Once again, it’s that time of year. You’re looking forward to spending time with family and friends, enjoying traditions, food and decking the halls with holiday cheer. You get the notification that your package has arrived, and you can’t wait to pry open the brown, perfectly taped, cardboard box. You walk toward your door with a spring in your step, only to discover your package has been stolen, misplaced, or damaged. You squint left and right, hoping to find a clue as to where your delivery has gone.

Today, it’s no longer unusual to see someone at your neighbor’s front door thanks to on-demand services like Instacart, DoorDash, Post Mate, and Amazon’s multiple deliveries per day.  With no package in sight, you’re left wondering if someone had the audacity to walk up to your front door and steal your long-awaited delivery from right under your nose.

If you’ve never experienced porch piracy, you might be surprised to learn that it’s becoming more and more common. Retail companies are shifting their efforts to online sales and consumers are eagerly searching for a bargain on holiday gifts for family and, of course, a few treats for themselves. These parcel thieving, door-to-door burglars are far more cunning and resourceful than most people imagine. We’ve compiled a list of 7 tips to help you avoid holiday porch pirates and keep your spirits bright.

Scheduling your deliveries sounds like a daunting task. Especially, if you have that beautiful, brown, package of delight at your door seemingly every other day this holiday season. However, by scheduling your deliveries, you can ensure someone will be home to receive your package when it’s dropped at your door. To schedule deliveries for certain times or days of the week, look at your delivery provider for options. For example, Amazon now offers “Amazon Day” an exclusive free program for Prime members to choose their preferred delivery option.

Your home security system is the most effective deterrent for thieves looking to take advantage of your online purchases. Porch pirates and other bad guys are less likely to target your home if your home is professionally monitored and you’re displaying the yard signs and decals provided by your security company.

Your request to have your packages delivered in the morning can prevent the chance of your goods being left outside in the dark. The chance that your package is removed from your door is lowered because porch pirates will use the cover of night to quickly grab and dash. Requesting a signature at package delivery is another great way to ensure that if you miss the delivery because you’re out finding the perfect Christmas tree, your package isn’t left out in the cold for relentless ravagers.

Porch pirates who prey on unsuspecting homeowners will be met with one of our favorite home security devices, the Video Doorbell with Analytics, thanks to today’s technology. Year after year, video doorbell cameras have assisted in the capture of package thieves. Furthermore, with package detection, perimeter guard, Human vs. Vehicle recognition, and two-way video calls, your front door will be on the frontline of keeping your home and packages safe.

You’re walking up to your front door after a long day at work, it’s pitch black and your mumbling things at your keys that you hope the neighbors can’t hear. You finally locate the door key, walk into your home and reach for the light switch only to step on the toys you told your kids to clean up 7 times that morning.  Now picture this, as you pull into your driveway your front porch light is on. Inside, you can see the lights are on and your home greets you as if it were saying “welcome back to your happy place.” With geo fencing and smart lighting, your system can automate scenes and rules when someone is detected on your front step. Additionally, your system will power on your home when you come within a certain radius of your home. Not only is it smart technology but convenient too.

These vault mailboxes are weather-resistant as they lock your packages snugly and safely away from potential thieves and nosy onlookers. Lockboxes come in various sizes and some come with an anchor to secure to your porch or front steps, making the thought of stealing the packages from your home mission impossible. With basic tools, this steel or wooden delivery box can be assembled to keep your deliveries out of sight and out of the hands of porch pirates looking for treasure.

Our final tip to stop joy killing package piracy from happening to you is to be sure to enable tracking notifications when you make online delivery purchases. This transparency allows you to be present and in some cases receive text or sms messages updating you on the status of your delivery. As the holidays draw closer the peace of mind of knowing who is at your door can mean the difference between having christmas cheer or being the neighborhood grinch. We look forward to helping you navigate the waters of home security and sink the ships of porch pirates everywhere. Stay safe.