Take steps to protect deliveries from ‘porch pirates’

The peak gift-shopping season has begun, but so has the time of year when “porch pirates” proliferate.

Q. I am a single woman. I work long hours and am always on the run, so I would like to start doing more shopping over the internet and having the stuff delivered to my home in order to free up more of my time. But how can I make sure the packages won’t get stolen from my porch while I am away? If things do get stolen, what recourse do I have?

A. Sales over the internet have grown at a double-digit rate over each of the past several years. Retailers are expecting to shatter online records again as the holiday gift-shopping season gets underway, but law enforcement officials are warning that we’re also entering the peak season for “porch pirates” — those scurvy thieves who swipe unattended packages left outside of a home’s front door.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect the booty that you buy.

For starters, make sure you have packages delivered to a secure location if you don’t think you’ll be home to accept them. When you order items online, most retailers give you the option of picking packages up at their nearest store, which protects your purchases and may save on shipping and delivery costs.

Sign up for delivery alerts. Most retailers offer to notify you when a package has been dropped off or will be soon. This way, you can make sure you’re home when the item is delivered or have a trusted neighbor pick up the package if you’re gone.

As an alternative, you can have packages sent to a UPS store or the local post office. Amazon offers delivery to one of the 900 Amazon Hub lockers across the U.S. (find the location nearest you at www.amazon.com/ locker).

If you plan to shop online often, consider purchasing a lockbox that can be bolted to an exterior wall of your home. After placing the package inside, the delivery person can simply snap a lock on the box that only you can open. Or if you live in a large apartment or condo complex, an on-site manager may be available to accept the items on your behalf.

Q. Would installing a front-porch security camera help deter porch pirates?

A. It certainly couldn’t hurt. Many models are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased online or at a local home-improvement or electronics store.

The mere presence of a camera at your door can discourage porch pirates, sending them sailing for more fertile seas where homes aren’t protected. Even if the burgling buccaneer has the steely nerve to swipe your stuff, the camera will photograph the culprit, proving an important piece of evidence you can provide to law enforcement officers, as well as to your homeowners-insurance agent.

Q. If a package gets ripped off from outside my door, would my homeowners insurance cover it?

A. Yes, but you will need to decide whether the loss is large enough to merit filing an insurance claim.

The theft would be covered because the package was on your property — albeit outside the front door — but filing would be fruitless if the value of the stolen goods is less than the deductible on your policy.

A better alternative may be to call the retailer who sold you the items and explain what happened. Some retailers and other sellers may offer to replace the stolen property or issue a refund.

If the retailer won’t help, file a claim with the delivery service itself. FedEx, DHL, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service are among those that accept claims for damaged, lost or stolen property.

Assuming that you bought the items with a credit card, you could also call the card issuer. Many offer purchase-protection plans that may reimburse you for the loss, though some of those plans have exclusions or limitations that could reduce your potential payout or completely blow your claim out of the water.

Don’t be surprised if the credit-card company also requires that you first file a police report and possibly even a homeowners-insurance claim before the company will consider your request for reimbursement.