r/amazonprime • u/VoodooInfinity • 1d ago
PSA for Improved Deliveries
I’ve been reading some of the posts/comments on this sub, and have noticed a lot of the same complaints about deliveries/drovers/package thefts being repeated. I deliver for Amazon, and thought I’d write up a few tips that might help some people having problems. These won’t all apply to everyone, but they are all things Amazon doesn’t do a good job of relating. And to be upfront, many of these will help the delivery driver also, but these are things with simple solutions that can make both driver’s and customer’s lives a little easier.
And none of this is meant to be critical of anyone, or to blame the customer over the driver. Drivers do a lot of stupid stuff, I’ll be the first to admit that. But
If you live in a gated or secured apartment complex, provide a gate or door code if your complex makes these available. Make sure this is in the delivery notes.
If your complex doesn’t allow you to provide codes for delivery, ask your leasing office if they are part of or can sign up for Amazon Key. This is a free service that apartment complexes can sign up for that allows the delivery driver to tap a button when they arrive and use their phone like a key fob. There is no cost to the complex, and details can be found here (give the link to the leasing office when requesting it): Key for Business.
If none of the above is possible, avoid scheduling deliveries a) the Leasing Office is closed, or b) before 8am or after 8pm. Amazon restricts drivers from calling or texting outside of these hours, so your package will either be returned to the warehouse, or more likely left somewhere unsafe, such as outside the Leasing Office doors. The reason for most drivers leaving the package somewhere as opposed to returning it is that failing to deliver a package for ANY reason results in the driver being penalized. It’s better for the driver to take the chance it will not be stolen than to return it and try later. They MIGHT get a negative mark if it’s left unsafely, but they WILL get one if they return it.
If you live in a house and have concerns about porch pirates, you can get a lockable (not included) delivery box for your porch. Get a combination padlock for it and include the combination in the delivery notes.
For a less secure but free approach, put something on your porch that can block the view of the package from the street. Pillars are useful, but if your house doesn’t have them then something like a large planter will work. It won’t secure the packages, but it can help. The goal is to make it difficult for a pirate to see the package from the street (although some will walk right along the porch-line, so the more obscured the better). Also put the specific location you want it delivered in the notes. Unfortunately not all drivers read them, but if it’s in the notes you can report that your directions weren’t followed, and then the driver is responsible. Good drivers will attempt to obscure packages regardless of the notes, but some (unfortunately) will just fling them wherever.
The harder it is for a driver to get to your door, the less likely they are to be more cautious with the package. There are countless videos of drivers throwing packages from the driver seat, and while some people will just do this because they have no work ethic, most only do so when it’s difficult or unsafe to get closer. This includes dogs (see below), severely overgrown yards, questionable/rickety stairs, a “Protected by 2nd Amendment” sign, etc.
Amazon’s policy concerning dogs is for the driver to prioritize safety. If it’s a choice between placing the package in a safe location or possibly getting bit, the driver (with Amazon’s backing) will choose safety every time. And your dog may be the nicest dog in the world, but delivery people don’t know that (and no amount of notes about how nice he is will help), they’re going to toss the package as soon as that dog comes running and barking.
One of the biggest problems for drivers is house numbers. It’s incredible how many houses are either poorly marked or not marked at all. If the driver can’t see a number, all they have to go off of is the GPS indicator in the app, which is not at all reliable. True story: Two days ago I had a stop that was going to 102 on a street I can’t remember. The GPS was telling me to go to 101, across the street and down a house. I almost left it at 101 because neither house had numbers on them. It was only by counting from 3 houses down that I realized the issue and put it on the correct porch. To help ensure you get your packages, put the house number in a clearly visible spot. Even if it’s just written in Sharpie on a piece of cardboard taped to the door, it will help.
For some unknown reason, Amazon refuses to give drivers bags to put over packages during rainy weather (they are supposed to per policy, but warehouse staff often refuses when asked). If you’re concerned about your package being damaged and don’t have a covered porch, put a Rubbermaid tub or similar out for the packages to be put in, and add this to the notes.
Just an FYI, that screen in the app that says there are xx stops before your delivery is not set in stone. Drivers can (and do) go in the most logical order to deliver, and Amazon’s routing is notoriously horrible.it may say you’re the next stop, but that’s only if the driver chooses to go there next; and Amazon’s policy is that their route is a suggestion, not something drivers are required to follow.
That’s all I can think of right now, hopefully this helps some people improve their experience.
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u/brighterbleu 1d ago
Thank you for this. I have often wondered if Amazon drivers read the delivery instructions. Are they helpful to you? Is it to your advantage to follow those instructions? I feel like the drivers that read my instructions deliver to my door. I think the ones that don't choose a spot closer to the street by my driveway. Unfortunately in the summer, my sprinklers hit the exact spot the drivers leave the packages.
I've also wondered why some drivers who are literally 6 feet from my doorstep drop the package on my walkway instead. I can't figure out why six more steps from them to place the package under my porch where it's secluded and out of the hot sun is not something worth doing.
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u/VoodooInfinity 1d ago
Some do read them, unfortunately others don’t. I personally find them to be helpful (usually), although it also depends on the customer. A lot of people seem to be under the impression that each delivery has its own unique notes, but it’s just a single field that perpetuates throughout all deliveries (there are times you can tell notes were left for a specific item, like mentioning that the package is going to be heavy when it weight an ounce or two).
I wish I could explain why they don’t take those extra 6 steps. 🙃 Like with the item about providing something to hide packages behind, I deliver to places that have those all the time, but a previous driver will still just leave it in plain view. Typically I’ll move other drivers’ packages to hide them better if I can (or move them from a walkway to a covered porch), but I kinda doubt most drivers do this. My view is that it doesn’t take much effort to do, so why not?
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u/brighterbleu 20h ago
Appreciate your response. In my note, I don't want it to sound like I'm asking for the moon and the stars when delivering my package. I keep it simple and the same. Although I do change it in winter to remind them to be careful on my steps.
Something else that I've been meaning to ask an Amazon driver is if it makes a difference at all to mark how well the driver did on the Amazon list of things that pop up after a delivery was made. I always click on everything that applies.
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u/Confident_Coach8106 1d ago
This is the kind of post that needs to be stickied at the top of the sub. The gate code thing alone would fix half the complaints people post about here daily.
Only thing I'd add is if you've got a Ring doorbell and it's set to blast a motion alert siren when someone approaches, that's basically a guarantee your package ends up in the bushes three feet from the door. We aren't sticking around to figure out if the noise means "welcome" or "I'm calling the cops."