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Holiday Package Misdeliveries

USPS advises its carriers to double check the address, street name and recipient to prevent holiday package misdeliveries.

This holiday season (Christmas 2017) was filled with lots of excitement around the growth of ecommerce for holiday shopping. They expected more than 50% of consumers would resort to using their phone to make a purchase, quickly outpacing traditional retail brick & mortar.

This year alone, it’s expected that ecommerce sales grew more than 18% over 2016 sales. This means more packages for consumers. With the rise in ecommerce and mobile ordering comes an increase in home deliveries and holiday package misdeliveries.

When packages go missing: Holiday Package Misdeliveries

The rise of ecommerce in the late 90’s has finally led to people needing to manage new delivery services and options the past few holidays. And one of the most painful experiences is having to report a package missing, especially with the USPS Inspector General. It’s become more of a nuisance year after year.

Some of the increasing challenges this year include:

1) Holiday package misdeliveries

With an increase in home deliveries as more items are being shipped to a person’s home, there’s been an increase in package congestion in front of the home and unprotected packages. It’s also led to holiday package misdeliveries where items are delivered to the wrong address by the carrier.

2) Porch Pirates on the rise

The increase in deliveries has a direct correlation in an increase in package theft. Package thieves merely have to spot a single box in front of a home to slow down, approach a home and walk off with the box. Then when the consumer comes home, they don’t know if its a case of holiday package misdeliveries or package theft.

3) Amazon Delivery Carriers

In select markets across the country, often unmarked vehicles were found driving through neighborhoods with packages on board. These Amazon delivery carriers (Amazon Flex) often wear everyday clothing further confusing them with package thieves. Further confusion by this often rookie delivery team leads to holiday package misdeliveries – where items are placed at the wrong home or business.

Amazon Smile Package Label

Amazon helps USPS carriers ensure delivery is made before Christmas and the holidays with a “smile” reminder.

Amazon has not completely abandoned their relationship with the USPS. They still send a majority of their packages through the postal system. While Amazon introduced Sunday deliver through the USPS, this year was timely as it was the last shipping day of the year for consumers to receive their last-minute orders from Amazon.

To help postal workers identify packages that needed to be delivered in time for Christmas, a simple smile mark was added on top of pack slips indicating the need to deliver before Christmas Eve – Sunday December 24.

As we head into 2018, the trend for new delivery methods will present themselves to consumers. The new year is poised to see new technologies help people manage their deliveries and help carriers like UPS, USPS, FedEx and other services reduce holiday package misdeliveries next season.

The InBin team is the solution for homes everywhere. With the InBin Parcel Box – a smart mailbox for all your packages, holiday package misdeliveries are a thing of the past. The InBin communicates important location details to carriers to prevent these package misdeliveries.