Amazon packages get delivered to all sorts of places. Front porches? Naturally. Cubicles? Of course. Inside locked homes? Yes, that, too. Now add a new one: the trunk of your car. This week, people in dozens of cities across the U.S. can start getting their Amazon orders delivered to a parked car, provided their vehicle has the proper technology, reports The New York Times (April 24, 2018). With a few taps on a smartphone screen, the courier can unlock the car and drop the box inside the trunk or on the back seat.
The new service is aimed at anyone who doesn’t want to risk having their package swiped from their front porch or who can’t receive an Amazon order at work, perhaps because an employer doesn’t allow it. (Package thieves have even earned a snappy moniker, “porch pirates,” by police). Amazon has dived into delivery convenience and security with gusto. To reduce package theft, it has installed lockers outside physical stores (like the 7-11 right around the corner from my house) where customers can pick up orders. And last year, it introduced Amazon Key, which lets its couriers unlock customers’ front doors and drop packages inside.
For in-car delivery to work, customers must have a recent model GM vehicle with OnStar, or a Volvo with On Call. Couriers can use those assistance services to find the cars through satellite location-tracking and unlock the trunk. The service will be expanded to other carmakers over time. The Amazon systems will allow couriers to unlock vehicles only once for each scheduled delivery, to prevent unauthorized access. Still, the service will require a hefty amount of trust that a courier won’t swipe any valuables. Car owners, who are frequently discouraged from leaving valuables in their vehicles, may rightly be concerned receiving an Amazon package to their cars when they’re not present could make them a target.
Classroom discussion questions:
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this new delivery service?
2. Outline all modes of delivery that Amazon and competitors are using now or might use shortly>