The holidays are all about happiness and coming together, but unfortunately there's a handful of Grinches out there who feel the need to steal other people's packages and presents right off the front porch. 

Porch pirates definitely make the naughty list for doing this kind of thing year round, but tend to ramp up their antics during the holiday season. So what do you do if you come home and realize something you ordered has been stolen from your property?

  • Call the shipping company or in some cases, the seller, that you used or bought from, and explain what happened. They all have varying policies/insurance regarding stolen packages and they will also let you know options about reimbursement and reshipping the item(s). You can also file a claim online.

Amazon – 1- 888-280-4331

UPS – 1-800-742-5877

FedEx – 1-800-463-3339

USPS – 1-800-275-8777

  • Report the theft to your local police - if you don't have time to call, many departments, like the Fort Collins Police, have online forms you can fill out about the incident.
  • Check your credit card for purchase protection and if you have it, file a claim to get issued a refund.

Many people have started using security apps or cameras like Ring, which have been super helpful in identifying porch thieves. Another useful tip is to sign up for updated alerts from whichever shipping service you're using, as they send texts or emails detailing the status the package throughout the entire process. If you're getting something shipped to your residence or elsewhere, there's always to option to pay a little extra to insure the box. In addition to using a secured lock box, if you're able to get the packages delivered to your workplace rather than to the home, you'll be there to accept them instead of having boxes sit outside for hours. Then again, there's always karma...

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