‘Tis the season of the porch pirate, as consumers report that millions of packages are stolen off porches and doorsteps as they rely on internet shopping more and more.
A study from InsuranceQuotes.com released this month found 8% of respondents in a nationally representative survey of more than 1,000 people have had packages stolen.
The question from MarketWatch.com readers on Monday is timely: Does homeowners insurance cover the stolen goods?
Most basic apartment and homeowners insurance policies do not cover package theft, a spokesman for InsuranceQuotes told MarketWatch. “While consumers can add riders to protect high-value items like a specific set of china, valuable art, or wedding rings, the value of packages is constantly changing so it’s difficult to insure against them. This changes if you have a small business, however,” MarketWatch reported.
There are some ways to manage the risk, according to MarketWatch.
One way to combat porch pirates is “to choose a delivery option that requires a signature, track the package, and contact neighbors and ask if you can leave the package with them,” according to MarketWatch, which also suggests homeowners use lock-box services like Amazon Key, Box Lock and Landport for delivery workers.
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