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Amazon Will Soon Offer To Deliver Packages To Your Garage So They Don't Get Stolen (cnbc.com)

Amazon has a new way to prevent thieves from stealing packages. In early 2019, Amazon will offer to deliver packages right into your garage, the company announced Monday at CES. The service is called Key for Garage, and joins Amazon's Key for Home and Key for Car services. From a report: Key for Garage, like Key for Home, requires some additional hardware. You'll need a $80 Chamberlain myQ Smart Home bridge, which will let Amazon talk to your garage door opener so that it can be opened by a delivery person. Folks who already own that hub will be able to use it. You'll also need an Amazon Prime subscription. Unlike Key for Home, you don't need a camera to record the delivery. This method of delivery might be welcomed by people who didn't like Key for Home (previously simply known as Amazon Key), which didn't always work well if you had dogs at home, didn't want to let Amazon into your house, or had an alarm system.

23 of 157 comments (clear)

  1. So they can steal my tools? by irrational_design · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Where I live, Amazon delivery drivers have already been caught stealing packages from porches when dropping off their deliveries. The tools in my garage are a lot more valuable than any package on my porch.

    1. Re:So they can steal my tools? by bobstreo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Where I live, Amazon delivery drivers have already been caught stealing packages from porches when dropping off their deliveries. The tools in my garage are a lot more valuable than any package on my porch.

      Amazon Logistics seems to be the culprits in most of these. If delivered via FedEx or even UPS, problems seem to be very minimal.

      The other problem that has been observed is they don't bother delivering packages, but mark them as delivered. I guess this makes for good "metrics".

    2. Re:So they can steal my tools? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 3, Funny

      Nobody cares about what happened 8 days ago.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    3. Re:So they can steal my tools? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2

      Also, the delivery app records the GPS location. They may not need to walk it to the porch, but they will need to be at your house.

      I have a motion-activated camera on my porch, which sends me a notification when someone approaches. When the delivery guy scans the package and marks it as "delivered", I get another notification. These two instant messages usually arrive within seconds of each other. If I get one without the other, then it is obvious who stole the package.

    4. Re:So they can steal my tools? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2

      How big is your CNC if you need to put it in your garage?

      Size is not the only issue. I kept my Sherline CNC in the living room for a while. But my wife didn't like the metal shavings in the carpet.

  2. Why? by Locke2005 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Or, you know, we could start building homes with a locked cabinet on the front porch to deliver packages into... personally, I want an "arctic entrance" (vestibule with inner and outer doors) so I can just give Amazon drivers the key to the outside door! Plus also saves on heat/cooling loss if only one one door is opened at a time.

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    1. Re:Why? by jellomizer · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Being that we are moving to an economy where products are shipped to us. Having a one way deposit of packages may be the better option then trying to give companies a key to your house. You get increased security, plus such a device can be used with other competing services.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    2. Re:Why? by vux984 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Hell, even an unlocked mail 'box' would make big difference. Packages out of sight are packages out of mind. Now the thief has to actually come up to the door and check if there is something to steal instead of just walking down the street seeing packages just sitting there for the taking.

      A basic lock would be even better, but I think you'd curb most of the problem just by getting the packages out of sight.

    3. Re:Why? by johnlcallaway · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I already have one of these (look up Elephant Trunk on Home Depot). It won't handle really big packages, but most packages will fit. It's normally unlocked, but when someone puts a package in it and closes it, it locks. It's bolted to the porch. It's a bit flimsy, a crowbar could probably open it. But it should deter the snatch-and-grab thieves.

      Problem is, no one will use it. I've had it for a month, and no delivery person has put a package in it. I've put the security code in Amazon, UPS, USPS, and FedEx delivery instructions so everyone has access to it. But none of those services provide 'parcel locker' as an option.

      Last week, I taped a 'Put packages in this and close the lid' label on it. But of course, I haven't gotten any packages big enough to be delivered to the house yet.

      --
      I rarely read replies, it's my opinion and if you thought about your opinion a little more, I'm OK with that.
    4. Re:Why? by DarkOx · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yes 2019, the return of milk door.

      Srsly this probably the correct solution. Because like a lot of posters i don't want someone I don't know entering my garage any more than my house. In fact less probably. I would notice pretty quickly if any of the valuables went missing in the house. I have a lot of valuable tools automotive and woodcraft in drawers and cases that someone could remove and I could go weeks, in some cases months or longer, without discovering they were missing.

      --
      Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
    5. Re:Why? by Locke2005 · · Score: 2

      Or you could leave the box unlocked, and the delivery driver could lock it when they put something in it.

      --
      I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    6. Re:Why? by reboot246 · · Score: 2

      All of the delivery companies know to leave my packages in the old car next to the driveway. The car has four flats, won't run at all, and the doors are always unlocked. So far nobody has taken anything left in the car. You're right - out of sight, out of mind.

      The only item I've ever had stolen was by a mail carrier. She cut the Amazon packing tape on the bottom of the box, took one of the two items inside, and taped the box back with clear packing tape. I made a complaint, but nothing ever came of it as far as I know. Haven't seen her again on my route, but I know it's damned near impossible to fire a postal employee,

      There's no way in hell I'm letting anybody I don't know inside my house, garage, or shop. I don't even trust some of the people I've known for years. Why trust a stranger?

