With the rise of online shopping come several unpleasant side effects. For just one, getting a parcel delivered can now take longer than before, due to the sheer volume of daily deliveries criss-crossing the United States. However, a much more worrisome and distressing one is the go up in parcel theft. While the fact that people were all stuck in our homes last year may have prevented a lot of these thefoots, as we start returning to our regular lives, yet retain our online shopping habits, we may find these numbers starting to go up again.
In order to do your bit in parcel theft prevention, we encourage you to purchase a Parcels drop box – our solution for all delivery-related issues, from theft to inconvenience. Let’s look into its theft-preventing abilities.
SAFER THAN THE BINS, FOR SURE
First and foremost, any box which has a lock and key is a much safer option than asking the delivery man to leave your parcels behind the bins, or hide them behind a bush. Experienced thieves already are acquainted with this practice, for one thing. For another, it’s easy for someone masquerading as a delivery man themselves to rummage through your yard and locate any hidden parcels. While in most cases you will be able to get away with this practice, wouldn’t it be better (and safer) to just find a long term solution? For those who have a parcel box, you can be assured that your parcels aren’t being overlooked in the open, and that they won’t be gotten at by a person with indecent aspirations.
YOU DO NEED A KEY, YOU KNOW
There are delivery boxes, and there are delivery boxes – some are unfortunately made from rather flimsy materials and can be pried open quite easily. This is not the case with any of the I Love Parcels parcel boxes, however. All of them are made from galvanised steel, which means they can’t be broken into in a jiffy, and will protect your valuables at all times. They will incidentally also protect them from the elements, but that’s another matter. And no, you can’t simply use a hook or any other thievery implements to then remove the parcel through said chute. Once the parcel has landed in the lower compartment, it can only just be accessed by the person who has a key, or who knows the combination to the lock, depending on the model. Fair warning: be sure to write the combination down and have a spare key on hand, as you don’t want to have to figure out a way to enter that box. Some of our parcel boxes can even be accessed from the trunk or leading, so you can choose a model that best fits your home and how big is the parcels you usually receive.
PLACE IT IN A SAFE LOCATION, TO BE PERFECTLY SAFE
Given the fact that no safe is completely safe, and that we now have extremely reckless thieves walking our streets, you can also ensure some added protection by positioning your parcel box in an especially safe area.
There are two schools of thought as it pertains to the question of the best parcel box location: those who advocate positioning them in a secluded area where they won’t be spotted from the road, and those that advise positioning them in highly visible areas. The first camp claims that if thieves can’t start to see the parcel box, they are much less likely to be tempted because of it. So, by placing yours out of direct sight from the road, you might be reducing some risk. Alternatively, this helps it be necessary for your delivery and postmen to hunt it down as well, which is not a great solution at all.
The second camp states that you are best off positioning your parcel box somewhere visible. Near your front door or towards the end of your drive, for example. As our parcel boxes can be mounted on the wall, gate, fence or the floor, you can ensure they won’t just be lifted off the premises. An extremely visible and open area does mean the thief will never have the coverage they need to perform their deed, as they’ll all the time be wide open to the eyes of neighbours and passers-by, further reducing risk of theft. Ultimately, the decision is your decision. You understand your home and area best, and may certainly be able to find the ideal spot for your parcel box.
