Amazon delivery is fast and easy, but what happens if someone walks off with your order? A local viewer's security camera caught an alleged package thief on camera, and the viewer turned to Consumer Investigative Reporter Leslie Gaydos for help when he discovered who it was.
If you order from Amazon, you'll get a lot of deliveries to your doorstep, like an NBC10 Boston viewer, who wants his identity concealed.
"I probably purchase 300, 400, 500 items every year from Amazon," said the viewer. "Even when I had trouble, they are always great at that, and that's why this shocked me that they didn't have any protocol to respond to me about what happens when this happens."
In June, he got a notification on his Amazon app that a pair of expensive sneakers were delivered. Another notification came later, letting him know that other Amazon packages had also arrived. But when he got home, he says he didn't see the sneakers, so he checked his home security video.
"I went back to my camera, and there it is," said the viewer. "The driver shows up with the two packages I got delivered that day. He looks around, looks up, and takes it and leaves. Immediately...I called Amazon. I said one of your drivers took my package. Told them I had video of it. They said they would refund me and you can place another order. They said they were going to look into it, and follow up, and they never got in contact with me again."
He received a replacement pair of sneakers, but says it's unsettling how the person trusted to deliver his packages was the one who appears to have taken one. He says the incident is making him more security conscious and wary of people making deliveries at his home. He reached out to NBC10 Boston Responds for help getting answers.
"When you're dealing with a big company like Amazon, you expect certain service, and certain trust and that bothered me," said the viewer. "This person knows where I live. I reported this incident. How do I know he's not going to retaliate against me and show up on my doorstep one night?"
U.S. & World
We sent Amazon the video, and asked for the results of their inquiry into the incident. They told us in a statement: "This does not reflect the high standards we have for delivery service partners. We take these matters seriously and have reached out to the customer to make this right. This individual is no longer delivering Amazon packages."
Amazon says its delivery service partners are thoroughly vetted through a comprehensive, multi-state criminal background check, and a motor vehicle record review. Our viewer says he depends on Amazon and will continue to use the service despite the incident, but says he can't imagine signing up for Amazon services, where packages are delivered inside your car or house.
"I'm not looking for anything for free here," said the viewer. "I'm just looking for safety, because I want to use this app, and service, but I also want to feel safe in my own home."
If you are uneasy about delivery drivers coming to your home, the Amazon locker service is an option. They are self-serve kiosks located at stores, copy centers and many whole foods markets, where you can pick up your package when it is convenient for you.
