# Non-US Dopers: Is package theft a problem in your country? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 9, 2024, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415 "2024-12-09T21:04:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/1 "2024-12-09T21:04:06Z")
I’m not sure how big package theft really is in the U.S. (the plural of anecdote is not data, after all), but YouTube sure loves showing me videos of [package thieves getting their comeuppance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryAXmfF-MrI). That, and this time of year the media loves telling me all about it, since this is when we’re most likely to be having stuff delivered to our homes. Is this a problem in your country? I haven’t had a package stolen (knock on wood), but Mrs. H works from home so a thief would have to be pretty brazen to try it. But it does happen in my town, if the town gossip & happenings Facebook page is any indication. Surprises the fuck out of me – half the people in this town are armed to the hilt and are just itching from a thief to FAFO. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/2 "2024-12-09T21:39:11Z")
Seems like a bit of a problem in London. > **[2.1 million London residents experience parcel theft](https://www.my-pup.com/post/2-1-million-london-residents-experience-parcel-theft)** > > Parcel theft plagues Londoners, with 31% falling victim. MyPup's sustainable solution includes secure lockers and ensuring safe deliveries. And in England as a whole. [https://www.safetyletterbox.com/blog/the-rise-in-parcel-theft-in-the-uk#:~:text=The%20Growing%20Problem%20of%20Parcel%20Theft,-Recent%20studies%20reveal&text=According%20to%20a%202023%20report,the%20demands%20of%20online%20shoppers](https://www.safetyletterbox.com/blog/the-rise-in-parcel-theft-in-the-uk#:~:text=The%20Growing%20Problem%20of%20Parcel%20Theft,-Recent%20studies%20reveal&text=According%20to%20a%202023%20report,the%20demands%20of%20online%20shoppers). ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/3 "2024-12-09T21:41:22Z")
It’s a problem, rurally in the US. I have stuff delivered to a box in the town. Which can be a problem. Amazon finally got it. That, that is my correct address. I can’t imagine it being a bigger problem in Europe. What kinda of delivery services do they have? Is UPS and FedX a thing? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/4 "2024-12-09T22:02:32Z")
It’s a growing problem in the UK, probably exacerbated by the large proportion of homes where the front door opens directly to the street, so a parcel left on the doorstep has pedestrians walking right past it (in some cases, more or less having to step over it) and is easily visible to passing vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/5 "2024-12-09T23:44:33Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Is this a problem in your country? Nope, because our courier services will _not_ just leave a package on your porch. You sign for it (possibly with a texted PIN) or it goes back to the depot. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/6 "2024-12-09T23:56:12Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > > [@HeyHomie](#): > > > > Is this a problem in your country? > > Nope, because our courier services will _not_ just leave a package on your porch. You sign for it (possibly with a texted PIN) or it goes back to the depot. Amazon’s business model would fall apart if they did that here. The sender can certainly require a signature but that doesn’t happen for the vast amount of packages. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/7 "2024-12-10T00:08:16Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > It’s a problem, rurally in the US. Thread title starts with the words "Non-USA Dopers … " so I’m not sure how that’s relevant. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/8 "2024-12-10T01:35:36Z")
Apparently, my condo has had some thefts and are about to install a new system of fobs needed to even use the elevators (when you buzz someone in, the elevators unlock for two minutes). They claim it is because of package thefts, although it is not obvious to me why it would help. Nearly all packages are left on the floor of the mail room, which anyone who gets through the front door has access to. Suburban Montreal ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/9 "2024-12-10T01:45:05Z")
It’s not particularly a question of “country”, it’s more a matter of the immediate neighbourhood. I’ve never had a package stolen from my front porch, though most of the time I’m tracking it the day it’s expected and bring it in soon after it arrives. Sometimes I’m out and find the package there when I come home. ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/10 "2024-12-10T09:29:20Z")
