[blackwasp]

Amazon has introduced a new package delivery system. To combat theft of parcels left on porches, the company will now deliver packages to customers' cars.

Prime members in select cities in the USA will be able to make use of this service free of cost. However, they should have cars from Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac or Volvo from 2015 or later with connected car features such as OnStar or Volvo On Call.

Amazon has released an Amazon Key smartphone app, which customers need to download. Through this app, they can link their cars to their amazon accounts. While buying from the website, at checkout, users must select the in-car delivery option.

On the day of the delivery, customers will get a notification about the expected time of delivery. When the delivery person reaches the car, Amazon will verify that he / she is the authorised person and unlock the car. The package will then be kept inside the boot of the car and locked by the delivery agent. Amazon will then re-lock the car and give a notification about the delivery to the customer.

The car must be parked in a public location within close vicinity of the address mentioned. In case of same day delivery, the delivery agents will deliver the packages from 5 pm - 9 pm and for two-day delivery, from 11 am - 3 pm.



Link to the Team-BHP News

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

To combat theft of parcels left on porches, the company will now deliver packages to customers' cars.

Given that this is America - chances are if there's no one home, there's no car in the driveway either

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Through this app, they can link their cars to their amazon accounts.

Pretty awesome to have such a simple integration.


3 years ago Amazon did the same thing in Germany - a tie-up with Audi.

Surprisingly, Audi isn't on the list of carmakers for this USA development.

[SmartCat]

Just wondering. We are either at home, office or not very far away from the car parked in a public place. So why not meet the delivery guy and just pick up the package?

[sxenimit]

Not sure why they are making a issue out of a non-issue really. I mean if you're home, you can go ahead and pick it up when the delivery driver comes in. If you know you're going to be at work, then you can just order the items at work. Almost every company allows you to have your mail delivered at work. If you do know you will somehow miss it for whatever reason, you can always go to the mailing company's website and have it delivered at a later date, or kept in post-office to pick it up later.

The whole idea of giving strangers access to my home via Amazon Key or to my car is unsettling. But maybe that's just the cynic in me.

[Jeroen]

I think it is a great idea, service.

Apparenty this stealing of packages left on people's front door/porch is a real problem in the USA. Endless YouTube video"s out there on this theme.

I am glad I live in a country where in most places you can still leave, safely, anything on somebodies front door, or with the neighbours.

Mind you, things are changing. For the most simple deliveries you might have to sign in person these days. I ordered some refills for my ballpoint online. It gets delivered by DHL, you get a track and trace number so you follow it on your smart phone and when they show up at your front door you have to sign off for the delivery. A bit over the top I think for something worth a few Euro.

A few years ago they would have popped the refills in an enveloppe, put a stamp on it and the next day the Dutch Postal service would just pop it into my mail box. Those days are gone.

Jeroen

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by smartcat

So why not meet the delivery guy and just pick up the package?

+

Originally Posted by sxenimit

Not sure why they are making a issue out of a non-issue really.

The way I understood it when i read about it 3 years back:

- Most working adults are not home during delivery hours
- Ordering to work involves going to the mailroom at work / waiting for it to be delivered to your desk.
- Carrying the packages (in addition to your work stuff) to your car.
- Putting it in your car ... and then taking it home.

This would simplify the process above since:
- The amazon delivery guy comes in to your building's parking lot
- Goes from car to car delivering what you ordered directly to your boot
- He doesn't have to lug all the packages up to each office in the building either.

Sounds good in theory, but obviously it's not this simple in all cases.

I guess what it comes down to is that people who find this service useful will use it. Most others will not.

[sxenimit]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

I guess what it comes down to is that people who find this service useful will use it. Most others will not.

True. Can't wait till they come up with a solution that helps people who have garages and don't want a random man inside their house while you are away

[locusjag]

Something similar to this was newly implemented by CVS pharmacy in late 2017; curbside pickup. You order online or with an app, pull up beside a CVS store and they deliver the items to you as you remain in your car.

https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/09/ye...-hut-and-more/

Curbside, a startup powering same-day shopping experiences for traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, including CVS, is today announcing a new partnership with Yelp that will allow consumers to shop in Yelp’s app, then pick up their items locally. For shoppers, the idea is that they’ll be able to browse area businesses’ products and promotions in Yelp, then drive to the store to pick up their order — without even having to get out of their car to retrieve it.

Curbside today works with a number of stores beyond CVS, including through partnerships with Sephora, Westfield malls and others. But because it requires an inventory feed, Curbside works well for restaurants with fixed menus and larger retailers — not mom-and-pops — on the retail side.

In addition to CVS, this pickup option is also available for Curbside customer Pizza Hut, which is live now in the Bay Area on Yelp. The Pizza Hut integration is considered a trial.

[libranof1987]

I'm amazed at how technology can be applied in making things simple. I do think that this instance could make things more complex.

Some time back, Amazon came up with another idea to tackle this problem of missed delivery:

The service is called Amazon Key, and it relies on a Amazon’s new Cloud Cam and compatible smart lock. The camera is the hub, connected to the internet via your home Wi-Fi. The camera talks to the lock over Zigbee, a wireless protocol utilized by many smart home devices.

When a courier arrives with a package for in-home delivery, they scan the barcode, sending a request to Amazon’s cloud. If everything checks out, the cloud grants permission by sending a message back to the camera, which starts recording. The courier then gets a prompt on their app, swipes the screen, and voilà, your door unlocks. They drop off the package, relock the door with another swipe, and are on their way. The customer will get a notification that their delivery has arrived, along with a short video showing the drop-off to confirm everything was done properly.

https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/25/...cam-smart-lock

To avoid theft, my apartment rules prohibited parcels to be left at the door/on the porch; also, the delivery man could enter the building only when buzzed in by the owner. So, they'd either leave a note or drop it off in the office.

Originally Posted by smartcat

Just wondering. We are either at home, office or not very far away from the car parked in a public place. So why not meet the delivery guy and just pick up the package?

1) This demographic in question can be incredibly lazy if technology can solve a problem. Several people I know would rather order toothpaste on Amazon with same day delivery than walk (drive) to the store

2) No matter how hard you try, there could be quite a few instances where you can't coordinate with the delivery guy to be at home when he is passing by

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by locusjag

Something similar to this was newly implemented by CVS pharmacy in late 2017; curbside pickup

This has become quite common now and has extended to restaurants and grocery stores.

Originally Posted by smartcat

Just wondering. We are either at home, office or not very far away from the car parked in a public place. So why not meet the delivery guy and just pick up the package?

Select cities would probably be metros, where people either take public transport or park in a public garage close to their place of work. Going to the garage to meet the person could easily mean spending an hour during working hours.

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Given that this is America - chances are if there's no one home, there's no car in the driveway either

On the contrary, given that this is America, chances are there are more cars in the household than the number of people living there.

This would also be beneficial to people who work from home and don't want to be interrupted.

There is another solution that Amazon has to prevent package theft. Amazon Lockers. But I think people want a more convenient solution.