As your holiday deliveries start to arrive, don’t let porch pirates steal your Christmas.<\/p>\n
According to the\u00a0USPS Office of Inspector General<\/a>, it’s estimated as many as 1 in 4 Americans have had a package stolen since 2023. The actual number could be much higher because authorities say too few people report it, which makes the problem difficult to track.<\/p>\n Philadelphia ranked second in Safewise’s list of the top 10 worst cities for package theft in 2024.<\/p>\n But the good news is you have plenty of free and affordable options to prevent it from happening to you.<\/p>\n Alternative mailboxes\u00a0<\/p>\n Local small businesses offering private mailboxes are booming in Philly.<\/p>\n “We do one thing and one thing only, which is help you end missed and stolen packages,” said Napoleon Suarez, who owns\u00a0Fishbox<\/a> in the city’s Bella Vista neighborhood.<\/p>\n Suarez started the business in 2015 but said things really took off during the pandemic when we all started doing more of our shopping online.<\/p>\n The business operates essentially like a P.O. Box where customers can divert their deliveries and pick them up within 30 days. At Fishbox, you can opt for a monthly membership or pay a fee per pickup.<\/p>\n Similar startups in the city operate under names like\u00a0Stash Spot<\/a>, Schlep’s<\/a> and\u00a0Package Safe Club<\/a>.<\/p>\n Suarez said their lack of size restrictions sets them apart from more traditional P.O. Box options.<\/p>\n “If it fits through that door, we’ll accept it,” he said.<\/p>\n UPS<\/a> and\u00a0USPS<\/a> offer similar services at\u00a0varying rates<\/a>, depending on the location and box size.<\/p>\n Insurance<\/p>\n For $120 a year,\u00a0PorchPals<\/a> will reimburse consumers for up to three stolen packages worth as much as $2,000 each.<\/p>\n PorchPals CEO James Moore said the claims process is simple. Members answer a handful of questions, including what was stolen, and provide the company with a receipt and shipping tracking number.\u00a0<\/p>\n The plan covers all sorts of deliveries, from groceries to furniture and electronics.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pickup points<\/p>\n You can opt to pick up your Amazon packages at retail partners, like Kohl’s and Whole Foods. But store hours may vary.<\/p>\n Amazon cancels and refunds orders if they aren’t picked up within five calendar days.<\/p>\n You can also choose to pick up your packages from Amazon’s secure self-serve lockers. You just have to find an Amazon locker location near you<\/a>.<\/p>\n “We have more than 25,000 locations across the U.S. where people can have your packages sent including Whole Foods or one of our hub lockers,” said Amazon spokesperson Richard Rocha.\u00a0<\/p>\n UPS now offers pickup\u00a0at select CVS locations<\/a> and will hold it for up to seven days.<\/p>\n Amazon options<\/p>\n The retail giant offers\u00a0several options for deliveries<\/a>, from allowing you to specify a hidden drop-off location through the app or website to selecting a designated delivery day through its\u00a0Amazon Day<\/a> feature.<\/p>\n