My local FB page suggests it has been on the rise since Covid when we were all having everything delivered to us. Many UK houses don’t have a front garden/porch so the door opens directly onto the street and with them being terraces, there’s no side alley or access point where parcels can be safely left. Parcel lockers are becoming much more common, as are pick-up points (usually the local shops or post office) so those who don’t have anywhere to have a parcel left safely can opt to get it elsewhere. I have an enclosed front porch, as well as an off-street parking area so things left outside my door aren’t immediately visible to passers-by. I still have to tell the courier service every single time that I want parcels left in the porch, and often we get them dumped behind the bins or slipped under the car instead. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/11 "2024-12-10T09:41:01Z")
It has happened to me in the condo building where I live, in Frankfurt, Germany. ---
**Author:** ![LouMa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/louma/32/19472_2.png) [@LouMa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouMa)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/12 "2024-12-10T10:01:03Z")
Where I live we have mainly DHL, DPD, UPS, FEDEX, Hermes, Amazon as courier services (not an exhausting list). The driver is not allowed to leave the package unattended on your doormat, garden or garage, the recipient needs to sign for reception. In case of theft the driver is made responsible. There are packstations you can order for a fee and you get a number or you can ask to leave the package at a shop, mostly a night shop. These shops are different for different carriers which doesn’t make life easier sometimes. Theft depends very much on your neighbourhood. Sometimes a thief might wait at the packstation and ask the driver to hand out the package directly or they might ring at your neighbour’s and pretend to be the recipient. But they would need to show the notification by the driver, so this kind of theft is rare and works only if the neighbour is distraught and hands out the package to an unknown person. I have no numbers but as far as I know package theft is not very common, it might increase during the Xmas season though with drivers under heavy pressure to deliver in time. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/13 "2024-12-10T12:25:13Z")
> [@LouMa](#): > > Hermes I was going to ask whether your packages come wrapped in leather and monogrammed but apparently Hermes is a different company from Hermès. ---
**Author:** ![LouMa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/louma/32/19472_2.png) [@LouMa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouMa)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/14 "2024-12-10T12:41:34Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > was Please check [myhermes.de](http://myhermes.de) and you will find out that Hermes is a parcel service, has nothing in common with Hermès the luxury brand. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/15 "2024-12-10T15:18:53Z")
Hermes in the UK recently rebranded itself to Evri (possibly to try to disassociate themselves from their very poor reputation) - Yodel did the same thing a number of years back (they used to be called Home Delivery Network) ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/16 "2024-12-10T15:20:34Z")
Here in Canada, it’s apparently a fairly large problem- every day there are posts on Neighborhood about packages being stolen from front porches and security camera footage of people checking to see if anyone left car doors unlocked. We’ve been really lucky- our front porch is almost impossible to see from the street, and there’s a large pillar which helps hide any packages, so we’ve never lost one yet. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/17 "2024-12-10T19:18:56Z")
but you have to 1.be home and 2. watch for/see them ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/18 "2024-12-10T19:26:11Z")
Same here across the pond, for packages of little value they just give it to you, for pricier items you have to tell them the password that the seller gave to you when you bought the item. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2024, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/19 "2024-12-11T06:21:06Z")
Here, Australia Post have this [free parcel locker service](https://auspost.com.au/receiving/collection-points/use-a-247-parcel-locker). Once you are registered you have your own ID and can have parcels sent to anywhere that lockers are available. Sometimes I have them sent to the lockers at the local shopping center, sometimes to the lockers near where I work and a couple of times to where I was holidaying. Has been foolproof for many years now. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2024, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415/20 "2024-12-11T12:07:17Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Hermes in the UK recently rebranded itself to Evri (possibly to try to disassociate themselves from their very poor reputation) If that was the strategy, then it didn’t work for very long - the Evri brand has a thoroughly poor reputation itself, as a quick glance at any review website will show. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-is-package-theft-a-problem-in-your-country/1011415.md?page=2)