New Service: Couriers Will Soon be Allowed to Open Your Front Door

[engine]

I read this and checked the date, but it's not April 1, is it!
According to the new service from a major e-tailer, couriers will soon be able to open your front door to make deliveries inside your house. It'll require Amazon Key, a smart lock, and a Cloud Cam camera.

Besides the obvious security aspects, I can imagine the dog going for the courier.
How does this affect your household insurance, too?

Just because technology can do it doesn't mean it's a practical idea for everyone.
[bbc.co.uk...]

[ken_b]

There was a recent article about Walmart pushing the same idea.

[money.cnn.com...]

[engine]

Yeah, it's a step too far, imho.
The delivery driver might be fine, but what if they fail to close the door properly.
Also, the example I gave of letting the pets out, or getting bitten. I guess it's not for everyone.
Really, though, how difficult is it to do your own shopping, or to be at home when the delivery is anticipated, or for delivery in one of these lockers.

[tbear]

That is surely taking things too far......

As Engine says, just because you can, doesn't mean you should!

Many times, I feel new tech 'stuff' is used far too early, before it is really thought through. I would put driverless cars into this category. And, judging by the way bank accounts get ripped off, perhaps some of the banking procedures, too......

[LifeinAsia]

or to be at home when the delivery is anticipated

Although delivery times are more or less about the same time in our neighborhood, it could still be a several hour window when the driver actually comes. And the Christmas season completely throws that schedule out of whack.

If the major carriers could work out a better text notification system (like a text when they are expected to be 30 minutes from arrival), that might work. As it is now, I get a text around 5:30 AM when it is "on the truck, out for delivery" and another text a few minutes after it's delivered in the afternoon.

If I lived in a bad neighborhood, I'd probably opt for locker delivery.

[RhinoFish]

In my neighborhood, the porch package thieves are rampant. So brazen they often drive behind the FedEx or UPS truck.

[piatkow]

I have a nice simple low tech lockable delivery box in mty porch for parcels. Delivery men usually leave the parcel on top and even the occasional one who drops it inside failes to turn the handle to lock it. From that experience I wouldn't trut any delivery driver with access to the front door.

[tbear]

If the major carriers could work out a better text notification system

There is a delivery app, used by private companies here in the UK, that will text when the previous delivery of a route is finished with the expected delivery time, based on Gmaps estimate. Not sure if delivery companies use it......

[Marshall]

Safest bet, shop at a B&M store :)

[lucy24]

Aren’t “Amazon key” and “smartlocks” both things that a human voluntarily chooses to acquire? (But, then, what about the same human’s minor children who haven’t elected to be put at risk?)

I currently live in a building that was simply made for the shipping-to-mail duo (where the shipping company delivers to your town's post office, and then the mail carrier takes over): locked mailboxes*, which may contain a key to the bigger box for packages. It means you can track your package up until the delivery date, and know when it’s arriving, but don’t have to be home to take it in.


* Locked mailboxes for apartments are technically required by state law, but it isn't enforced.

[engine]

Aren’t “Amazon key” and “smartlocks” both things that a human voluntarily chooses to acquire?

Yes, so i guess it's fine if you choose it.