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

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

#61
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

There is a nice talk about the security of the packstation card.

http://vimeo.com/26025789 (audio german, slides english)

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

#62

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…

Home owners should be allowed to put a bin like this at our houses that can substitute for the signature. Obviously the whole bar code etc thing isn't necessary. It could just work like old mail slots. Items can go in, but can't go out.

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

#63
post #12

When the package is actually delivered, the customer receives an email notification along with a bar code to his smartphone and heads to the 7-Eleven. There he’ll stand in front of the locker system, which looks like the offspring between an ATM machine and a safety deposit box. The machine will scan the bar code on his handset to receive a PIN number. He’ll punch that PIN number and retrieve the package. I don't und…

I'm betting that the journalist that wrote that post garbled the message and that the PIN is an alternative to using the bar code. Some of us still don't have smart phones.

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

#64
> ...which looks like the offspring between an ATM machine and a safety deposit box.

The author evidently has never seen a modern transit station locker system. (Admittedly less common now that lockers have been removed from airports.) At Union Station in Chicago there is a wall of lockers that looks almost exactly like this; all your interactions with choosing and locking and unlocking a locker are done with the computer kiosk in the middle (which, in that case, has a credit card reader). Amazon is surely not using custom hardware for this (or at least, not from-scratch custom), just reprogramming what's out there.

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

#65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He is still a lawful resident of the state, whether or not he has a permanent address.

In my state, Pennsylvania, it is my understanding that the homeless are not allowed to drive or even to receive mail, because a mailbox cannot be used for the address on their driver's license, and they cannot get a mailbox, neither from the Post Office nor from a reputable mailbox rental business, without already having an address which they can prove is their residence. Therefore, unless the rules are different in…

That's what most states claim but it simply isn't true. You can use a mailbox service.

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

#66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He is still a lawful resident of the state, whether or not he has a permanent address.

In my state, Pennsylvania, it is my understanding that the homeless are not allowed to drive or even to receive mail, because a mailbox cannot be used for the address on their driver's license, and they cannot get a mailbox, neither from the Post Office nor from a reputable mailbox rental business, without already having an address which they can prove is their residence. Therefore, unless the rules are different in…

"In my state, Pennsylvania, it is my understanding that the homeless are not allowed to drive or even to receive mail, because a mailbox cannot be used for the address on their driver's license"

I'm certain you're wrong about both of these assertions, in PA or any other US state. There are federal laws at play, and both of these limitations on homeless people would definitely cross the bounds of federal law. Also, they would be incredibly evil; pretty much designed to keep homeless people homeless.

Mail can be received, by anyone, via general delivery at any post office main branch in a city, and often several other branches, if the city is large. Mail is damned near a constitutional right (federal mail service is one of the few services explicitly permitted by the constitution).

A drivers license is somewhat trickier, since some states do require one to have a "permanent residence" within the state, and don't allow general delivery for that purpose, and some don't even allow PO boxes, though most do. But, Mailboxes Etc. and the like are generally acceptable for this purpose (I use a mail forwarding service for my mailing address for all legal correspondence, including drivers license and taxes). Incoming mail is also one of the services that homeless shelters sometimes provide to their clients, as part of the process of helping them out of homelessness (if you can't drive or get mail in a shithole like rural Pennsylvania, you're SOL when it comes to finding a job, and getting your life back in order). I'll also mention that the federal government, and many states, consider a description of your boat or motorhome as an acceptable "permanent residence" address, as long as a mailing address is also provided.

"Therefore, unless the rules are different in his state, he is not allowed to drive, and if that's the case, then: How can he be a lawful resident?"

So, you reckon I'm an outlaw, flaunting convention and decency?

My residence state is Texas. One of the reasons for that is that it has very relaxed rules about residency, making it more convenient than many states...a forwarding address works fine for all government purposes in Texas. Most states actually want to claim you as a resident, rather than trying to prevent you from becoming one. California, for example, is still trying to convince me to pay income taxes there, even though I haven't been back in a year.

If you google "rv full-timer domicile state" you'll find tons of discussion of the best states for full-timers (South Dakota, Texas, Florida, Wyoming), based on various taxes, convenience and costs of renewing and maintaining licenses and registrations, insurance costs, etc. I chose Texas because I lived there for seventeen years, and I spend two or three months a year there (more than any other state), so Texas is the devil I know and it's ethically probably the one I should be voting in and paying taxes in. But, I considered all the others, and if Texas proves to be ornery for any reason, I won't hesitate to "move" to South Dakota or Florida.

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

#67
post #30
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 travel full-time, and have no permanent residence. do you not file a state tax return?

I don't because I am now a Texas resident, for legal purposes, and Texas has no state income tax.

But, I do still have license, registration, etc. to deal with.

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

#68
post #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.

I have the same problem, even with a UPS store 2 minutes away I need to call to organize the drop off at the store and pay a five dollar extra charge or its a hour and a half drive out to the depot and back.

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

#69
post #27
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…

Do you have a blog about your RV full time lifestyle?

I do, but I rarely update it: http://nerdnomad.com (and I have http://flickr.com/photos/nerdnomad and http://twitter.com/nerdnomad which do get updated pretty regularly). Instead of blogging, I've mostly decided to write a novel instead, so I'm working on a semi-autobiographical zombie survival road novel. I'm about 36,000 words in (that's about 50 pages, I think).

With the blog I began to find it difficult to think of things I do from day to day as out of the ordinary and worth blogging about. I know it all seems strange to folks who've never done it...but, to me, it's just another day and seems unworthy of writing about. I may give it another shot eventually. I'm in Detroit right now, which is pretty interesting and is probably worth blogging about.

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

#70
post #60
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Absolutely. It's even worse for the cheapo courier services that are often used -- in central London, these can be a 90-minute journey away, and keep the same sorts of hours you mention.

Yap. Just went this morning to the depot closer to my home which is around one hour away (and that's because I use the DLR, otherwise I would walk for maybe those 90 minutes you talk about). This for two DVDs...

I'm avoiding buying stuff because of this.

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