First Lite Shipment Stolen - advice?

[elkyinzer]

Title says it all, anything I can do but come on here and bitch about it?

Saturday I had a package with a bunch of First Lite gear stolen from my front porch. The whole situation just blows and I am absolutely fuming over it. Obviously the blame goes directly to the lowlife scumbag(s) that did it but the cops where I live have better stuff to do than chase down these cases so I filed the report that will in all likelihood just gather dust.

I confirmed it was stolen because when I checked the tracking yesterday and saw that it was delivered, I had my wife post the details on a neighborhood Facebook group. A lady replied that she had seen a package with just a hat with the FL logo sitting a block away. I geared up and headed up there and found the box containing only the hat, the rest of the order nowhere to be seen.

What really jacks me up is that I have a wall on my porch behind which the good delivery drivers hide packages, however most of them are too lazy or stupid to do so, thus I am sure it was sitting out in the open begging to be taken. Due to that I think I’ll hound FedEx for all they're worth to try to get some recourse but I don’t have high hopes of anything but a clusterfug of bureaucracy. The package did arrive a few days quicker than it said it would at checkout so I hadn’t even checked the tracking to that point which was my error I guess. I’ve contacted FL but it’s not like they’re at fault so I don’t know what to expect on their end. I love their gear and they seem like great people, but this being a gift card from Christmas and with my wife and I moving soon and expecting a baby this summer I can't carve out the room in the budget to replace it at this time.

Anyway, I'd appreciate it if you all could watch the secondary markets, I remember the thread awhile back about the backpack that was found after being stolen out in Idaho from Ryan at First Lite I believe, so who knows. The order detail is below and I am in the North Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

1 MASP1214 Neck Gaitor - Lightweight - Neck Gaitor - ASAT Camo
1 MASP1319 Pro Staffer Hat (Like I said I recovered this from up the street)
1 MTSP1202LG Llano SS - Lightweight - Short Sleeve Crew - Dry Earth
1 MTSP1401LG Llano SS - Lightweight - Short Sleeve Crew - Pine
1 MTSP1502LG Llano - Lightweight - Long Sleeve Crew - Fusion
1 MTSP1505LG Chama Hoody - Midweight - Hooded Sweatshirt - Fusion
1 MTSP1512LG Halstead Tech Fleece - Midweight - Top - Fusion - LG

My initial pissed off reaction was to attempt some vigilante justice via a decoy package, and the officer that took down the police report oddly even suggested such, but after a night’s sleep I’ve decided that it’s just a little too dangerous to do an in-person sting operation. I may try to do it with a game camera but I’ll have to do some thinking how to hide it and that may not do any good either.

The final kick in the teeth from my awesome Sunday was that after I waited an hour and a half for the police to arrive and take down my report, I was going to bed and forgot that I had moved my big 3D battery flashlight on my dresser and I knocked that over onto my big toe which may or may not be broken now, what fun!

 

[tttoadman]

That totally sucks. I live out in the weeds, and delivering packages to the house freaks me out. My wife does it, but I refuse to. I have everything delivered to my office.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Crap deal. Keep your focus on blaming the criminal and not those peripheral to the crime. No criminal...nothing missing. Sounds like FL and FedEx met their obligations, so insurance is a no-go. I don't see a way to stop crimes like this, but a sting would be tempting. Decent chance the criminal is weaponized, so wouldn't confront him.

Best deterrent would probably be a cc camera looking at the porch and a warning sign (which frankly sucks) that video surveillance is in use. You could make the warning sign something you hang out when expecting a delivery.

 

[Shrek]

Contact First Lite so they can make a claim against Fedex. They failed to deliver the package to YOU. They assume liability when they leave a package. You will probably end up on a signiture required list but if you have thieves cruising your neighborhood then that is just as well.

 

[5MilesBack]

Seems like the only way they ever catch these scumbags is when someone has a decent camera set up and catches a good view of them on video. I guess if most people can't understand the phrase "shall not be infringed upon", then I guess they also don't understand "not your property".

I've started rerouting all my Fedex packages to the Fedex Store so I can pick them up at my convenience instead of having them sit on the porch.

 

[rodney482]

You know the guys at FL are great, have you called them?

Maybe they can help.

The flashlight to the toe cracked me up a little.

 

[Matt Cashell]

Porch poaching is becoming a real problem around here too. Signature confirmation and in-store pickup is the best policy, IMO.

An in-person "sting" could lead to something really bad, but setting up some sort of surveillance can help a lot, after the fact, especially if it is setup somewhere to grab a license plate/ vehicle description. That is often much better than a picture of some guy in sunglasses and a black beanie.