      Amazon delivery is okay, but they need better routing around my area. They send a notice when they're eight or ten stops away so you can keep track of where they are. A lot of good that does when they're within a half mile of the house, but their next delivery is the other side of the county. Three stops away could mean they're in the neighborhood and will be here in twenty or thirty minutes, or it could also mean they're going to be another three hours getting to me. They drive way too far trying to deliver packages. You'd think Amazon would know that a computer would be able to route their vehicles much better and could save hundreds of miles a day.

  3. Like hell they will by Kargan · · Score: 2

    Strangers coming into the house while I am not there... Yeah, right.

    I have relatives that I won't let in while I am not there, let alone some anonymous delivery person.

    --
    Palaces, barricades, threats, meet promises
  4. Delivery drivers with endless time by Scutter · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This must be for drivers will lots of spare time. Around here, they barely even slow down long enough to fling my package onto my front lawn from the driver's seat. I can just imagine how much they'll enjoy waiting for my garage door to open and then sticking around long enough to make sure it closes again after they carefully deliver my goods.

    Oh, wait, no they won't. Because their dispatcher will ride them for taking too long to make their route.

    --

    "Tell me doctor, with all of your defenses, are there any provisions for an attack by killer bees?"
  5. Pickup Point? by CohibaVancouver · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I live in Vancouver, Canada. I certainly don't mind going to an Amazon.ca "pickup point" to get my packages, but the way it's arranged is a disorganized mess as you can only pick up purchases fulfilled by Amazon. As Amazon doesn't want to discourage you from buying from third parties (more profit for them) they make it difficult to filter those options out of their search results, so it's hard to exclude them. Just make it possible to get anything I buy from Amazon.ca retrievable from a pickup point and the problem is solved - At least for me, anyway.

    1. Re:Pickup Point? by CWCheese · · Score: 4, Interesting

      There once was a company called Sears, Roebuck and Co which had pickup points all over the nation. They let you order from a catalog and pick up the items when they were ready. Sadly, the company shut down their catalog just a couple years before ecommerce exploded and they never bothered to figure out they could restart the catalog on the internet. Now they are literally hours away from liquidating the corporation and finally going into the sunset.

      --
      Have a Day!
  6. Re:Lockers by aitikin · · Score: 3, Informative

    ...I've never seen one. Using the search on Amazon shows there are none in my area. Fortunately for me my expensive stuff can be received at work and things like the dog food that gets delivered regularly doesn't get stolen, but there's plenty of people in my city where that's not going to be...effective?

    --
    "Don't meddle in the affairs of a patent dragon, for thou art tasty and good with ketchup." ~ohcrapitssteve
  7. Re:Lockers by jellomizer · · Score: 2

    Where the heck do you live. I have never seen such a thing.

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    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  8. Parcel Drop Box by bradley13 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I really want random underpaid drivers to have access to my garage, sure I do.

    It would be better to just install a parcel drop box. This is essentially a mailbox that accepts and swallows packages. They can only be removed with a key. Any home that has a mailbox at the street can easily install one of these. There are also models for cluster mailboxes and apartments, though space can be an issue in those cases.

    --
    Enjoy life! This is not a dress rehearsal.
  9. Ha yeah right by WoodburyMan · · Score: 2

    I'd settle for them getting to my house.

    They kept consistently putting them in my mailbox and raise the red "return" flag to avoid going up my 300ft driveway. This is illegal. Also problematic when the POST OFFICE picks up your item before you're able to revive it, as they should because red flags up and it's in the box. Then Post Office DEMANDS shipping fee to turn your item to you. Happened to me. Consistantly complained to Amazon Customer Support that they are NOT to go to mailbox and should be delivered TO THE HOUSE up the Driveway just like UPS, FedEx and other services do. I literally have security footage of the driver not even stopping and tossing two packages out the window on Sunday morning, half in the road at the bottom of my driveway. It rained. Packages got soaked. LUCKILY they were plastic wrapped inside the packages so they were safe. Complained to Amazon again, I doubt anything will be done.

    There are a few nice drivers, that rent UHaul Vans and wear reflective vests that drive up and hand deliver packages that are professional. But majority of the drivers are lazy looking to get paid and dont care. They get paid in "Blocks" ex you can a set price to delivered a set packages that should take you X amount of time by their estimate. If you deliver it faster, by chucking shit out the window, you can then pick up more routes and make more money per hour effectively. Thats what these people are doing,

  10. Re:Pepperidge Farm Remembahs! by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 2

    Back in ye olde dayes - milk used to be delivered to special boxes (provided by the milk company) just outside the house so the milk man could just leave his deliveries at the door.

    We have one of those - Smith Brothers Farms still delivers dairy products to homes in the Puget Sound region.

    Haven't had any hobos stealing milk from us yet... although I think a starship captain may have stolen some clothes which were drying on the line.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  11. It's not a terribly hard problem to solve by MikeRT · · Score: 2

    Coworker of mine's daughter had her bike stolen by a neighborhood shithead. He drove over to the kid's house and told his family that he was going to take a baseball bat to one of them if they ever robbed his kids again.

    You know what happened? They didn't steal from anyone again that he knew of. Outside of UMC areas of the world, that is how most of humanity lives and has always lived.

    There is nothing uncivilized about his threat. Protecting property rights is the keystone for protecting human life because a significant amount of killing happens over resources. People who are afraid of getting killed for robbery are less likely to do the sort of felonious things that escalate into bloodshed.

  12. Re:Punked by magarity · · Score: 2

    a clown saying "Want to play a little game?"

    The only clown you really have to worry about says "We all float down here".