It might only be May, but those that are already thinking about online holiday shopping are about to feel some relief.
In this modern world, anything that we want to order from around the world is literally at our fingertips. Not only can we order whatever we want, but we can have it delivered quickly. While this is a great concept on the surface, we have of course discovered that the downside is the all-too-often occurrence of package theft.
Amazon, and other retailers, recently announced bold delivery moves that allow delivery drivers access to your home so that they can leave your packages safely inside. While this can offer relief for a lot of online shoppers, it left some feeling weary. I can’t say that I blame them, either. Sure, they say these drivers are screened, but it just takes one rebellious drivers for your house to get cased and robbed.
Don’t worry, though, conspiracy theorist! Amazon just announced and launched a new program, called Amazon Key In-Car, that lets drivers delivery packages to your vehicle, instead of your home.
Here’s how it works:
Much like the Amazon Key program which allows in-home delivery through the use of Amazon sanctioned smart locks, the in-car program allows drivers one-time access to unlock a vehicle to place packages inside.
Prime users that are interested in using this services have to download the Amazon Key app, then they can register their vehicle. At the time of this article, only certain makes and models of cars are eligible. Amazon states that “most 2015 model year or newer Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, and Volvo vehicles with an active connected car service plan such as OnStar or Volvo On Call” will be supported by the program.
When ordering from Amazon, users select that they want to use the in-car program and also determine the delivery address based on where they expect to be parked at the time of delivery. On the day that a package is scheduled for delivery, the user will receive a notification giving them a 4-hour delivery time window. Delivery drivers will find your car, which must be parked within two blocks of the selected delivery time during the delivery time window. During the entire delivery process, users will have access to data including checking to make sure they are parked within the right zone, notifications that deliveries are on their way, notification that packages have been delivered, and also the ability to track when their car was unlocked and access, as well as when it was locked again.
If the delivery driver is unable to locate the vehicle assigned to the delivery, they will use your pre-selected backup deliver address. It’s worth nothing that Amazon policy states “deliveries can only be made to a stationary car parked in an open, street-level, and publicly accessible area,” so that rules out gated and underground parking lots and garages.
The program is only available in select cities at this time, but Amazon expects to expand both the vehicle lineup and city availability as the program matures.
Will you be using this service? Let us know in the comments!
