During the holiday season delivery of packages during the period of Black Friday through New Year's Day spikes between 12-15% annually. During this period, the reported rate of theft is about 3%. UPS alone expects to deliver over 630 million packages to residential areas during this period. If these figures hold true as expected, that means over 18 million packages will be stolen during this holiday season.
During this time of year, online scams and fraud also receive a huge spike. People are normally more susceptible to fraud and scams during this time of year because they are looking to maximize the funds they have. If a deal seems to good to be true, it normally is. Protect your self at all times.
Take Precautions
Each shipping country offers insurance for your packages, as well as signature confirmation, or the option to pick up your package from a local hub. For the purposes of this article, I will use USPS as my example. USPS offers signature confirmation on any package for $2.35. Each package is automatically insured for up to $50, $50.01 to $100 is $2.05. $100.01 to $200 is $2.45. $200.01 to $300 is $4.60. The price per additional $100 of insurance, valued over $300 up to $5,000, is $4.60 plus $0.90 per each $100 or fraction thereof. Any package insured for $250 will require a signature, so you will not have to add signature confirmation as well.
USPS also offers the option to have the package held for pickup. This is a very safe option. It guarantees that the package will not leave the post office, until it is picked up by the intended person, or someone residing at the residence, with the residence listed on their identification. Most USPS employees are sticklers for the rules. There is no cost for this option.
You should take every precaution necessary to protect your packages, and ensure they reach the intended person. During the holiday season, there is a sharp spike in the number of thefts and scams. Do not make it easy to get scammed, or packages to get stolen.
I know there are a lot of Add to Cart and Auto-Checkout services that are prevalent these days. However, not all of these services can be trusted to use secure methods to store your information. Please be sure that the service you are using is reputable and using the proper methods to store and use your information. Never directly give your credit/debit card or Paypal information to anyone. Paypal will hold you liable if your account is used to make a purchase, as your password should not be shared with anyone.
Be careful with gifting payments. At anytime, you can gift a payment and the receiver can walk away with your funds and leave you with nothing. There is no liability by Paypal, or your bank for gifted payments unless you can prove fraud.
Paypal Invoices
When preparing your PayPal invoices, it is important for you to be as detailed as possible with the item you are selling. This information would include, the style code, color, size and condition. Paypal also allows you to add pictures of the item on the invoice. Adding this information ensures that there will be no issues from the shipper. It is also important that you spell out the terms and conditions of the sale. It is also important that you follow your own terms and conditions. I suggest hitting him up for that information as well.
Direct messages are not enough to prove terms and conditions. Make sure it is spelled out in the Paypal terms and conditions. There are plenty of trusted, well-known individuals that are willing to assist you in not getting scammed. We have to protect each other from ourselves sometimes. Don't be afraid to reach out.
Disclaimer
I have provided this information as a guide to protecting yourself when making transactions. If there is more information that you believe can be provided, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am easily assessable on twitter (@bpfillherup) or by email (bpfillherup@gmail.com)
