ORLANDO, Fla. – A new survey released by CNET found that an estimated $74 billion in holiday packages are expected to be delivered door-to-door between now and Dec. 24.
Even worse, over 104 million Americans anticipate leaving their homes unattended for at least 6 hours, posing an “increased risk of porch theft and financial inconvenience for consumers.”
Nick Wolny, CNET’s senior editor, told News 6 that is something “porch pirates” count on every holiday season.
“A statistic from last year was 44 million packages stolen in 2022,” Wolny said. “I like to say the best way to mitigate porch theft is to cut the porch part out altogether.”
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The CNET survey found of the 2,386 adults surveyed, 16% of the respondents “do not plan to do anything to prevent porch package theft.”
By generation, nearly 1 in 5 (18%) of Generation X and baby boomers will not do anything to prevent porch package theft this season. Similarly, 17% of Generation Z and 11% of millennials also do not plan to take any action against package theft.
Wolney said the so-called “Limbo Phase” (when the package is delivered) is the most vulnerable time because it is now your unprotected property.
“While retailers may cover the cost of a refund for a lost package, the item is technically no longer their responsibility once the delivery driver has marked drop-off complete,” Wolney told News 6. “The anticipation and excitement surrounding gift-giving during this season make timely delivery crucial, and any delay or loss can lead to disappointment, inconvenience or both.”
To counter the doorstep heists, Wolney urges consumers to have packages sent to an Amazon locker, UPS store or FedEx office.
“If you are a victim of package theft and the retailer won’t issue a refund or replacement, consider filing a claim with your home insurer and/or filing a police report,” said Wolny. “Filing a claim with the shipper might not be the best route if you don’t have video footage of the package being stolen.”
On a positive note, more than half (68%) of consumers currently take or plan to take some sort of action to prevent package theft.
The leading methods Americans will use to prevent package theft this holiday season include using package tracking technology to track their package location from order to delivery (32%), relying on home security cameras (21%), and asking a neighbor to watch the house/collect packages (19%).
You can also invest in a porch lockbox or invest in a mailbox sensor.
If you have a consumer issue email makeendsmeet@wkmg.com or text the words make ends meet along with your contact information and the issue to 407-676-7428.
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