Amazon might soon send you a photo of your own front door - here's why
- Amazon has quietly expanded its Amazon Logistics Photo On Delivery program, which involves taking a picture of packages on customers' porches after delivery and sending it to them.
- The service lets customers know when and where a package has been delivered.
- The service has been tested for at least six months, according to USA Today, but it's being expanded as the Amazon Logistics delivery service grows.
Amazon is getting more acquainted with your front porch.
Amazon forwards that photo to the customer, who can view it in the "Your Orders" section on Amazon.com or in a delivery notification from the mobile app.
The photo is included with the delivery confirmation and can help the customer identify where and when the packages have been left.
The second part of why Amazon does this has less to do with the customer, and more with internal insurance. If a customer reports that they never received a package, the company now has a visual record of whether the package was left at the customer's specified delivery location.
"Amazon is constantly investing and innovating on behalf of our customers. Amazon Logistics Photo On Delivery provides visual delivery confirmation - it shows customers that their package was safely delivered and where, and it's one of many delivery innovations we're working on to improve convenience for customers," Amazon spokeswoman Kristen Kish told Business Insider.
The service is tied to Amazon's Logistics delivery service, which still accounts for a relatively small portion of Amazon deliveries. It currently makes deliveries in Oregon, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Seattle, San Francisco and Northern Virginia.
The photo test was previously more restricted, but Amazon recently updated the app its carriers use so that all of its drivers can use it to take photos, the Verge reported. The photo confirmation system has been tested for at least six months.
For those who find the photos intrusive or unnecessary, it's possible to opt out of the service at any time.