Protect your holiday purchases
Metro Creative
Metro Creative
Delivery officials warn against leaving delivered packages unattended for too long if at all possible.
Metro Creative
The hustle and bustle of the holidays can easily draw unwanted attention to your home making it a prime target for thieves.
However, with a few simple safety precautions, you can protect your property and valuables.
According to Teresa Miller, Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner, the holiday season is a festive time for decorated homes and visits from family and friends.
“Unwrapped gifts, especially more expensive ones, should not be left visible through windows,” Miller said.
If you are planning to give or expecting to receive expensive gifts such as jewelry and electronics, Miller advises to review your homeowners insurance coverage.
The insurance department further noted that most basic homeowner’s insurance policies have standard limits for big-ticket items like electronics, art, jewelry or sporting equipment.
Consumer Reports noted several popular delivery companies are forecasting record holiday shipments this year for packages dropped off on doorsteps and at other locations.
Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s eve, FedEx estimates it will transport 317 million parcels from Black Friday through Christmas. UPS expects to surpass 700 million packages while the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is looking to make 600 million deliveries.
With Christmas falling on Sunday, Dec. 19 is projected to be the busiest delivery day for holiday packages, cards and letters.
Also, most delivery companies anticipate a volume of more than 30 million packages on the peak delivery day alone.
“We have seen about a double digit growth in package volume over the last four years,” said Tad Kelley, USPS spokesman for western Pennsylvania.
He said USPS offers a variety of options to keep packages safe while it’s best not to leave them unattended for too long.
You can authorize USPS to have certain deliveries left at a back or side door, on the porch, in the garage, or with a neighbor, but it requires creating an account for tracking purposes.
“There’s nothing that will serve a community better than a vigilant neighborhood,” Kelley said.
Deliveries can also be held for pickup at a post office or be delivered to a GoPost service location.
The innovative service makes it convenient to receive and ship packages in automated, secured, self-service parcel lockers placed near certain locations such as post offices, grocery stores and shopping centers.
As more stores move on-line, Kelley said USPS is seeing a growing trend in ecommerce shipping.
Similar services are also offered by FedEx and UPS.
With FedEx Delivery Manager you can customize delivery times and addresses, have your packages held at a FedEx location, sign for your delivery in advance, and provide specific delivery location instructions.
It’s free to sign up, but FedEx charges a fee for certain services like scheduling a delivery.
More than 30 million consumers are expected to use the UPS My Choice® service to receive text or email alerts letting them know when packages are on the way.
UPS My Choice allows members to plan when and where they receive packages. With the new Follow My Delivery map feature, members can now monitor the progress of their most urgent UPS® Air and UPS Worldwide Express® packages on a live map when out for delivery.
The basic membership is free and includes having your package delivered to another address, on another day or picking them up at your convenience.
UPS also has Access Point, that allows you to drop off and pick up packages at designated businesses with a government ID.
There are more than 8,000 Access Point locations nationwide and over 4,900 UPS Store locations across the country included in the network.
Amazon.com also offers an alternative to home delivery.
Instead of adding a shipping address at checkout, you can designate delivery to an Amazon Locker that functions as a self-service kiosk located in designated places.
When the package is delivered you receive a code good for up to three business days after delivery to pick it up.
If not, the package is returned to Amazon.
Some credit card companies offer protection for members who charge a covered purchase that winds up being stolen.
The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) recommends holiday shoppers keep safety in mind with the following tips:
n Do not buy more than you can carry.
n Save all receipts, including confirmations from online purchases and store in a file folder.
n Consider alternate options to pay for merchandise, such as onetime or multi-use disposable credit cards or money orders, at online stores and auction sites.
n Wait until asked before taking out your credit card or checkbook.
n Carry your purse close to your body or your wallet inside a coat or front trouser pocket.
n Have your keys in hand when approaching your vehicle. Check the back seat and around the car before getting in.
n Do not leave packages visible in your car windows. Lock them in the trunk or, if possible, take them directly home.