The holiday season may be over, but the threat of porch piracy isn’t. These thieves don’t care what month it is. As long as they find packages left on porches, they’ll grab them.
Delivery theft is a year-round problem, so your next package could be nabbed in January, February, or March. On the heels of a busy holiday season, you might not have the cash to replace your stolen item.
So, what can you do? You have a few options, depending on what was stolen and how you paid for it.
Why Does the Item Matter?
The value of the stolen item plays a role in how you deal with this theft. If someone steals something very expensive off your porch, you might consider making a claim with your home insurance company.
Unfortunately, not all basic plans will cover items stolen outside of your home. And if they do, you will have to cover a deductible before you receive your payment.
Deductibles can be as high as $1,000 in some cases, so making a claim only makes sense when your payout would be considerably more than your deductible.
Most people don’t have an extra grand sitting around after the holidays. If you need extra help covering an unexpected deductible, an online loan might help. By going online, you can find personal loan options with direct deposit that transfer your money straight to your account of choice.
Direct deposit loans make handling unexpected expenses in high-pressure situations a little easier to deal with since you won’t have to pick up checks or arrange in-person payments. Instead, you can manage your personal loan from anywhere you get Internet.
Why Does Your Payment Method Matter?
If you paid with a credit card, you might be able to leverage certain purchase protections to help you with porch piracy.
Get in touch with your card issuer right away to discuss your next step. Depending on your account, your credit card company may process a refund for the stolen item.
You won’t get as much help if you use other payment options at checkout, like PayPal, debit, or Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) financing. These payments don’t come with the same built-in purchase protections as credit.
Debit is an all-around poor choice for online shopping because it lacks protections. Meanwhile, PayPal and BNPL financing may only provide refunds if you opt-in for additional insurance at cost.
Do You Have Other Options?
If you struck out with insurance and your payment method, don’t give up — you still have a couple of options to investigate.
- The Retailer: Alert the company from where you purchased the stolen item. Many of the biggest e-retailers have generous porch piracy policies that resend a replacement or provide a full refund. You might not be as lucky if you shopped from a smaller, independent company.
- The Delivery Company: You can also file a claim with the service that delivered the item. The biggest delivery companies like UPS and FedEx cover lost or damaged items up to a certain limit. However, they may only offer this coverage if the theft happens when the package is still in their possession — or you can prove the delivery person left your package in a conspicuous area.
Porch piracy often has a solution. But let’s be honest — getting your refund or replacement is a logistical nightmare. It’s easier if you don’t have to deal with these thefts in the first place, so follow these tips to protect your deliveries any time of the year.
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