Live data from Hacker News

A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

thedaily.com

41–50 of 100 posts

Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#41

This seems like a no brainer, especially partnering with a ubiquitous local retailer. I am rarely home when the majority of the packages I order actually arrive in my city. If they were to send me an email asking me if I'll be home on the scheduled day of delivery, I'd be more than happy to let them know I'm not, to save them the trip of trying to deliver to me when I know I won't be home. This has always seemed like…

Many people who work in offices just have it delivered to their office. The delivery company's routes for offices get them there during the workday.

Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#43
post #31

Something similar has been around in Germany for 10 years now. The boxes there are not owned by Amazon, but by the Deutsche Post AG.[0] This allows competitors to use them as well. 0: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packstation

Itella in Finland have them also (SmartPost) for use by any online merchant. As a merchant, you can also use them to drop your parcels off.

The German version allows you to send packages by putting them into an empty box in the Packstation. Same for the Austrian version. Deutsche Post also maintains so-called "Paketbox"es, which are only for sending stuff.

The Österreichische Post AG (Austria) is testing a new system where they install a couple of boxes right inside apartement buildings, typically next to the residents' post boxes. When a resident isn't home they simply drop the unlock code in his post box and put the package in one of the boxes. (The package is obviously too big to be dropped directly into the resident's post box.)

Packages can be exciting ;-)

Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#44
post #31

Something similar has been around in Germany for 10 years now. The boxes there are not owned by Amazon, but by the Deutsche Post AG.[0] This allows competitors to use them as well. 0: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packstation

In Denmark too, there is a lot of them in Copenhagen and they're adding more. Design: http://www.postdanmark.dk/cms/da-dk/images/8428-large.gif

It is cheaper to send a package to this locker than to an residential address.

You get an email and SMS whenever there is a package for you, and you have 14 days to pick up the package before it is returned to sender.

Way better than UPS, Fedex etc who seems to be completely unable to ring the door bell or who just skips delivery completely if they're busy. Of course, they are not too busy to tell the system that the customer were not home at the time.

Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>In short, I don't know how many normal people are going to use this service I think many of their customers will use it simply for the anonymizing aspect. It just because significantly easier to order things online without people finding out.

Sex toys from Amazon come in the same packaging that your vitamin pills and toilet paper do. Nobody would know what you're getting unless they opened the outer box, which is something they're not allowed to do. I kind of like this service because it doesn't involve any human interaction, which I hate. Whenever I get a package at my house, it goes to the mail room, where I have to make small talk with the package guy.…

It's also good for people who don't have a mail guy, and just get a "while you were away" note on your door, forcing you to get depot.

In Australia, the post depots are open 8:30-5:00 weekdays, and 9:12 Saturday. Tough luck if you happen to be busy then.

Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#49

This seems like a no brainer, especially partnering with a ubiquitous local retailer. I am rarely home when the majority of the packages I order actually arrive in my city. If they were to send me an email asking me if I'll be home on the scheduled day of delivery, I'd be more than happy to let them know I'm not, to save them the trip of trying to deliver to me when I know I won't be home. This has always seemed like…

Once I saw that a package was set to be delivered the next day so I called UPS and told them that I wouldn't be home and that they should just drop it off at the plant for me to pick up. They said they couldn't do that until the delivery guy tried at least once.

It seems easy, but perhaps it isn't or at least it isn't cost effective enough. The delivery person seemingly isn't given a route everyday (or at least that's my guess) and for now it's too complex/expensive for UPS/FedEx to institute. Also, they are rushing so much and there are so many processes before your package is put into the brown truck that there are all kinds of timing issues. This Amazon idea may help.

Re: A new locker system from Amazon sends your deliveries to 7-Eleven

#50
post #9

I love this idea. I travel full-time, and have no permanent residence. Amazon Prime has been a godsend...but, even that only works when I'm staying somewhere long enough to get something shipped in (I upgrade to overnight for $3.95 per item quite often), and in a place where I can have something delivered. Fedex and UPS do not yet accept GPS coordinates as a destination for delivery (my motorhome is often parked off…

I would definitely benefit from this. My UPS/FedEx pickup location is out by the airport and is usually an hour plus long ordeal that may or may not end with me getting my package.
Post reply on HN