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Other how did my UPS driver know that the little box he delivered this morning contained my new iPhone 14 Pro Max?

B

beerseagulls

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 18, 2021
817
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this morning, UPS left the iPhone 14 Pro Max at my front door and left.... the box didn't say signature required at all. (originally ordered from Apple.com 3 weeks ago)

when I looked at my doorbell video later, the UPS driver said "hey, Mr. ----------, here's your iPhone", put it on the doormat and left...

I guess he must have delivered so many of these packages to be able to tell instantly that they were iPhones inside? The box certainly had no indication that it contained the iPhone.. .or any other phone. Or are they secret codes on the shipping label that they can identify?
 
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Both my 14P and my wife's 13PM were supposed to be signature required but the driver just left them at the door.
 
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When we scan the package, a message appears stating it’s an Apple product. But we can tell before scanning it by the type of package and by looking at the shipper address.
 
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I guess it's the driver's discretion to leave the package or not even when a signature is not required. My tag reads " APPLE - Can not Leave " so they will try again today. But it would be nice to now so that people can make plans to have someone home to sign for it.


James
 
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JForestZ34 said:
I guess it's the driver's discretion to leave the package or not even when a signature is not required. My tag reads " APPLE - Can not Leave " so they will try again today. But it would be nice to now so that people can make plans to have someone home to sign for it.


James
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Do you live near by UPS CC (Costumer Center)? If so, why not request a hold and have it pick it up there? I understand that it's more convenient to be home to take delivery. I always have my apple product requested a hold for pick up at UPS CC and I always pick it up there instead of having it delivered to me.
 
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Neither my new 14PM or my new iPad Pro required a signature and were left at my door step. The tracking in UPS said signature required for my iPhone but did not for my $1700 iPad. My house is way back from the street but still. . . . . .

The UPS people are not stupid and can tell by the label and size of the box it is an iPhone.
 
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dubvulture said:
I work for UPS. I have seen so many iPhones and iPads that I can spot them immediately. I must have loaded at least 20 just today.
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ACG12 said:
When we scan the package, a message appears stating it’s an Apple product. But we can tell before scanning it by the type of package and by looking at the shipper address.
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Just to add to this, there are so many packages going through the system of the same type and from the same shipper that you can readily identify (in general) what's being shipped even if you are not a driver.

I used to work bulk/irregs inside the Ontario, CA West Coast Air Hub (1992-1999). There were a number of vendors that sent the same uniform styrofoam box which we bulk drivers all had to handle. All of those were prescriptions/medical supplies. We knew that because the ship from was always a medical supply company. And we were looking at labels because irregs have to be sorted to the correct internal destination for load side. When you have large volumes of the same type of package coming through you eventually figure out what it is.
 
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ACG12 said:
When we scan the package, a message appears stating it’s an Apple product. But we can tell before scanning it by the type of package and by looking at the shipper address.
Click to expand...

back when I was young and stupid(well.... not young anymore, but still a little stupid?), I once shipped a box to a friend and put $500 cash hidden in a typewriter ribbon case(yes, it was a long time ago). I owned him the money. Back then, there was no internet or smartphones to send people money easily. I didn't want to pay for a money order or Western Union(yes, I did say that I was stupid). Fortunately, UPS delivered the box to my friend up in Michigan just fine. Fast forward to last year.... I was surprised when I was standing at baggage claims after getting off a flight from Europe back to the US... a customs(CBP?) officer came up and had a tiny cute beagle smell my bags.... he said that the dog smelled CASH in my bag and asked how much money I was carrying(only a couple hundred). I was amazed that they had trained dogs that can smell out cash!!!
 
