What To Do If Your Amazon Package Is Stolen

Porch Pirates On The Loose

A new stealing trend has been rising in frequency, particularly in the US. Porch piracy is the deed of stealing packages left on a porch or anywhere near the main entrance of a house before the recipient can retrieve them. As of 2021, a devastating amount of 23 million Americans have had their packages stolen from their homes. For Amazon lost packages, an average of 51 packages a year got reported missing or stolen. Porch pirates have taken advantage of the rise of e-commerce due to the pandemic to steal from others, and stolen Amazon packages are among the most frequent.

If you are one of these poor people who got their Amazon package stolen from the porch, don’t panic yet. Instead, consider your next steps. Amazon makes sure that it’s relatively easy to get in touch with them and sort out the stolen Amazon package issue. It may seem challenging to get in touch with Amazon, but they have a vast customer service program ready to help you figure out what to do if an Amazon package is stolen. We have listed below the steps on how to get assistance or report a lost or stolen Amazon package.

Someone Stole my Amazon Package. Now What?

If you are a new victim of porch piracy, we are here to guide you on what to do if your Amazon package is stolen or goes missing. There are some steps you need to take to ensure that your Amazon package was stolen from your porch before contacting Amazon to report a stolen package.

Step 1: Track the Amazon lost packages.

If the package was marked delivered before they arrive, know that Amazon sometimes does that and that the package shows up at your front door within 48 hours. After 48 hours of waiting, you can check your property for a possible drop off place for the package.

Before you report package theft to Amazon, search your porch and surrounding area carefully to ensure that you don’t find it in an unusual place. Drivers sometimes hide deliveries to minimize the risk of a stole Amazon package. Courier companies may drop packages on random areas within your property, such as the back porch or behind your potted plants. 

If, after 48 hours, the Amazon package is still nowhere to be found, contact your courier immediately. Your package could still be in the hands of the shipping company. Ask them to track your package with the tracking number. But suppose the courier company is entirely sure that your package got delivered to your porch without any problem. In that case, it is time you report to Amazon for a stolen package.

Step 2: Check if your neighbors saw it or held onto it for you

Before reporting a stolen package issue to Amazon, check with your neighbors first if they saw or managed to record a video of your package delivery on their home security cameras. They could also be holding your package so it won’t get stolen at all. Don’t immediately unleash your anger at the Amazon customer support service yet. It would not be very pleasant if your package were just taken in for safety by your sweet and kind neighbor.

Step 3: Contact the seller or retailer.

If you are now entirely sure that your Amazon package was stolen from the porch, you can directly contact Amazon. Chat with customer service to let them know the details of the issue. Amazon retailers should be able to send out new packages or can issue refunds to the customer. 

For third-party Amazon orders, contact the seller directly as part of Amazon’s A-Z Guarantee. Give the seller a day to respond to your chat. After that, you can proceed to the claim process for the missing or stolen package. Be sure to file the claim within 90 days of ordering. Suppose the seller is not willing to resolve the issue by sending a new package or refund. In that case, Amazon will be the one to decide whether to issue it to you depending on your answers to the claim process questions. In case your claim is denied, don’t worry. You can still appeal.

Step 4: File a claim with the shipping company

If the seller is shifting the responsibility to the shipping company, know that you can also file a claim with the latter. UPS, FedEx, USPS, and DHL all provide an online claims process for reporting your Amazon lost package.

Step 5: Claim high-value items with your homeowners’ insurance

If filing a claim with the sellers or shipping companies doesn’t work, you can look into the homeowners or renters insurance policies for stolen packages. But do note that this is only helpful if the refund is worth more than your deductible. This claim can be a hassle due to the possibility of homeowners insurance companies increasing your premiums due to your lawsuit, which is not worth the trouble for just a refund of one single package.

Step 6: Use the purchase protection features on your credit card

Since filing a claim with your homeowners’ insurance can be a hassle, you can turn to your credit card company for help. Suppose your credit card company offers a purchase protection plan. In that case, you can contact them instead to reimburse for your stolen items. But make sure that you purchased the item entirely with that credit card. Notify the card issuer first of this issue so they can accommodate your claim. 

Step 7: Report the theft to the police

It can be a headache to keep filing claims for Amazon lost packages if it keeps happening whenever you order online. To avoid this from happening again, report the incident to the local police so they can be aware of crime in the neighborhood. The police can heighten their surveillance around your area to spot the porch pirates and prevent them from stealing further.

How To Stop Porch Pirates

Prevention is better than cure. For you to not fall victim to porch piracy again in the future, it is better to take preventive measures against these individuals.

Schedule for in-person delivery

What’s the best way to ensure your package is delivered? It’s always to receive it in person. You can inform the courier company that a signature is required for delivery. You can also tell them that somebody must be present to receive package deliveries. If you are always away from home due to work, you can ask your neighbor to receive the package for you or change your shipping address to your office.

Use a lockbox service

Amazon offers lockers so you can easily pick your packages up at your convenience. If this is an option the retailers offer, choose this if you really can’t receive your packages personally. This way, you don’t have to worry about your Amazon package being vulnerable on your porch.

Insure your packages

For high-value items such as smart devices, you can pay a few extra bucks to ensure their delivery. Retailers or courier companies offer these services for extra security and insurance for your package safety.

Install a security camera

Lastly, it is always recommended to put a home security system on your home if porch piracy is prevalent in your neighborhood. Security cameras can help identify the individual who keeps stealing your packages. You can use the recording for proof when filing a reported case to the police.

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