Amazon's New In Home Delivery Service - Package is put inside your door

[spacejamz]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech...r-leave-packages-inside-front-door/796780001/

Definitely an interesting concept to help fight the rising porch thefts that are occurring...you have to install an Amazon camera (which is installed inside the home to monitor the front door) and wifi lock (which start at $249)...

When you have a delivery, you can unlock the door for them when they arrive. If you don't respond, they can hit a button which will basically unlock the door so they can place the package inside...Guess you would also need to be able to arm/disarm your home alarm system remotely as well (most people that would install a camera probably have an alarm system or you can leave your alarm off on days you are expecting a delivery)...

I can see people who will take advantage of this but just seems weird giving access to your home to a complete stranger....will be interesting to see how successful (or not) this turns out to be....

I definitely won't be doing it as I am not comfortable with installing wifi locks on my doors yet....

 

[clamum]

Huh, that is kinda interesting. I was going through the comments and a bunch of people were worried about criminals gaining access to your house by waiting in the bushes and pushing the delivery person inside and then robbing to their hearts content. I think that's unrealistic; if a criminal wants access to a house there's other ways of doing so besides this, and this service ain't gonna make otherwise law-abiding citizens into criminals now. It's just an invalid argument/complaint about the service.

Personally I'm not too interested in the service since I have never had a case of package theft and my packages are left in either the mailbox, inside my apartment's (locked) hallway, or at the leasing office, and those options are sufficient for me. Or I guess sometimes the package is brought back to the carrier and I gotta pick it up but that's rare (maybe that's just for signature required packages). But I can see where some people would like this, for example the commenter that works a lot and is never home to get packages and wants them home delivered and not have to pick them up somewhere (e.g. Amazon Locker).

 

[repoman0]

Never had a package stolen but Amazon can pay for it if I do. No remote locks for me

 

[ultimatebob]

Once upon a time, everyone used to have lockable cooler boxes on their front step for milk deliveries. Why don't they bring that concept back for UPS and FedEx packages? It doesn't need to be fancy... just a heavy insulated box with a smart lock on the lid that only delivery drivers and yourself could open. If you want extra security, bolt it to your porch step.

Hell... Amazon should throw in the box (after giving it a cool name like "Prime HomeLocker") as part of an Amazon Prime Fresh subscription in urban areas.

 

[deadlyapp]

I could see this being cool if you had a separate foyer in a house. You have the interior door locked, but the exterior door (could be just a iron gate or something) with the wifi lock.

I've thought of doing something similar with a package delivery box, basically you have a sealed box on your porch or door step or whatever, that has a keycode entry to open the top. The keycode only works once and then is deactivated. Amazon gives you the ability to provide additional delivery instructions so you could put it there, or you could simply make it so the box is unlocked to start and then self-locks once it notices a package has been put in.

 

[jtvang125]

Never seen an amazon delivery driver in person but have heard some can be quite the character. Hard to fully trust this yet.

 

[luv2liv]

people are somehow ok with Amazon listening and watching 24/7 with those Echo. im sure they wont mind with this Key. what is that idiom about giving someone an inch and then he takes a yard?

im gonna pass. i think amazon dropping off items at the local 7-11 is a pretty good compromise for delivering when no one is home.

 

[spacejamz]

Never seen an amazon delivery driver in person but have heard some can be quite the character. Hard to fully trust this yet.

see plenty of them on my ring doorbell...haven't see any 'characters' yet (I have about 180 Amazon orders for 2017 if that makes any difference)....

 

[Zorba]

I have no interest in having door locks connected to the internet.

 

[allisolm]

If they wait for a response the same amount of time the UPS guys do after knocking , I can see how this could go in FL. Knock, open blam! - as the home owner shoots because he didn't hear the knock and well, stand your ground and all.

 

[zinfamous]

I have no interest in having door locks connected to the internet.

what could go wrong?

 

[spacejamz]

If they wait for a response the same amount of time the UPS guys do after knocking , I can see how this could go in FL. Knock, open blam! - as the home owner shoots because he didn't hear the knock and well, stand your ground and all.

If the homeowner is that gun happy, there are probably more people that should be worried than the Amazon delivery guy...the homeowner gets several notices about the delivery...Not much can be done if they choose to ignore all of them...

From the article:

The day the ordered item is set to arrive, a customer gets a note on her phone, saying an in-home delivery will come that day and a time window during which to expect it.

When the delivery person arrives, the app sends the customer another note saying the delivery person is at the door.

Using a list that appears on the app, the delivery person is first instructed to knock on the door or ring the doorbell.

