Special Delivery: Keeping Your Packages Safe
Online sales are up, and so is the number of boxes delivered to homes. Here’s how to keep them beyond the grasp of porch pirates
As Cyber Monday — the online shopping frenzy that happens on the Monday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. — nears, you can bet that cardboard packages will be piling up like snowdrifts on porches and front steps across America. And, just like the Grinch, there are people out there determined to pilfer holiday goodies.
One news story after the other tells of crimes of convenience that follow a simple formula: Thief sees unattended package; thief makes off with package — and often the only evidence is security camera footage.
The practice has led to the development of a new term: porch pirates, or people who follow delivery trucks in hopes of capturing goods. These kinds of stories are perhaps fueling an uptick in the sale of parcel drops, large metal boxes or lockers designed to safely hold packages until the recipients get home.
One news story after the other tells of crimes of convenience that follow a simple formula: Thief sees unattended package; thief makes off with package — and often the only evidence is security camera footage.
The practice has led to the development of a new term: porch pirates, or people who follow delivery trucks in hopes of capturing goods. These kinds of stories are perhaps fueling an uptick in the sale of parcel drops, large metal boxes or lockers designed to safely hold packages until the recipients get home.
According to Howe, installing such a box involves negotiating an agreement with the government — namely, the United States Postal Service.
“Technically, the mail carrier is not supposed to leave parcels in boxes not approved by the USPS,” he says. “But when it comes down to it, it’s a call that most mail carriers make in the field. In my experience most of them will leave a package in a box that’s not sanctioned by USPS.”
Vanessa Troyer, CEO of Architectural Mailboxes, a company that manufactures a popular parcel drop, thinks that the USPS rules for delivering packages are outdated and will have to change. “At some point they will have to accept that [they will be] delivering packages to a parcel drop,” she says. “Their growth is not in first-class mail but in parcels.” Requests for comments from the USPS and Amazon (a company that, like FedEx and UPS, contracts with the USPS for final stage delivery) have not been answered.
Andreas Flache, principal at AFLA Landscape Design, designed this parcel drop for his own home. The pullout door is set into a stylized stucco structure (the mail and packages fall into a receptacle on the other side, where they are retrieved by Flache). The built-in spigot and water vessel are provided for thirsty neighborhood pets and passing cyclists who want to refill their water bottles. “We don’t own a dog ourselves, but I believe that a house can provide something to the neighborhood and the human environment,” he says.
The parcel drop itself is an entirely personal design. “We get both mail and packages in it,” Flache says. “It’s great because you can be gone from home for a while, but no one sees mail or deliveries piling up.”
“Technically, the mail carrier is not supposed to leave parcels in boxes not approved by the USPS,” he says. “But when it comes down to it, it’s a call that most mail carriers make in the field. In my experience most of them will leave a package in a box that’s not sanctioned by USPS.”
Vanessa Troyer, CEO of Architectural Mailboxes, a company that manufactures a popular parcel drop, thinks that the USPS rules for delivering packages are outdated and will have to change. “At some point they will have to accept that [they will be] delivering packages to a parcel drop,” she says. “Their growth is not in first-class mail but in parcels.” Requests for comments from the USPS and Amazon (a company that, like FedEx and UPS, contracts with the USPS for final stage delivery) have not been answered.
Andreas Flache, principal at AFLA Landscape Design, designed this parcel drop for his own home. The pullout door is set into a stylized stucco structure (the mail and packages fall into a receptacle on the other side, where they are retrieved by Flache). The built-in spigot and water vessel are provided for thirsty neighborhood pets and passing cyclists who want to refill their water bottles. “We don’t own a dog ourselves, but I believe that a house can provide something to the neighborhood and the human environment,” he says.
The parcel drop itself is an entirely personal design. “We get both mail and packages in it,” Flache says. “It’s great because you can be gone from home for a while, but no one sees mail or deliveries piling up.”
Custom options, such as this stainless steel letter and parcel drop by About:Space, address a concern many homeowners have: Until recently, safety devices have primarily been installed in commercial settings, and many look too corporate for the family home. Customization helps bridge the gap between utility and aesthetics. As one of the designers of this metal box writes: “This is essentially a custom light fixture with … a cavity to hold the mail. Something similar could be made by a metal shop that can integrate lighting.”
But not everyone has a property or a budget that supports a custom built-in parcel drop. “In urban areas your options and space can be limited,” says Howe. “We are seeing more companies, such as Elephantrunk, that are making freestanding parcel drops in more colors and with a more consumer-friendly design.” Flache estimates that the cost of a custom-designed or built-in parcel drop could run between $1,500 and $2,000 (size and material selection greatly affect the cost). Freestanding parcel drops (such as the Courier Mailbox, from Salsbury Industries; dVault’s locking mailbox; and the Allux Series Mailbox, from Global Industries) generally run from $335 to $750.
It was scenes such as this one that inspired the launch of Elephantrunk, one of the best-known freestanding parcel drops: “My husband ordered an anniversary gift for me,” says Troyer. “He tracked the parcel and saw that it was delivered to our home at 3 p.m. He left work early, only to find it had been stolen right off our porch. It was then that we knew there was a need for a parcel receptacle.”
It was scenes such as this one that inspired the launch of Elephantrunk, one of the best-known freestanding parcel drops: “My husband ordered an anniversary gift for me,” says Troyer. “He tracked the parcel and saw that it was delivered to our home at 3 p.m. He left work early, only to find it had been stolen right off our porch. It was then that we knew there was a need for a parcel receptacle.”
Troyer says that when developing the Elephantrunk, she asked herself what she would like to see in front of her own home. The result is parcel drop that has curved lines and and soft corners — the antithesis of an industrial locker.
To make sure it stays on the porch, the Elephantrunk comes with a center bolting system that secures it to the floor. “For the best security, we advise that the unit is mounted,” says Troyer. “Without this the user is at risk of a thief carrying it away.”
To make sure it stays on the porch, the Elephantrunk comes with a center bolting system that secures it to the floor. “For the best security, we advise that the unit is mounted,” says Troyer. “Without this the user is at risk of a thief carrying it away.”
As with a custom or built-in model, operating a freestanding parcel drop is pretty simple. The delivery person opens the door and places the package inside. When the door is shut, the package drops down into the locker’s cavity.
Later the homeowner uses a key to unlock the parcel drop and gather the packages.
Later the homeowner uses a key to unlock the parcel drop and gather the packages.
In addition to installing a parcel drop, Troyer recommends some simple ways to keep your packages safe.
“Be aware of pending deliveries and track them online to ensure you remove them from your porch as soon as possible after delivery,” she says. “Don’t order products for delivery while you are out of town. Or arrange for delivery to a secure location, such as your place of work or a neighbor’s house.”
The custom rustic modern parcel drop pictured here was designed by Workshop11.
“Be aware of pending deliveries and track them online to ensure you remove them from your porch as soon as possible after delivery,” she says. “Don’t order products for delivery while you are out of town. Or arrange for delivery to a secure location, such as your place of work or a neighbor’s house.”
The custom rustic modern parcel drop pictured here was designed by Workshop11.
But in her mind, parcel drops such as this one, by Nir Shahar, are the wave of the future. “First-class mail has been on a significant decline, and parcel delivery is significantly up,” she says. “Parcel delivery will continue to grow, and [parcel drops] will become the next home appliance.”
Take that, Grinch.
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Take that, Grinch.
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Howe notes that the most dramatic increase is in parcel drops that can handle boxes of a significant size.
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This built-in parcel drop, installed in a project by Golden Associates, Landscape Architects, can accommodate smaller parcels.