How To Fight Porch Piracy With Jessica Lowrance From UPS | Unboxing Logistics Ep. 19

In 2022 alone, porch pirates made off with 19.5 billion dollars worth of goods. As package thieves adopt new tactics, it’s up to merchants, carriers, and consumers to stay one step ahead of them. Jessica Lowrance, vice president of federal affairs at UPS, shares some of the most effective ways to fight back against porch piracy.

Porch piracy—our new reality

For Jessica, it’s clear that porch piracy will never go away entirely. She says, “I think it's part of the customer buying experience now. And it's not the fault of the carrier or even the company you're buying from; it's just the reality of the world we live in today.”

Federal and state porch piracy laws

While some porch pirates snag a package or two on a whim, others get organized. They’re known to follow delivery trucks, stealing an entire neighborhood’s packages in one fell swoop. 

Unfortunately, many of these criminals don’t face severe consequences for their actions. Jessica explains that “under current federal law, only [packages delivered by] the Postal Service are treated as a felony for porch pirates. [Packages delivered by other carriers] are up to local jurisdiction.” Nine times out of 10, [porch piracy] would be considered a misdemeanor.” 

She recommends getting involved at a state and even federal level to support new legislation that would make porch piracy a felony regardless of carrier. 

What can businesses do?

Jessica offers practical tips to help merchants fight back against porch piracy:

• Use plain packaging. If a package is branded, thieves are more likely to snatch it.
• Offer signature proof of delivery. For high-value items, give customers the option to sign for delivery.
• Have a ship-to-store option. Let customers pick up their online orders at the nearest store location instead of having packages shipped to their homes.

Links

• Connect with Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-dauer-lowrance-813b36b/ 
• Visit the UPS website: https://www.ups.com/us/en/Home.page