The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: EconDiva on December 29, 2017, 10:39:12 AM
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So I live in an apartment complex. And once a quarter I buy household goods and have them delivered online. I used to be one of those people who would make frequent trips to Walmart and just buy things as I need them, but due to cost savings and the fact I don't have a car, now I just purchase everything I need in bulk 4 times a year and have it delivered-works great.
Except with my last order placed earlier this week. Usually I am ordering enough such that the order could arrive in as many as 3-6 or more different boxes on different days. I got the first 2 (large) boxes yesterday. Heard the knock on the door, opened the door and saw 2 huge Walmart boxes there. I was not dressed so I waited until just a bit later in the day after dressed to go back and re-open the door and bring the boxes in. Upon going back to my door, the top box was gone.
I reported it to the leasing office yesterday who responded today stating they came on my floor and found my package, opened and emptied by the elevators which is like one door down from me. So apparently whoever took the package took it into their apartment, emptied it out and likely late at night put the empty box by the elevator. It really irks me that this is probably one of my neighbors adjacent to me which I don't know any of them (have only been living here a few months). The more I think about it the angrier I get as it takes a lot of nerve to walk up to someone's door and just take a huge package like that for your own.
Anyways, I think ordering online may be out of the question for a while for me as I can't afford to have things stolen. But I do have the rest of the order pending receipt over the next few days. May seem silly but I was wondering...any ideas on perhaps how to identify who's doing this going forward? I thought about leaving the empty box I got yesterday back out but it's not like there's any cameras on our hallway so if they take it likely no one will see and there are no cameras to record it. I really don't like the idea of someone doing this to other people as well.
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Could you put a camera in the hallway outside of your door? Or on your door? Preferably one that stores video to the cloud.
You could also bait the thief and try to catch them red-handed. That could prove risky though.
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Most apartment complexes will accept packages at the office and hold them for you - just put in delivery notes to leave at office. Doesn’t help catch anyone but hopefully gets you your packages!
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I like the idea of having your own security camera. However, in my experience police do nothing with the information, so there's no point in my area.
So I would circumvent the issue by having stuff delivered to a post office box. Depending on your location, you might have to pay to rent one, or you might be able to use "General Delivery, Box 0" so that parcels are sent to the post office without having to rent a box (and without having it shipped out via UPS, which can't deliver to my post office).
There's so much mail theft around me, I have everything sent to a secured depot. Worth it.
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That is shocking! And next time I'd go into the hall in my PJ's.
I'd knock on all your neighbours doors, and ask them if they have seen anything suspicious, and tell them about the theft, the reactions will tell you a lot. If you think you've got the thief, tell a good sob story about how you can't afford this, don't have a car, can't carry the boxes etc. Seriously guilt trip them, and mention you can't believe anyone in the building would do this, it must be an intruder.
Ideally you'll have a busybody there that can keep an eye out, and you'll have an idea who the culprit is.
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I forgot what its called but you buy a box that shoots blanks when picked up. People have posted videos of theives screaming. It's pretty funny.