I used to be at house working in my workplace upstairs when what can solely be described as a loud clonk in my yard startled me and my terrier. I guessed it was an enthusiastically dropped package deal, however I could not have imagined the complete scope of the incident that originated the noise.
I made my manner downstairs to analyze, and located my double chain hyperlink gate had been kicked in by an Amazon supply particular person, who was seemingly unable to determine the flip-up lock. The brute pressure entry busted the gate’s wood body, rendering it unusable and necessitating a restore that may require carpentry that’s above my talent degree.
How I discovered my gate after an Amazon driver busted their manner by it.
Two damning items of proof — my Amazon packages — have been dropped few yards contained in the gate.
To make issues worse, the driving force left each gates broad open, leaving my yard prone to a canine escape.
Naturally, I reported the incident by the retailer’s on-line incident portal and contacted Amazon customer support by cellphone. A well mannered girl instructed me to file a declare. I did so inside a day, together with the restore value estimate of $500 that I had secured from a neighborhood handyman, the Amazon package deal supply timestamp and several other photographs of the busted gate, additionally timestamped moments after the packages have been delivered.
Extremely, the supply driver did not even hassle to shut the gate that they had simply then damaged down.
Every week and one follow-up e mail later, Amazon replied and knowledgeable me that with out visible proof of the incident, they would not be reimbursing me for the harm.
With no video proof of the Amazon driver busting my gate to ship a package deal, I used to be alone to have the damaged body fastened.
After a wholesome bout of cursing this resolution from the two.37 trillion-dollar-company, I made a decision I would outfit each entry level of my yard and residential with a safety digicam with video storage so I may pull footage if one thing like this occurred once more — although my canceled account ensures that it will not be by the hands of Amazon.
An inexpensive video digicam would have saved me $500
For me, this was a no brainer. Safety cameras can value as little as $45 for the bottom unit and $5 or much less per thirty days for storage. Past security for your self, household, pets and packages, these inexpensive sensible house gadgets might save me a headache in any variety of eventualities from overzealous supply employees with gate latch ineptitude to falling bushes planted in a neighbor’s yard.
I grew up in a no-lock house, and to today do not concern violent breaking and getting into, naive as that is perhaps. However the expertise of a possible underpaid and overworked supply particular person inflicting (in all probability) unintentional, however important, harm to my lower than one-year previous house was motive sufficient to cowl my bases. I’ve since ordered a video digicam to level on the facet gate entry, along with the Roku video doorbell already mounted to my entrance door (which was of no use on this scenario).
So the place to seek out the perfect house safety at a worth I may abdomen? Our house safety professional Tyler Lacoma has examined all the highest video doorbells and residential safety cameras accessible in 2025. He recommends the versatile Arlo Professional 5S as the perfect general, so I promptly ordered it.
Finest Purchase dropped it gently on my steps a number of days later.
