OK, this idea is unproven — so far. But it’s a solution whose time has come. The boom in online shopping has been a boon for thieves who find it easy to swipe packages left outside front doors before intended recipients get home from work. (That’s why many people cheered when a fed-up former NASA engineer created an Amazon-looking package that exploded with glitter and stench when a thief opened it.)
All jokes aside: The theft problem is real, and frustrating, and winds up costing us all money when companies have to send replacement packages. You might be able to do your part to thwart those lowdown thieves by marketing yourself as a “professional package receiver.” Hey, some people get paid to wait in line. Why not get paid to lead the fight against porch piracy?
Try this: Put the word out — through friends, social media, places of worship — that you are available to accept deliveries. If a package is for someone in your neighborhood, you could watch the shipping company’s tracking info to be at the home to take the package in. Or you could specify that packages be shipped to Original Recipient, c/o Professional Package Receiver (that’s you).
Before asking a fee of, for example, $1 per package, ask the person who wants to hire you what it’s worth to them. You might be surprised by a response like, “I’ll give you $5.” Decide, too, whether you’ll be charging per package or per order, and whether you’ll set a weight limit (no packages over 30 pounds, for example).
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