If no one answers, the delivery person swipes a button in the app that sends a message up to the cloud, which sends a message down to the customer's Amazon-enabled smart lock. This allows the delivery person to swipe a button on the app that unlocks the door.

"Note that the delivery person never touches the lock and doesn't have a key or a code," said Larsen.

The delivery person opens the door "just a crack," puts the package inside the door and then closes the door, he said. The worker then swipes another button on the app that automatically locks the smart lock. He must confirm that the door is closed and locked before leaving.

 

[Elixer]

They better have tons of security on that Wifi lock, I sure wouldn't install it in any case.

 

[Captante]

I have no interest in having door locks connected to the internet.

This.

I have packages delivered to my office anyway.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Never had a package stolen but Amazon can pay for it if I do. No remote locks for me

That's.... that's exactly what they're trying to avoid.

Once upon a time, everyone used to have lockable cooler boxes on their front step for milk deliveries. Why don't they bring that concept back for UPS and FedEx packages? It doesn't need to be fancy... just a heavy insulated box with a smart lock on the lid that only delivery drivers and yourself could open. If you want extra security, bolt it to your porch step.

Hell... Amazon should throw in the box (after giving it a cool name like "Prime HomeLocker") as part of an Amazon Prime Fresh subscription in urban areas.

I like it.

I've considered getting a Prime locker at the local grocery store, but it seems like a lot of things I buy wouldn't fit in them anyway, and theft hasn't been a problem.

 

[Pink Jazz]

Not sure if I would trust those Amazon Logistics delivery drivers inside my house. We haven't had any stolen packages luckily, so I don't think it would be much use for us. We also still get about 1/4 of our Amazon Prime packages via USPS, which except for Sunday delivery generally gets put in our mailbox or parcel locker.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I would sooner allow an Amazon drone to give me a colonoscopy before I allowed them to remotely open the door to my house.

 

[repoman0]

That's.... that's exactly what they're trying to avoid.

Of course that's what they're trying to avoid. Why should I pay for it instead of them in the form of allowing a stranger into my house and having to buy a fancy lock?

 

[AznAnarchy99]

I have my own Schlage smart lock. Would rather have them text/call me instead so I can open it then them having access.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Since at most 50% of my Prime orders actually reach my residential address it is a moot point. Instead of some criminal (the one at the address getting 50% of my packages) the Primae order goes back to Amazon. No thanks. Instead, I've been using the POB physical address to send stuff to instead of my house. Pretty bad when Amazon pays the USPS extra money for Prime deliveries and they have such a pitiful success rate for my home address.

 

[Rumpltzer]

I live in a building where one of my neighbors would often travel. He put an outdoor lockable container (3ft x 3ft x 4ft) on his porch and a pad lock hanging loose. The delivery guys would put things inside for him.

After her left, I've had three packages tampered with. Someone stole my monthly dose of refrigerated medication. It was a complete hassle dealing with the insurance to get it replaced. Someone stole a delivery containing facial cleanser and some other toiletries. Someone opened a box containing a plastic part of my vacuum cleaner, decided it wasn't worth taking, and left it there (opened) on my front porch.

My neighbors have their stuff stolen once or twice a year as well.

I live in the Los Angeles Southbay.

 

[Aikouka]

I have my own Schlage smart lock. Would rather have them text/call me instead so I can open it then them having access.

I use Schlage as well, and it's a bummer that they only support Kwikset. I decided to go with Schlage over Kwikset due to Kwikset's easy re-keying tech not being 100% full-proof.

 

[Pink Jazz]

I use Schlage as well, and it's a bummer that they only support Kwikset. I decided to go with Schlage over Kwikset due to Kwikset's easy re-keying tech not being 100% full-proof.

Actually, Yale is also supported.

 

[snoopy7548]

Next Amazon will give you the privilege of storing their merchandise in your home. All you have to do is let the Amazon Employee™ pick up the item so they can deliver it to another Amazon customer in your town. The items will be stored on a small rack that is placed next to your door, which the Amazon Employee™ will just open a smidge in order to retrieve the item and be on their way! Sign up and get a $5 credit to Prime Pantry each month you participate in the Amazon HomeStock® program!

I can't wait for the first news story about an Amazon delivery dude letting a family's dog out or getting attacked by a dog. Or opening the door to somebody's kid masturbating when they were supposed to be in school.

 

[KeithP]

…or you could simply make it so the box is unlocked to start and then self-locks once it notices a package has been put in.

I have thought about doing something like this myself. A secure package drop off container that would lock when the lid is closed. A delivery driver would put the package inside and close it up. I don't really need any auto lock/unlock net capabilities.

-KeithP