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.
A Finder survey of 1,010 respondents revealed 1 in 5 (20%) have had a parcel lost or stolen in the past 12 months.
That's a staggering 4.1 million missing parcels.
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.
One in twelve Australians (8%) had a parcel get lost in transit, while 6% had a parcel delivered to the wrong address.
Taylor Blackburn, personal finance specialist at Finder, said it was a concerning problem.
"Millions of Australians have experienced the frustration of ordering something online, only for it to never arrive.
"The financial toll is significant, with losses running into the millions each year – not to mention the inconvenience for consumers.
"Opportunistic thieves are seizing the chance to snatch unattended packages."
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.
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.
Blackburn said there are ways to protect your deliveries.
"Start by noting the estimated delivery date so you can anticipate when your package will arrive.
"If you won't be home, consider alternative arrangements, such as redirecting to a safe collection point."
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.
"These small steps can significantly reduce the risk of theft.
"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.
"Most retail items you buy for yourself are covered, such as clothing, jewellery, laptops or art."
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 |  |
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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