As we move into fall and cooler temperatures, many of you are spending more time turning again – preparing handmade pens and other lathe projects for craft shows and custom orders, getting gifts ready or simply working on projects for yourself. At William Wood-Write, we appreciate your orders and do our best to get them on their way to you as quickly as possible. We also diligently follow up with carriers if packages go missing to make sure you receive the items you’ve paid for.
Unfortunately, there are situations that neither we nor the delivery companies can do anything about and that’s when packages are stolen from the front doors of homes or businesses after they’ve been delivered. Let’s be honest, sometimes people just suck.
So we’ve put together a few tips on what you can do to protect yourself against porch pirates and decrease the risk of theft.
How we help prevent stolen packages
- Let us know if you’d like a package left in a specific spot, such as behind landscaping or inside a porch box and we’ll mark it on the outside of your parcel so the delivery service will see it.
- Ask us to ship to your work address. Upon checkout, be sure to change the shipping address to your place of employment, and add your name so whoever receives it at your work knows who it is for.
- If you’re going away for a few days or longer, we’re happy to hold your package until a specific date for shipment when you’ll be home. Again, let us know in the comment box upon checkout.
How Canada Post helps stop porch pirates
- Request a signature for delivery (tell us in the comment box of your order) so your package can’t just be dropped off without someone to receive it.
- With Canada Post, you can have your package sent directly to a local post office for pick up through their FlexDelivery program. Please let us know in the comment box upon checkout that you prefer a Canada Post shipment. Otherwise, your purchase may go with a courier service that doesn’t offer this option.
- Request the “Do Not Safe Drop” option. This is a free service that lets the carrier know that if no one is home at the time of delivery, they are to take it to a nearby post office for pickup. They will not leave it on your porch.
How you can protect yourself from theft this holiday season
- Have a visible security camera at the front door.
- Consider a porch lock box – there are various models available. This secure box has a slot and a swing-open hatch, into which your packages will be placed and locked inside. It can only be opened by the person with a key.
- If you will be away, ask a neighbour or friend to check for deliveries so boxes don’t sit in front of your house for long periods of time – or ask us to delay shipping your order until you will be home again.
Get your woodturning supplies and kits delivered safely
We want to do everything we can to ensure our customers get their orders safely and quickly. If you have any suggestions or know of anything we missed that can help make this happen, please let us know!
