Porch pirates: More than 4 million Australians have had a parcel go missing
Millions of Australians have had a parcel stolen or go missing in the last year, according to new research by Finder.
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A Finder survey of 1,010 respondents revealed 1 in 5 (20%) have had a parcel lost or stolen in the past 12 months.
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That's a staggering 4.1 million missing parcels.
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The research revealed 7% of Aussies have had a package stolen from their home after it had been delivered – the equivalent to 1.4 million parcels nationally.
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One in twelve Australians (8%) had a parcel get lost in transit, while 6% had a parcel delivered to the wrong address.
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Taylor Blackburn, personal finance specialist at Finder, said it was a concerning problem.
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"Millions of Australians have experienced the frustration of ordering something online, only for it to never arrive.
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"The financial toll is significant, with losses running into the millions each year – not to mention the inconvenience for consumers.
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"Opportunistic thieves are seizing the chance to snatch unattended packages."
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The average total cost of the items reported lost or stolen was $145, which equates to a whopping $606 million worth of packages in the past year alone.
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Finder's research found gen Z is the unluckiest generation when it comes to parcels disappearing – with 30% having a parcel not arrive in the past year.
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Blackburn said there are ways to protect your deliveries.
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"Start by noting the estimated delivery date so you can anticipate when your package will arrive.
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"If you won't be home, consider alternative arrangements, such as redirecting to a safe collection point."
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Other preventative measures include requesting a signature on delivery, installing a security camera, or leaving specific instructions for couriers to drop packages in a secure spot.
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"These small steps can significantly reduce the risk of theft.
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"If your goods are stolen, all is not lost. If you paid with a credit card, you may be entitled to a refund if your card has purchase protection.
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"Most retail items you buy for yourself are covered, such as clothing, jewellery, laptops or art."
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Have you had a parcel go missing in the past 12 months?
| Yes, it was stolen from my address | 7% |
| Yes, it was delivered to the wrong address | 6% |
| Yes, it was lost in transit | 8% |
| No | 80% |
| Source: Finder survey of 1,010 respondents, December 2024 |  |
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Methodology
- Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker is a monthly recurring nationally representative survey of more than 60,000 respondents.
- Figures in this release are based on 1,010 respondents from December 2024.
- The Consumer Sentiment Tracker is owned by Finder and operated by Qualtrics.
- The survey has been running monthly since May 2019.
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Sources
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