Home setup to prevent parcel thiefs? (Or better alternatives)

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Castlvaniafan

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#315207 23-Jun-2024 10:29

Bit frustrating, but where I'm at in Wellington parcel thieves are very very common. I was wondering if there was some way to setup my home to prevent this? Is it possible to use a lock box for parcels in front of my door or something?

I was having parcels delivered to my work, but unfortunatly three times they have accidently delivered to the place next door and they were 'lost'. Otherwise should I just ship everything and anything to the Video Store down the road that has a NZ Post Office, if there's no way to setup a secure box at home?

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#3252048 23-Jun-2024 10:36

https://parcelprotector.co.nz/ or https://www.thecourierbox.co.nz/ or one of many like it

Castlvaniafan

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#3252050 23-Jun-2024 10:38

Jase2985:

https://parcelprotector.co.nz/ or https://www.thecourierbox.co.nz/ or one of many like it

Great thanks, are the curiour delivery drivers up to sticking to the extra complexities of unlocking / relocking the box though?

Jase2985

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#3252052 23-Jun-2024 10:40

Second one says its endorsed by a courier company, so i would assume so

Bung

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#3252062 23-Jun-2024 11:24

Jase2985:

https://parcelprotector.co.nz/ or https://www.thecourierbox.co.nz/ or one of many like it

1st one would be too small for some parcels we get delivered. Some packing departments use ridiculously sized boxes for small items. 2nd one looks the part but the hasp and staple would be very easy to defeat regardless of lock.

If the parcels are valuable I'd use the Postshop option.

lxsw20

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#3252069 23-Jun-2024 12:10

Eufy have a thing too: https://myeufy.co.nz/eufy-smartdrop.html

This all relies on the courier not dropping it at the door and leaving. I know from the doorbell camera, ours doesn't exactly stick around when dropping things off. Just drops it and runs.

freitasm

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#3252070 23-Jun-2024 12:17

Jase2985:

https://parcelprotector.co.nz/

Just hope it's nothing breakable.

freitasm

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#3252071 23-Jun-2024 12:17

lxsw20:

Eufy have a thing too: https://myeufy.co.nz/eufy-smartdrop.html

This all relies on the courier not dropping it at the door and leaving. I know from the doorbell camera, ours doesn't exactly stick around when dropping things off. Just drops it and runs.

For this (and the other one mentioned above), how do they know the code?

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lxsw20

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#3252072 23-Jun-2024 12:20

You put it on the address label when you're putting your address in, so it's printed on the parcel.

If there is nothing in the box already it doesn't need a PIN to open the first time.

Bung

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#3252079 23-Jun-2024 12:50

freitasm:
Jase2985:

https://parcelprotector.co.nz/

Just hope it's nothing breakable.

If it will break dropping that short distance it will already be shattered well before then.

I had some replacement foam earpads for my Sony headphones sent by PBTech in a 250x200x150mm carton surrounded by crumpled paper and sealed with about 2m of "Fragile" tape. They must know what happens when Couriers get something 🫣

Eva888

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#3252090 23-Jun-2024 13:28

Get a large plastic rubbish tin with a lid and paint the lid red and keep it out of road sight and next to your bin. Shove a cushion down the bottom. Tell couriers to put parcel in red rubbish tin.

Don’t think many thieves will search a rubbish tin and when you ‘empty' it, take the bin out of sight.

Castlvaniafan

97 posts

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#3252092 23-Jun-2024 13:35

Eva888:

Get a large plastic rubbish tin with a lid and paint the lid red and keep it out of road sight and next to your bin. Shove a cushion down the bottom. Tell couriers to put parcel in red rubbish tin.

Don’t think many thieves will search a rubbish tin and when you ‘empty' it, take the bin out of sight.

This a great idea. Honestly even just a bin next to the door might be sufficient. Most of the parcel thiefs in my area ride around on the rented electric scooters and just scan for packages out in the open.

MarkM536

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#3252131 23-Jun-2024 16:51

Castlvaniafan:

Most of the parcel thiefs in my area ride around on the rented electric scooters and just scan for packages out in the open.

This changes the dynamics of the situation. I was wondering whether your thefts are because thief's are following the courier van, that type of theft would need a locked box to store parcels.

Anything to hide a parcel would suffice for opportunistic thefts looking from the street? E.g. a pot plant by the front door with a large space behind it for a parcel.

Technical me would make it like a mouse trap... parcel gets placed behind the plant and then the plant pot slides backwards over top of it (literally a mouse trap mechanism and a spring).

neb

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#3252136 23-Jun-2024 17:07

Jase2985:

https://parcelprotector.co.nz/ or https://www.thecourierbox.co.nz/ or one of many like it

There's also the Casa de Cowboy approach, have an path to the house that's so dodgy that potential thieves don't even bother coming down to look if there's something there.

neb

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#3252137 23-Jun-2024 17:10

MarkM536: Technical me would make it like a mouse trap... parcel gets placed behind the plant and then the plant pot slides backwards over top of it (literally a mouse trap mechanism and a spring).

And as it slides back it exposes a pit of sharpened stakes. To disarm it, you need to provide a voiceprint match and enter a code within 30 seconds, otherwise the cage with the Indonesian monkey-eating spiders springs open...

Behodar

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#3252138 23-Jun-2024 17:18

neb:

the cage with the Indonesian monkey-eating spiders springs open...

Getting wildly off-topic, but I'm just going to leave this here 😁

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