a parcel locker system where they place the parcel in a locker and send you an SMS with the code to get it out. Zero chance of theft, no need to install amazon spyware, and no chance of untrusted delivery workers gaining access.
The lockers are placed all over the place so there is usually always one near by.
My apartment complex had one of those, installed by... Amazon.
Yeah, same, there's one at the petrol station just down the road from me. I've ranted to my friends about how much more useful it would've been to have had the postal service run it and make it open to all deliveries rather than locked to a single retailer. At least that was the issue pre-home-working, when packages were all but guaranteed to arrive while I was at the office.
Same goes for the Post Office branch itself, to be honest. Rather than being a hub that I can get any parcel from, they insist on attempting to deliver to my house twice, and then taking things to the distribution centre that's miles away, at which point I can request it to be redelivered and left at the Post Office. Whole process takes the better part of a week, whereas selecting the Amazon locker as the intended address gets it there next day.
Amazon has a version that accepts packages from any service, actually: https://www.amazon.com/b?node=17337376011
Edit: there are similar products from a few companies
Oh cool! Come to think of it, that's very in keeping with the Amazon approach: they let any supplier sell on their storefront, any partner tie into their logistics services, any developer use their digital infrastructure; all for a charge, of course. Once they've built something for internal use, they're more than happy to white label it and turn it into an extra revenue stream.
Amazon and I think a couple of other couriers have let me deliver straight to the post office before and I just collected it with ID
Post offices do have a solution for this: the post office box.
This'll definitely be location-specific, but I'm reasonably sure that Royal Mail only lets you hold PO Box mail at a "Delivery Office" (big depot, usually quite inconvenient to get to) rather than a normal Post Office (small, accessible, high street locations).
A lot of retailers and/or delivery companies also just refuse to ship to PO Box addresses, which kind of limits the usefulness. It's a shame, because yeah, you're right, all I'm really asking for is a PO Box at my local branch with an address that doesn't immediately get red flagged.
Side note: there was actually a company called Doddle that set up exactly what I'm asking for - they had partnerships with a bunch of retailers so the customers could collect for free, but I could also use their address plus a unique ID in the first line to have any parcel delivered there by any company or courier. If you used the latter, you'd pay a small fee on collection.
It was great, I used it often, they obviously didn't make enough money to be viable. It'd be easy to interpret that as proof that I'm asking too much, but I don't think that's the case - the Post Office is already renting all that space, they're already accepting and sorting deliveries, the overheads are totally covered. Doddle couldn't make it viable as their sole business, but I think it's totally feasible for the Post Office to make it profitable as an additional service.
Amazon also has a locker service where packages are delivered to lockers at local businesses, such as grocery stores. But we’ve never used it because getting packages on the doorstep is more convenient, though less secure.
It seems like the common doors on apartment buildings aren’t all that secure during the day; tailgating is pretty easy unless people are specifically trained not to do it. It’s more of a speed bump, but is still better than not doing it.
The risk of an unlock device could be minimized by putting it on a separate network and only enabling it during delivery hours.
Hm, I would support Amazon having a key to my apartment complex. They would join all the other private sector delivery companies - FedEx and UPS already get access. Saves some stress over package thieves, and the elements.
So for the most part I would have no issue as a tenant if this was brought up - or not brought up and just done.
Still beats the garbage Fetch setup that a lot of newer buildings in my city use. Basically they make every unit in the building non-addressable and require tenants to have packages (no matter the carrier) delivered to a custom address for a Fetch warehouse, who then turns around and delivers them to individual buildings. Adds 1-3 days to turnarounds, my local subreddit has had lots of complaints about packages going missing, being delivered to the wrong people, damaged, or caught in an endless loop of trying to deliver but needing a signature, only delivering during hours when the tenant is not home, and then sending the item back to their warehouse-- with no option to go pick it up in person, so it ends up as return to sender.
I'm glad my building is small enough that the management company just has a separate door code for delivery companies to enter and drop them off in our lobby. It's not so secure that it could stop someone truly determined (the front door to my building has a large glass pane in the middle of it, so a dedicated thief could just smash it, get inside, and take the packages), but it's been fine as far as stopping the opportunistic thefts.
I wish we'd just get a carrier-agnostic locker system set up in our laundry room, since there's more than enough spare space in it to handle a locker for the building, plus they wouldn't be sitting in direct view of everyone walking by or every other tenant in here.
That Fetch system sounds insane - what's the theoretical upside? I'm sadly unsurprised to see the tenants getting the short end of the stick, but in this case it seems like it would end up creating additional costs for the building owners too.
I think the pitch to management companies is requiring less or no on-site staff for the building to handle package deliveries, plus something about security by only allowing one company access to the building for said deliveries. They'd have to charge some obscene amounts to end up more expensive than another FTE, so I figure that's why it's had such popularity with these buildings.
I wouldn't be shocked to discover that Fetch is owned by or has substantial investments from companies like Greystar, Starwood Capital, and AMLI, either.
This could be resolved via an open standard so maybe the government regulates it instead of a private company. Give it to the USPS, even, and make tampering a felony like mailboxes. The only organization allowed to tinker with mailboxes is the USPS.
My wife and I own a condo we don't live in, and the management company recently set this up because of porch pirates.. But at the same time, we also have a problem of someone (or possibly multiple people) who don't live in the building being able to get in. It could just be some dumb person in the building who lets anyone in if their buzzer is rung. Or it could be that every time we change the code, someone at one of these services gives it away. It's still better than packages being left outside, though..
To me, it's just crazy that they put anything on the porch. This illustrates how different the US is from Brazil. The mere idea of leaving anything by the porch at all, let alone a game console or a TV, is something no one even considers doing here. The post office will try delivering 3 times (other companies have different policies), and if there's no one home they may leave it with your neighbor if you authorize it. Most buildings have doormen that will receive the package for you anyway. Leaving anything outside is basically equivalent to give it to (opportunity) thieves.
No security is always more convenient if you can get away with it.
We have a bush in front of our porch that at least hides the packages, making it a bit less obvious. Also, security cameras after a package was stolen several years ago. I’m not sure they are worth it, but my wife likes them and maintains them.
I see. Even in that case, the thought of having a PS5 unattended behind a bush just gives me
sympathetic anxiety lol. If I was in the states I'd probably be very Brazilian about it and just ship to a place where there's people 24/7, like my workplace, relatives home, etc.
For Amazon specifically there are also Amazon lockers sprinkled throughout the US where you can pick up packages instead. You scan a QR code at the locker and someone brings it out for you.
You also get one day shipping (and 0 day shipping for some items), I suppose since they skip the last mile part.
In general, for expensive items you can request the carrier to require a signature.
I see, that is much better.
For more expensive packages, requiring someone to be home and sign for it is pretty common too.