Slashdot Mirror
Amazon Plants Fake Packages In Delivery Trucks As Part of Undercover Ploy To 'Trap' Drivers Stealing (businessinsider.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Business Insider: Amazon uses fake packages to catch delivery drivers who are stealing, according to sources with knowledge of the practice. The company plants the packages -- internally referred to as "dummy" packages -- in the trucks of drivers at random. The dummy packages have fake labels and are often empty.
Here's how the practice works, according to the sources: During deliveries, drivers scan the labels of every package they deliver. When they scan a fake label on a dummy package, an error message will pop up. When this happens, drivers might call their supervisors to address the problem, or keep the package in their truck and return it to an Amazon warehouse at the end of their shift. Drivers, in theory, could also choose to steal the package. The error message means the package isn't detected in Amazon's system. As a result, it could go unnoticed if the package were to go missing. "If you bring the package back, you are innocent. If you don't, you're a thug," said Sid Shah, a former manager for DeliverOL, a courier company that delivers packages for Amazon.
Here's how the practice works, according to the sources: During deliveries, drivers scan the labels of every package they deliver. When they scan a fake label on a dummy package, an error message will pop up. When this happens, drivers might call their supervisors to address the problem, or keep the package in their truck and return it to an Amazon warehouse at the end of their shift. Drivers, in theory, could also choose to steal the package. The error message means the package isn't detected in Amazon's system. As a result, it could go unnoticed if the package were to go missing. "If you bring the package back, you are innocent. If you don't, you're a thug," said Sid Shah, a former manager for DeliverOL, a courier company that delivers packages for Amazon.
well, since the cat is out of the bag, only idiots will be caught.
It seems really odd that someone would steal a package so light you could basically tell it was empty. Maybe they think they are getting some kind of small electronics? At least put a brick in there Amazon.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I don't have a problem with timing (maybe due to Prime), but I do have a problem with drivers literally throwing packages several feet. It hasn't happened on the last two deliveries, but my home office is right by the front door and I could hear packages hitting and tumbling, and they'd be scattered across the porch. Looking outside, the driver would be almost back to his truck. I once went to get some kind of ID so I could report it, but the driver completely ignored me. I got the plate number and reported it to the company and to Amazon. Didn't get a follow-up from either one, though.
You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
Not always. Lasership (AMZN) drivers also still use personal vehicles when package traffic is high. At least in SoFL
"Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
Well... They are paid so little that they need food stamps, are scheduled for 1-2 hours less that full time to avoid paying for their health insurance, and are scheduled to deliver enough packages to take up all their time if they never eat or pee. What do you expect?
You have no idea what entrapment is, do you?
This is why people shouldn't take legal advice from anyone on /..
Well... They are paid so little that they need food stamps, are scheduled for 1-2 hours less that full time to avoid paying for their health insurance, and are scheduled to deliver enough packages to take up all their time if they never eat or pee. What do you expect?
Lesson: if you are unhappy with your employment, you should damage others' property. Because it will help you.
That's the right approach. In fact, you should not automatically trust anyone. Even your girlfriend. Trust should always be earned, not assumed. In a job like this, however, there is no way to earn trust, therefore checks like this are absolutely necessary.
Why does it matter? If the item is damaged, you're not obligated to pay for it. U.S. Law is written to protect the customer from getting screwed by mail-order companies like amazon (or their delivery agents)
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
It's not entrapment.
Your job is to deliver the package. They didn't do anything that suggests you should keep it instead. There is no reason to believe you can keep it just because there is an error scanning it. It's not yours. No one said it's fine to keep if the system has a problem with it.
It's a sealed box. Calling that entrapment would be like saying people parking their cars on streets sometimes get stolen, and putting a car alarm in them is baiting them to steal it for entrapment. At no point was it suggested or pushed that you should steal a car.t.
"Which is exactly what we predicted when congress passed ObamaCare, requiring full time employees be covered. Well, now we have a bunch of professions that no longer work full time"
If by "we", you mean the people who said implement Medicare-for-all instead of that convoluted gladhanding to the insurance industry, then yes, this is exactly what "we" predicted.
Pain is merely failure leaving the body
They simply don't have the time to glad hand your packages. If they place them instead of throw them they won't meet their delivery schedule. Also, they are probably too tired and unhappy to care.
this.
If you're wondering why this feels like entrapment even though legally it's not; it's because Amazon treats their workers badly enough (and keeps them financially desperate enough) that temping them with something so minor is enough to push them over the edge. Want people to stop risking their jobs and jail time for what's maybe a $20 package? Pay them enough to live.
Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
An Amazon driver stole UPS pkg from my house. Unlucky for them my cameras caught the event. UPS delivered the package at around 3 and Amazon delivered another package and picked up the UPS package and took the proof of their delivery picture.
The driver and "assistant" both got caught, fired and charged. Amazon was pretty difficult to deal with getting things made right, at least until the Sheriff showed up at their facility with the pictures and license places and talked to the driver.
So amazon probably does need to do this. It was not clear the assistant was a amazon employ, but the assistant did not get diversion while the driver did. The assistant had a previous theft record so this was not his first crime.
>. Well, now we have a bunch of professions that no longer work full time"
Except it didn't happen. The number of part time employees has been slowly decreasing since ObamaCare passed.
https://tradingeconomics.com/u...
Agreed, but treating your employees no worse that Walmart is not exactly a ring endorsement of social consciousness.
Walmart employees, however, don't hover around in the parking lot and steal merchandise from my cart as I'm putting it in the car.
Well don't you live in a fancy area then?
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it