One in five Brits have had a parcel stolen – how to avoid theft this Black Friday

Shopping on Black Friday is exciting as you can get things you’ve had your eye on for a long while at a fraction of the price – but there are steps to take to keep yourself and your parcels safe

Black Friday is here, and for many people, it’s the perfect day to stock up on things they’ve had their eye on all year, or to buy presents for their nearest and dearest – at a fraction of the price.

But an influx of parcels to your house does pose a risk, as new research from the home insurance team at Comparethemarket has found that 12.2 million Brits have had a parcel stolen – which is less than ideal when you’re trying to get into the festive spirit.

Clothing, shoes, and accessories are the items most likely to be stolen according to the survey, so the insurance company have recommended some things you can do to avoid theft as your Black Friday parcels make their way to you.

Tips to avoid unwanted parcel theft

If you’re concerned about the theft of Black Friday or Christmas parcels this year, there are steps you can take to try to avoid your future deliveries from being stolen – especially in Cardiff, as a whopping 34 per cent of residents there have had a parcel stolen.

Additional home security

CCTV cameras, doorbell cameras, and security lights are all additional security measures that can help to deter thieves.

Nominate a safe place

When ordering a parcel, you can often add special delivery instructions which include safer areas to leave deliveries if you’re not home.

Schedule your delivery

Many courier services will now let you specify the day of delivery, so you can ensure that you will be at home to accept the parcel.

Pick an alternative delivery location

If you know that no one will be at your house to accept your parcel, you can nominate a neighbour to accept the delivery, or have it delivered to a family or friend’s home.

Claiming stolen deliveries on your home insurance

As many as 51 per cent of Brits are unsure as to whether they can claim on their home or contents insurance after having a parcel stolen, and one in 10 believe they can.

However, not all home insurance policies will cover a delivery stolen from outside the home. It’s important to check individual policy’s terms and conditions, as this may fall under ‘contents left in the garden’ or ‘contents left in the open’ as it’s often called, which may be excluded in some policies.

It’s not unusual after the lockdowns of the pandemic, however, for delivery drivers to leave parcels on doorsteps, so this can be worrying for recipients.

Will you be purchasing anything this Black Friday? Let us know in the comments.