People in my 60-unit building have been peacefully and happily letting parcel carriers leave packages in the lobby for the 7 years I’ve lived there. People have had computers, tv’s, all kinds of Amazon stuff, you name it, parked in the lobby until they got home, sometimes for a couple of days.
We can’t do it any more because some asshole who must have recently moved in decided to start taking packages, starting with mine!
I hope the thief really likes the new snow boots and trail-running shoes in ladies size 8. I hope the thief knows that if I catch anyone in or around my building with those shoes on, I plan to tackle them and cut the shoes off their feet.
I’ve also considered leaving a note in the lobby that the boots have been recalled because they’re made in China and are lined with asbestos. If I can’t have 'em, neither can you - if you believe me! What kind of low-life does this to someone, a neighbor especially?
Now I have to trudge everything home from work, every time I get something delivered. It’s a huge pain in the ass taking boxes of stuff on the CTA.
I’ll figure out some way to sniff out the asshole. Maybe I’ll booby-trap another box and leave it in the lobby.
Jackass.
On the upside, I called Sierra Trading Post and told them what happened. They’re shipping a replacement to my business address - no charge! I still have to wait an extra week and I’ll never get that night of sleep back, plus the headache I’ve had all day. Customer Service was remarkable, though. Kudos to them.
Aw, that sucks that some self-centered, self-serving asshat stole your stuff from the lobby! I’m glad to hear that Sierra Trading Post worked with you - I’ve shopped with them several times, and they’ve always been excellent to work with.
Oh, man, I feel your pain. I had to stop getting packages at my old apartment after my scumsucking neighbors stole a box with several hundred dollars worth of handmade costumes in it–and then destroyed it all and threw it out because they were pissed that something with a “this package is insured” tag on it (and why the USPS does this, I’ll never know) wasn’t worth anything for resale.
At least they got evicted and arrested for the drugs and welfare fraud–I really wish I was kidding.
Fortunately, my wife works from home now, and we have a house instead of an apartment.
That sucks ass. I really depend on being able to get packages left in front of my door. I suppose I should be thankful that there are no lowlifes living on my floor.
Having said that, a FOAF once got really pissed at a friend who lived in my building for allowing a gift to be stolen. The FOAF hand-knitted a sweater, then left it – unwrapped, unboxed, and unaddressed – in the unlocked vestibule of the building. At around 10am on a weekday.
Oriental Trading Company has great CS too. Once, FedEx or UPS mis-delivered a package (or it got nicked off my porch, we don’t know) and not only did they send a replacement of the entire shipment (over $120 of stuff), they shipped it overnight! Another time I ordered wood and glass picture frames, and when I opened the box, 5 of the 12 had broken glass (manufacturer’s packaging problem, not shipper’s). Instead of some assholish “Well, ship them back to prove they’re broken” like I would expect from some companies, they shipped me another full dozen overnight, plus sent me a $20 gift certificate for my trouble! They are a great company to work with.
After an incident of vandalism, I had a video survelliance system installed. I can’t begin to tell you how comforting it is to have.
Obviously it’ll capture and record any event.
It’s an excellent deterrent.
It gives you peace of mind while you’re away knowing everything’s monitored.
I can access the picture from my TV so no getting up from bed to investigate noises. Actually, it’s linked to the web and I can even see it from work.
It also lets me know when guests arrive, the pizza guy, mailman, etc.
While mine surrounds a private residence, I would think your management company could use it as a selling point for security, plus you’d just need a single camera. I have 5 cameras writing to a 200 Gb Hard Drive/Monitor and that takes about a month before overwriting and it’s very easy to search, adjust sensitivity, etc.
FWIW, when I lived in an apartment complex, I had all my packages shipped to a packaging store down the street. They’d charge me a buck or so for the priveledge.
Yes, I’d like one bobcat strapped with a dye packet, a mace bomb and a not-insignificant quantity of plastic explosive synchronized to a remote detonator. Anything else? Ah yes, now that you mention it, I’ve got a coupon for 30% off rabies…
Has it occurred to you that the package might just have been misdelivered? Fedex, UPS, and the good ol’ Post Office have all been known to mark packages as “delivered” when they were in fact left in the wrong place. I know I had some computer parts delivered to my place instead of the correct (and quite different) address, and when I called Fedex and asked them to pick it up and take it to the correct address, they explained that it had been delivered to the correct address. Um, no, you see… (fortunately, they printed the woman’s phone # on the package and she was more than happy to come pick it up, so happy ending there, but imagine if had been shoes and I were a dishonest size 8?)
Ha! <<sniff out the asshole>> didn’t even occur to me when I wrote it! :smack: That’s funny.
Thanks for the ideas, I really might implement one or two. I was also thinking of going totally low-tech and just very carefully open the replacement box so it can be closed up to look like it hadn’t been opened yet (from the bottom). Then pack it with a couple pairs of old, dusty, smelly shoes filled with stuff fom my cat’s litter boxes. I might not catch the guy, but imagining someone opening it after they steal it would be pretty satisying.
And Dr. Drake, I wish that were true, but I spoke with the building manager and she saw the package with my name on it in the lobby around 7pm, and it was gone by 10:30. She took down the sign I wrote that said:
“To the dirty thief who took my package -
return it to the lobby or in front of my door
and there will be no worries. If you don’t,
I will hunt you down, kill you and
eat your children.
Have a nice day!”
She didn’t think it was funny.
Sierra Trading Post has been great. The shipment was over $100. I like them so much now, I finished my Holiday shopping and had another order shipped from them. (to my work address, of course. I’m not looking forward to lugging it all home on the bus, but at least I’ll have it.)
I don’t know if it’s possible for you, but anything expensive or just anything in general I don’t want sitting outside until I get home from work, I just ship to work. Again, not sure if that would work for you as I work at a small business/mom and pop type place.
Did you call the police? It seems like if someone is constantly trolling the hallways/corridors for packages it would be pretty easy for them to set up a covert camera, or watch through a window or peephole and leave a couple of dummy packages in the hallway. Gateway boxes would be dead giveaways for what’s inside.
They are a great company to work with.