Australians are being urged to reconsider how they send their festive gifts this Christmas, with a sharp rise in parcel thefts from doorsteps already causing heartache across the nation. So-called 'porch pirates' are capitalising on the surge in online shopping, leaving one in every one hundred packages damaged, lost, or stolen.
Sydney and Melbourne Hit Hardest by Package Theft
Jonathan Bass, Strategic Director of Freight Insure, has identified Sydney and Melbourne as the epicentres for this opportunistic crime wave. With an estimated 110 million parcels moving through delivery networks during the peak season, unattended boxes become easy targets for thieves.
"There is a huge volume of freight that moves through the networks this time of year," Bass explained. "Unfortunately, there’s opportunistic and organised crime out there. A parcel lying on a doorstep with an Amazon box or similar becomes very, very attractive pickings."
A Family's Festive Disappointment
For Queensland mother Ashlea Burbage, the grim reality of porch piracy has struck twice. While she was out shopping recently, her doorbell camera captured the moment a thief brazenly stole a delivery meant for her children.
"He just grabbed it and put it in his car," Burbage recounted. The stolen items were Christmas presents from her sister in Melbourne. Despite her partner's quick thinking in noting the thief's licence plate, the number turned out to be fake, leaving police with little to go on.
Burbage's experience is part of a booming trend fuelled by the rise of online delivery services, with criminals now actively scouting suburbs and cities for unattended packages.
How to Protect Your Christmas Parcels
Freight Insure's Jonathan Bass recommends three crucial steps to safeguard deliveries. First, he advises consumers to carefully select their courier. "The easy start is to go into Google, go to Google reviews and find a courier that has a great reputation, both with consumers and small businesses, of getting goods from A to B safely," he said.
Surprisingly, Bass notes that 80 per cent of insurance claims are for damage in transit, not theft. Using a sturdy, high-quality box is therefore essential for senders.
Most importantly, Bass stresses that insurance is non-negotiable for valuable items. "If you can’t afford to lose it, you can’t afford not to insure it," he warned. "Go online, buy insurance, it takes 30 seconds to do so, and your goods are covered against lost theft and damage."
For those leaving their Christmas shopping to the last minute, Bass has blunt advice: "If you plan on getting there for Christmas, I think you’re braver than I am. Go to the shops, buy it there." With just days until the holiday, taking precautions is the best gift you can give yourself.
