It's that time of year again when package thieves, or "porch pirates," are more prominent. But there are ways to avoid these thefts.
A recent survey from Credit Karma found that 43% of Americans who shop online have lost packages to porch pirates. Also a growing number of Americans are saying they couldn’t find remedies or reimbursement for stolen packages.
"The number one thing that was most interesting in our most recent data is that 35% of Americans said they actually couldn’t get their money back despite reporting, and that is an increased number and we are starting to see vendors pull back on free shipping and wanting to take on less risk and less responsibility," said Colleen McCreary, consumer financial advocate for Credit Karma.
Here are a few tips from a consumer advocate:
- Read the fine print on your purchase.
- Ask for signature delivery.
- Add specific instructions for your delivery.
Some people ask their neighbors who work from home to receive packages on their behalf or pay extra to get packages delivered to a nearby business where people are present to accept the deliveries.
Using one credit card for online purchases also may make it easier to track and manage purchases and may provide purchase protection that a debit card doesn't.
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For those who have packages stolen, they are advised to contact the carrier and the vendor to begin the process of tracking down the shipment or getting potentially reimbursed.
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