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Comment by ineedasername | Hacker News Reader

I just got a package like that yesterday. The article points out that's sometimes done for privacy & security (if a package is, for example, obviously a laptop it might be more likely to be stolen)

However, the package I received yesterday wouldn't have had these issues. The inner wasn't obviously something of steal-able value.

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I think Amazon does this automatically for expensive items, but for less expensive items they let you choose:

https://images.markets.businessinsider.com/image/5c140c7eb3c...

Hmm, I'll have to look for that next time.

You've obviously never had some $1.58 blind spot mirrors stolen from your porch.

I hope whoever took it didn't check their mirrors and crashed.

I bought a 40 lb bag of wood pellets for use in my smoker. If somebody really wants to steal compressed sawdust....

Random cheap things I've had stolen: - old spice deoderant 6 pack

- listerine

- pepto bismol

- ibuprofen

- $20 azamax plant pesticide desperately needed while a houseplant was being destroyed by fungus gnats. Enough value I suppose but so random to steal.

- aquaphor (the tubes of stuff for dry lips)

- a box of pencils

I could honestly go on for much longer if I went through my purchase history. I live in a nice neighborhood in Boston and have a locked lobby where they drop off packages that I guess people tailgate into with high success. Or I suppose ringing the bell to a random apartment and saying "UPS" probably gets you buzzed in on most days.

I'm guessing there are (at least) two general classes of package thieves: Those who will steal any package, which would be the ones you've experiences. And those who steal expensive items more as crimes of opportunity. Package disguising really only helps with the later.

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