Anker's Eufy Brand Debuts Smart Lockbox With AI and Built-In Camera for Package Deliveries

[name99]

I feel like the UPS person will leave my package on top of this

I can absolutely confirm that they will :-(

I have a beautiful parcel box installed outside my house and I'd say that maybe one in twenty deliveries uses it. It feels like the only thing it achieves is to allow me to proceed through dispute resolution a little faster by pointing out that "it was YOUR delivery person who refused to follow instructions, so give me my damn refund".

Maybe in five years parcel boxes will become common enough that delivery personnel use them. But as of today, in a large metro area, they are mostly by every carrier, in spite of specific delivery instructions that have been registered with every carrier.

EDIT:
based on reading more comments.
My particular parcel box doesn't need a PIN or any other fancy details. It is somewhat like a mail box (though the mechanical details differ) so that you can open the top and drop something IN, but you can't take something out, there are metal sheets that block your hand going down.
So even though putting a parcel in is literally lifting a plastic lid and dropping the box in, an extra 3 seconds!, delivery people don't do it.
There seems a lack of interest in doing the job properly that's a barrier you just can't get past.

 

[name99]

This. I mean, how does the delivery person open it and what prevents a thief from opening it that same way? And I can just see the delivery person having to figure out each variation of the boxes, having trouble and being like "F this" and set the package on top.

One way to do it is via a PIN given to the delivery person. Tricky because they will probably ignore it.
A second way is to have a smart lock on the box that is hooked up to the delivery companies so they can send it a one-time code to open. The details are described here:

BoxLock Smart Lock

BoxLock is an internet-connected smart padlock that can be used for access control and securing any storage container that accepts a standard padlock. It’s simple to use BoxLock. With the mobile application on Android or iOS, BoxLock users can open the lock or share access by texting or e-mailing...

www.amazon.com

I'm not convinced many drivers will bother with this.

The third (most obvious, hardest to screw up -- and yet still they do) method is a mechanical system. Look at the video on this page to get an idea of how these work:

Keter Delivery Box for Porch with Lockable Secure Storage Compartment to Keep Packages Safe, One Size, Brown

The Keter Parcel box ensures that your deliveries are safe even when you are not home. No longer worry about coming home to missing or damaged deliveries. The intuitive design & “packages” markings make it clear to mail carriers that packages can be deposited in the box. The unique 1 way, 2 tray ...

www.amazon.com

 

[name99]

I have an excellent idea in use in Sweden that I'm willing to export:
Let packages be delivered to your nearest convenience store and you can pick it up from there just by stating the code you received via SMS when the driver drops the package off at the store.
No theft, no wondering if it has arrived or not.
The local convenience store gets a little more customers coming in and maybe uses the visit to get som groceries or snacks.
Everyone wins, except the package snatchers.

UPS does this here in NYC. They’ve got arrangements with places in my neighborhood to leave packages if you’re not home* when they deliver. Most drivers don’t leave packages unattended on doorsteps here.

* of course these days a lot of people are home all the time anyway...

The same exists in the US, at least for Amazon (which, let's be realistic, is the main source of parcels!)
You can have your parcel delivered to various nearby "secure" locations rather than to your house. At my last apartment the "secure location" was a 7/11 about a mile away and I had no problem using it a few times.
It works well if you are in a dense area and have an on-going theft problem -- but of course it is one more hassle in your daily life, to go to that location and pick up.

 

[ignatius345]

That seems weird. You would think deposits would be always allowed, but once the box is closed the package would be lowered into a secured bottom part that requires authentication.

I could see people wanting some authentication, though, to ward off malicious actors, pranksters, etc, putting random or dangerous things into the box.

 

[compwiz1202]

I could see people wanting some authentication, though, to ward off malicious actors, pranksters, etc, putting random or dangerous things into the box.

True so maybe different codes for each