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Shadowbech said:
Do you live near by UPS CC (Costumer Center)? If so, why not request a hold and have it pick it up there? I understand that it's more convenient to be home to take delivery. I always have my apple product requested a hold for pick up at UPS CC and I always pick it up there instead of having it delivered to me.
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This is what I’m going to start to do. It’s not a matter of “ I can’t wait to get my package “ to me it will be easier for me this way moving forward. That way I don’t have to make sure someone is home or take a day off for any of my packages. Just have to figure out how to do this. Lol

i did request updates on my delivery and yet nothing has been coming through from up. im signed up and everything. Probably just doing something wrong


James
 
JForestZ34 said:
This is what I’m going to start to do. It’s not a matter of “ I can’t wait to get my package “ to me it will be easier for me this way moving forward. That way I don’t have to make sure someone is home or take a day off for any of my packages. Just have to figure out how to do this. Lol

i did request updates on my delivery and yet nothing has been coming through from up. im signed up and everything. Probably just doing something wrong


James
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this was how I got my previous two iPhones:


I miss Mrs. Milstein, my former neighbor... I had an "arrangement" with her. If I was expecting a package that absolutely required signatures, she would hang around my house during the day and wait. The only one who didn't like the arrangement was my cat who never liked strangers, even if it was Mrs. Milstein who was at my house all the time. When the UPS/FedEx driver knocked, she opened the door and signed for it for me. Unfortunately, her friends convinced her to move to sunny Florida last year. (not sure why... we have such lovely snow and refreshing freezing temperatures up here) :(

fortunately, my current UPS driver doesn't give a rat's [rear end] and always leave the package on the doormat and leave... can't even be bothered to knock or ring the bell.. . :)
 
JForestZ34 said:
This is what I’m going to start to do. It’s not a matter of “ I can’t wait to get my package “ to me it will be easier for me this way moving forward. That way I don’t have to make sure someone is home or take a day off for any of my packages. Just have to figure out how to do this. Lol

i did request updates on my delivery and yet nothing has been coming through from up. im signed up and everything. Probably just doing something wrong


James
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‘I had a friend who had his new iPhone held at the UPS terminal and when he went to pick it up, the box was empty and had clearly been opened and retapped shut. He knew the second they handed it to him and immediately told the UPS employee. Employees are hard to find these days and I guess UPS is having to dig a bit deeper.
 
I installed a security box on my front porch. When the camera detects motion, it says press open to open the box. So far, 3 for 3 fails. They put it right on top of the label that says press to open or Amazon delivery puts it on the ground next to the box with a photo of the box and package. So much for anti porch pirate measures.
 
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Whenever I order something of value, whether or not it is from Apple, I have it sent to my office address instead of my house. UPS and Fedex come by twice a day; the drop room is across the hall from my office, and I don't have to worry about getting a signature, or someone lifting it from my porch. Highly recommend this if your workplace allows personal items being delivered.

In the spirit of the thread, I ordered an Ultra for myself and it was delivered on launch day. The UPS driver brought it in and told me "here is your watch" as he handed it over. These folks deliver so many boxes from AI that are the same shape that they know what is being delivered.
 
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Pierre535 said:
I installed a security box on my front porch. When the camera detects motion, it says press open to open the box. So far, 3 for 3 fails. They put it right on top of the label that says press to open or Amazon delivery puts it on the ground next to the box with a photo of the box and package. So much for anti porch pirate measures.
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my friend has one that's bolted to the front porch... he had a large bright sticker on top that says "MUST PLACE PACKAGE INSIDE".... although his setup is for one use only... once the lid is closed, it can't be opened again without a key.
 
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beerseagulls said:
my friend has one that's bolted to the front porch... he had a large bright sticker on top that says "MUST PLACE PACKAGE INSIDE".... although his setup is for one use only... once the lid is closed, it can't be opened again without a key.
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Yes, bolted to the sidewalk, bright stickers. One says USPS, Amazon, UPS and Fedex. Other sticker has big arrows pointing to the open button And once opened/closed it locks.
 
To answer the original question, the return address on the shipping label is AI. Everybody knows that’s Apple Inc. Combined with the box shape and weight, it’s unambiguously an iPhone.
 
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You can tell by the boxes, they have Apple-style pull tabs to open them. I noticed that with 2 packages lately from Apple. Even uses the same arrow character at the end of the pull tab as the iPhone box itself uses.
 
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seezar said:
My guess is that the driver was able to make an educated guess that it was an iPhone based on the package size and where it was coming from and since Apple ships tons of these the UPS drivers handle a LOT of iPhone deliveries.
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Yes size, return address and the battery warning sticker
 
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