 

[Shrek]

BTW , you hounding Fedex is going nowhere since you are not fedex's customer and you have no standing. First Lite is their customer and is why you Need to contact First Lite.

 

[elkyinzer]

I sent a message via their website yesterday and figure I'll hear from them here soon with the time zone difference or I'll give them a call in a bit. Beyond the scumbag I see my only recourse as being FedEx so hopefully we can work together to go after them. I don't think I am feeling too entitled in going after FedEx because like I said, the lazy drivers make no attempt to place the packages out of view which isn't even difficult on my property. From now on I will definitely have high value items held, but we have ordered literally hundreds of packages over the last few years and not had a single one stolen, even the ones the dumbass driver place in full view. We order most of our consumable supplies from Amazon these days just because it is so convenient not to have to go to target or walmart. Our neighborhood is generally pretty nice but there are some sketchy patches but it seems to be getting rougher each year. Coincidentally our house is going up for sale this week because we are moving out to State College in the spring, but dirtbags are everywhere I suppose.

 

[Shrek]

The stolen merchandise is between FL and Fedex and if you have already filed a police report they will ship a replacement.

 

[airlocksniffer]

Man, sorry to hear that. I bet this happens quite a bit. Sometimes when I'm expecting a high value item to arrive I'll go home and wait as the FedEx truck usually comes by around the same time every day. Last spring I had a Hoyt CS delivered as part of the Rokslide giveaway and I never received a tracking number so had no idea it was going to be delivered. I came home after work and there's a box with Hoyt printed on the outside of the box sitting on my porch in plain view of the street. Yikes!! Luckily we live on a pretty quiet street but still, thieves are all around so you can't be too careful. Hopefully you can get somewhere with FexEx. I've had nothing but good experience wth First Lite CS so if the FedEx thing doesn't pan out may be worth talking to them.

 

[Jimbob]

Can you guys do signature required or at least face to face delivery?

Here in Canada if it can't fit in my mailbox then I get a slip that tells me a package is waiting at the depot. I go pick it up later that night or the next day.

 

[elkyinzer]

Real time update: just got off the phone with First Lite customer service and they are going to reship the order minus the hat I received (and to a FedEx store this time, not risking anymore home deliveries over $50).

GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE FIRST LITE, KUDOS!

I am appreciative because I know they didn't have to do that. Great products and even better customer service.

As for the caulksucking thief, this is far from over. There is a week or so worth of frozen dog shit aging in my backyard at this very moment. When I get home from work I am going to scoop it up and prepare a nice little temptation on the front sidewalk and work on a place to securely setup a game camera on video mode. Stay tuned.

 

[Shrek]

Shippers hate signiture required and the lost and stolen packages are incorporated into the shipping price. It cost more money to make the second and third attempt than it does to lose some packages. I was a UPS delivery driver for 12 years and lazy drivers not properly hiding the package is the reason for many stolen packages. Then there are thieves who follow the trucks and watch for an opportunity to steal. Back when we still took cash gangs would order a bunch of expensive COD merchandise and then roll the driver at the last stop. I remember a driver delivering to the Fair who got rolled for over fifteen grand.

 

[muledhunter]

I worked for fedex as a driver. Its as simple as reporting it to fedex. then they will contact the shipper and you will have a new shipment in no time. But from now on I would either have a direct signature or a indirect sig (meaning a neighbor could sign for it)

 

[BroodBuster]

Why on earth would you post it to Facebook?

Do you also post trips on Facebook? "Calling all thieves. I'll be in the Bahamas for the next ten days so have at it."

Although I do hope it all works out for you. Thieves suck!

 

[twall13]

It sounds like First Lite took care of you, but out of curiosity, does anyone know if most home owners (or renters) insurance policies would cover this? I'd never thought about it until this thread and obviously haven't looked that closely at my coverage but I'd think at least some policies would cover it, it's theft from your property after all... If it had been me that's one phone call I'd make.

 

[elkyinzer]

Homeowners was one of the first calls I made, my agent is a cousin. Varies by policy...mine would have covered but has $500 deductible so no good there.

Wouldn't matter that we posted it to Facebook after the fact. Man that crap made precisely zero sense. It was through that we gained the valuable info about where the package was as well as creating some leverage to deal with fedex if it came to that by documenting other experiences with shoddy delivery drivers in the area. As well as alerting the neighbors this azzclown was out there.

 

[twall13]

Good point on the deductible. I guess it all depends on your insurance.

 

[BroodBuster]

My bad. I read it wrong (imagine that ).

I hope it works out for you!