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Package theft is easiest to prevent before the parcel leaves the seller. For U.S. shoppers, the strongest move is to replace an unattended porch drop with a controlled handoff: a carrier hold, pickup location, parcel room, signature delivery, or lockable box that a driver can actually use.

Start there. Cameras and alerts can show you what happened and preserve evidence, but they don't create a physical barrier. A tracking tag may help with recovery. It cannot prevent a theft.

This advice is for U.S. consumers. Retailer and carrier policies vary, so check the terms attached to your order.

Choose the handoff before you buy

Start with the delivery arrangement, not a gadget. Your schedule, building, and package size should narrow the choice.

Situation First option to investigate Limits to check
You are away most days Carrier or retailer pickup, hold, or locker Pickup hours, storage period, and identification rules
You live in an apartment Management-approved parcel room or staffed desk Access hours, oversized parcels, and who receives alerts
The order is expensive or time-sensitive Signature delivery or in-person pickup, if offered Someone must be available, and the option may not be available for every shipment
You receive frequent deliveries at home Lockable parcel box Box size, weather protection, anchoring, and carrier access
Your home has no secure delivery area A trusted alternate address, with permission Use the full address and unit details

Amazon, UPS, FedEx, USPS, and other services may show different choices for different orders. The brand name alone doesn't determine whether a hold or pickup is available; that choice belongs to the shipment.

Set up delivery protection before checkout

Make the delivery choice while placing the order. A few minutes here can shorten the time a package spends outside.

  1. Check your full address, apartment number, access code, and delivery instructions.
  2. Before placing the order, look for a pickup, hold, locker, or signature option.
  3. If you're using a parcel box, confirm that the delivery worker can reach it and knows how it opens.
  4. Don't ask the driver to invent a hiding place. The instruction might not be followed, and someone may not find the package later.
  5. Turn on delivery notifications and arrange same-day retrieval when you can.
  6. For an important order, arrange coverage with someone in your household or a trusted person.

Notifications only manage timing. They don't provide secure storage.

Devices for package theft: what they actually do

Thing is, these tools solve different problems. A lockbox controls access; a camera mainly records events and sends alerts.

Skip products that promise a universal theft-prevention percentage. Results depend on placement, connectivity, battery life, delivery-worker use, and the rules of your building.

What to do when tracking says "delivered"

A delivered scan is a clue, not proof that the parcel reached you. The scan may be wrong, or the package may be at a building desk, near another door, or at an unintended address.

  1. Open the tracking page and check the delivery photo, exact address, and delivery time. Check the address against your order, too.
  2. Search the approved delivery areas, parcel room, front desk, side entrance, and nearby doors.
  3. Ask household members and nearby neighbors whether they accepted the package by mistake.
  4. Contact the seller and carrier. Ask for the delivery details, a case number, and an investigation if the location is unclear.
  5. Save screenshots and preserve camera footage before an automatic system overwrites it.
  6. If the facts point to theft, report it to your local police department. For suspected USPS mail theft, follow the Postal Inspection Service mail theft guidance.
  7. Don't confront a suspected thief or travel to an address shown by a tracker. Give that information to law enforcement or the carrier instead.

Contact the seller even after the carrier shows a completed delivery. The seller may have a replacement, refund, or marketplace review process that the carrier can't provide.

Who should handle the missing package?

Different parties see different parts of the problem.

The seller or marketplace can check the order, shipping address, replacement policy, and delivery terms. Send the report in writing and stick to the facts: the tracking page says delivered, but you didn't receive the item.

The carrier can review the scan, delivery instructions, and possible misdelivery. Ask which claim or investigation process applies. Some shipments require the sender to begin a claim, so ask the seller to do that if the carrier sends you back.

Your building manager or front desk may have access records, package-room logs, or a policy for unattended deliveries. Ask quickly. Some camera systems and logs are kept only for limited periods.

Your card issuer handles a separate payment dispute process. A carrier claim and a credit card billing dispute are not the same thing.

Save evidence before it disappears

Save records before a system deletes them. The FTC's shopping problem guidance recommends keeping receipts and confirmation emails.

Put the rest in one folder:

Keep the original files when possible. Don't edit footage in a way that removes its date or time information, and don't post private details publicly.

If the seller will not refund you

Start with a written request to the seller. Include the order number, delivery status, the date you noticed the problem, and the resolution you want.

The FTC's guidance on items you never received says that if an order didn't arrive and the company won't refund your money, you can dispute the charge.

For the federal credit card billing-error process, timing matters. You generally must send a written dispute within 60 days of the date the first statement containing the error was sent to you.

The issuer must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days, unless it has already resolved the problem. It must resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, and no more than 90 days, after receiving your letter.

During the investigation, you don't have to pay the disputed amount or related finance and other charges. Follow the issuer's instructions for any part of the bill that isn't disputed. Use the issuer's required written-dispute method rather than relying only on a general customer-service chat.

The FTC notes that some card issuers may extend the 60-day period when a shipment is delayed. Ask promptly, but don't assume an extension applies.

This process applies to credit card billing disputes. Debit cards, prepaid cards, bank transfers, and peer-to-peer payments can follow different procedures, so contact the provider promptly and ask for its error or fraud process. Whether a card issuer accepts a delivered-but-missing claim depends on the evidence and its investigation.

Carrier claim deadlines vary by service and shipment terms. Don't borrow a deadline from another order or carrier.

Tactics that can make things worse

To be honest, some DIY fixes can turn a theft problem into a safety problem. Don't booby-trap a package, use a heavy decoy, confront a suspected thief, or follow a tracker to a private address.

Write down what you know, not what you assume. "The carrier marked it delivered at 2:14 p.m., but it was not at my address" is more useful than an unsupported accusation. Preserve the original footage and let the appropriate organization decide what it shows.

Small changes for apartments and houses

Apartments have extra handoff points. Ask management what happens after a failed delivery, who can access the parcel room, and whether oversized packages follow different rules. Get approval before attaching a camera, box, or sign in a shared space.

At a house, keep the delivery area clear and place a parcel box where the carrier can reach it without confusion. Concealment may reduce visibility from the street, but complicated hiding instructions can lead to misdelivery.

For cameras facing shared areas, check building rules and local privacy requirements. A visible camera may document a problem, but it shouldn't expose more of your neighbors' private space than necessary.

Common questions

Can a video doorbell stop package theft?

It may warn you about activity or discourage some people. Its dependable role is notification and evidence, not physically securing the parcel.

Is a tracking tag worth using?

It can make sense for a high-value item if you understand the limits. A tag may lose power, lack a nearby connection, or be removed. Never use it as a reason to confront someone.

Is a lockbox better than a camera?

They serve different purposes. A lockbox can control access if the delivery worker can use it. A camera can show what happened and alert you, but it can't stop someone from taking an exposed box.

What if the seller says the package was delivered?

Send the seller the tracking details, delivery photo, and a written account of what you checked. Ask for a delivery investigation or the seller's resolution process, then consider the payment route if the seller refuses to address the problem.

If a package is missing now, screenshot the tracking page, preserve the camera footage, and contact the seller and carrier before the next delivery arrives.