While online shopping saves you the inconvenience of having to visit an actual physical store, it comes with its own issues: Primarily, having to be at home when the delivery arrives, or risk having your items swiped by unscrupulous porch pirates.
Porch piracy—where someone takes packages right off your doorstep, after either following drivers or simply touring around neighborhoods—is a growing problem, with an estimated $12 billion worth of goods estimated to be lost last year.
There are some solutions to the problem though, and one of them is to use an Amazon Locker rather than your home address. Your delivery gets left locked up securely, and you can then collect it at your convenience, using an entry code that Amazon sends to you via email.
The pros and cons of standard deliveries
It’s easy to take speedy, reliable home deliveries for granted. From a logistical point of view it’s kind of incredible that you can order such a wide variety of goods online and have them turn up quickly on your doorstep.
Unfortunately, there are people who want to intercept your deliveries before they reach you. You don’t have to look far to find stories about porch piracy in the news—and in Texas, the worst state for porch piracy, there’s a shocking 30 percent chance that something you’ve ordered won’t make it to you successfully.
While Texas is way out in front (it drops to 14 percent for North Carolina, the second worst state), these are worrying figures. As you might expect, thefts tend to spike around the holidays, when there are more packages in circulation.
There are steps you can take to protect yourself: A lot of the time, especially with high-value items, you’ll be able to specify that a signature is required on delivery, so your package won’t be left out in the open. You can also invest in a video doorbell, which may put off some (but not all) criminals.
Another idea is to get your packages delivered to your office during the day, but that’s not always possible at every place of work. One of the most effective ways to keep your deliveries safe is to go for the Amazon Locker option: It comes with numerous benefits, and we’ll explain in more detail how it works.
How to use an Amazon Locker
You’ll see Amazon Locker appear as an option when you’re checking out on Amazon. If you select it you can then choose one close to where you live or work. You can save the locations of your favorite lockers to use again, and you’ll be given instructions for how to get at your package. You might even find delivery is faster than it is to your home.
This isn’t something that’s suitable for every delivery, because Amazon Lockers can only take items up to a certain size and a certain price point. What’s more, items from third-party sellers can’t be directed to a locker. If you’re not seeing the option to deliver to an Amazon Locker appear, those could be the reasons why.
You’ll find lockers in all kinds of places, from grocery stores to car parks to educational institutions. A lot of the time you can access them 24 hours a day, and depending on the locker you can use a barcode (sent to you in an email), a PIN code (sent to your in an email), or a Bluetooth connection to your phone (with the Amazon Shopping app running) to get at your goods. You can request locker slots closer to the ground, or even get someone else to pick up the delivery for you.
This is all free if you’re a Prime member, otherwise prices will vary depending on the goods and delivery distance. You’ve got three calendar days to pick up your item after it’s delivered to the locker, otherwise Amazon will take it back as a return and refund you. There’s a customer service number printed on every Amazon Locker if you need help.
Lockers aren’t just suitable for foiling porch pirates either: They can be handy if you’re ordering a gift that you don’t want anyone else in your household to know about, or if you live in a block of apartments where access for delivery drivers can be difficult. They’re also useful if you do a lot of traveling, and want to pick up something while you’re away.
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More/Source: https://www.popsci.com/diy/how-to-use-amazon-lockers/