The holiday shopping season is upon us and your (not-so) friendly neighborhood porch pirates could be gearing up to take the deliveries on your doorstep. Here are some ways you can outsmart the porch pirates and protect your online holiday purchases:
Have your packages delivered elsewhere:
You might consider having your orders shipped to a neighbor or family member who is home during the day. Additionally, FedEx packages can be picked up at one of their offices or a local participating Walgreens location. UPS packages can be received at a local UPS Store, CVS or Michael’s store, or you can arrange to have them delivered on a day when you are home.
Have packages delivered to your car:
Key by Amazon allows Amazon Prime members to have their packages left in their home, garage or even their cars. Download the app to have your items shipped to your car within hours. Check the app or website to see if your product, vehicle and address of the vehicle are eligible for delivery. Pick a delivery time and you’re set. You will receive notification of when your package is out for delivery and when the driver is on the way.
Track your packages:
If high-tech gadgets aren’t your thing, simply use your low-tech skills to track your packages. UPS, the U.S. Postal Service, Amazon and FedEx all offer tracking online.
Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery to automatically get a daily email containing scans of the mail being delivered and tracking numbers of expected packages. UPS offers the My Choice program, and FedEx’s Delivery Manager also helps keep track of deliveries. The tracking information for Amazon packages can be found in your order details.
On the topic of fraud prevention, consider upgrading your basic checking account to a Benefits Plus® checking with SeaComm! A Benefits Plus® membership will provide you with fraud alerts, junk mail reduction, identity theft alerts, and much more. If your identity has been compromised, your membership will provide you with free IDT Restoration Rescue ®. This entitles you to your own Identity Theft Restoration team, who will deliver the most comprehensive restoration services available. You will receive services performed by a licensed attorney, highly specialized in identity theft restoration.
A Benefits Plus® representative will also assist in filing police reports and contacting all credit bureaus, creditors, financial institutions, merchants, and even utility companies on your behalf. Visit your nearest SeaComm branch to enroll in Benefits Plus® today!
For complete information, terms, conditions and exclusions please visit www.benefits-plus.org or call 866-329-7587.