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It's been years since I've lived in an apartment, so I could be wrong, but doesn't USPS, UPS and FedEx still deliver right to your door?

This year, college students’ use of Amazon Prime reached critical enough mass to create mail center traffic jams. It’s not just young adults, though: apartment-dwellers are having so many packages delivered that current systems for managing resident mail aren’t working, and landlords are looking for other ways to manage the influx from online shopping.
 
I shopped the least online when I was in an apartment. All packages went to the office in an non secure room where all you did was walk in and grab your stuff and hope no one else shopped around in there. Now with a house, I feel like ups shows up weekly lol.
 
One thing I like about living in an apartment is that someone is always around to get my packages. I have three due to be delivered today, and I'll pick them up at the leasing office as I head home. FedEx and UPS both deliver to the front door, but I'm rarely home. With the leasing office staff around, I don't need to worry about it.

Now if I can only train the USPS to stop leaving things at my door. I've had three USPS packages stolen in the last year because they ignore my sign to drop them at the leasing office. Government = incompetence.
 
I haven't lived in one since around 2000, but they still brought it all the way to my door then, unless I specified otherwise. As far as shopping more? No, I typically have a package a day at least arriving at my house these days.
 
I had far more trouble shopping online when I was in an apartment. Too often they'd drop stuff in common areas, with the management, or leave that damned tag so you have to go to the UPS/FedEx office.
At my house, it's easy. Plus, there's no inconvenience for them leaving things on the porch. After all, it's only an additional 20 feet further and not locked behind several glass doors w/ access codes.
 
Steve said:
It's been years since I've lived in an apartment, so I could be wrong, but doesn't USPS, UPS and FedEx still deliver right to your door?
Click to expand...

Many apartments have clocks (digital or mechanical) that prevent non-residents from even entering the building, requiring all packages to be left in a nearby manager office of sorts instead of at the door.
 
I live a block away from a post office, so if I'm not home when the ring the buzzer I get a slip of paper telling me to come get it at the post office. Totally secure, super easy.

Leaving something in a common room with no security is silly.
 
I once lived in an apartment, but now I live in a house. UPS, potato.
 
When I was living in Largo, MD in an apt, UPS and FedEx would deliver to the door. USPS would leave a note telling me to go to the Post Office to pick up.

Either way, I was never home when they delivered, so I got notes from all three and would have to go pickup at their offices.
 
I get things delivered directly to the door. If the box is small enough they put it in the locker by the mailboxes.
 
Depends, when I lived in a giant 3 tower apartment complex in downtown LA, they delivered to the concierge at the front desk. When I lived at a more reasonably size apartment complex in Irvine the guy delivered right to the front door, also at the place in Irvine there wasn't a concierge desk. I imagine in a place like Manhattan where most apartment buildings are several stories and many buildings have a front desk, UPS would rather dump everything on 1 guy rather than go up and down 60 floors.
 
I suggested to my apartment complex to get amazon-like lockers to store packages. I'm sure there's some system out there that can generate a one-time password per locker and send SMS or email notifications to pick up packages.
 
I think everyone is shopping online more (price, convenience, selection, etc) ... however it is more complex for these multi-dweller communities ... since I don't think the package situation is going away soon it will be key for the vendors and the delivery folks to continue to explore new options and technologies (lockers, drones, delivery selection times, etc)
 
I have been living in an apartment for the first time in years and I have been using Amazon for a lot more things. Part of it is the convenience of having a concierge downstairs handle all my receiving and txt/email me about deliveries. Plus Amazon Fresh is not only more convenient that walking a couple of blocks to Whole Foods, but it was a lot cheaper than buying it at TJ or WF. The downside is buildup of boxes, our "concierge" garbage collectors don't handle all the boxes and dragging them down the elevator is harsh on my delicate hands. I seriously can't wait to move into my new house.
 
Looking for an apartment right now myself and I see this as mostly true for budgetary reasons. Rent is expensive, wages are low/stagnant, and people my age are trying to find their niche in life. Expect them to go where the deals are.
 
We have probably about 200 units on 5 floors in my building and all packages are taken in a back room in the leasing office. It's an absolute madhouse. They obviously didn't design the building to have close to a hundred packages a day. People have ordered huge furniture and it has sat there for days until they pick it up.

I've already told them that I pity them for black friday/cyber monday and the week after. I can't imagine the chaos that will ensue.

I'm a hawk for picking up my things so I don't have stuff sitting around, but when things are cheaper to buy on Amazon with two day Prime shipping, why not?
 
Steve said:
It's been years since I've lived in an apartment, so I could be wrong, but doesn't USPS, UPS and FedEx still deliver right to your door?

This year, college students’ use of Amazon Prime reached critical enough mass to create mail center traffic jams. It’s not just young adults, though: apartment-dwellers are having so many packages delivered that current systems for managing resident mail aren’t working, and landlords are looking for other ways to manage the influx from online shopping.
Click to expand...

Normally USPS leaves it in a mailbox/package box or just like in a house they'll leave a yellow card and you can pick it up or sign for the pckage and they'll leave it at your door.

Fedex and UPS typically leave them with the Apartment manager. As I recall, even 20 years ago that's how it worked.
 
nilepez said:
Normally USPS leaves it in a mailbox/package box or just like in a house they'll leave a yellow card and you can pick it up or sign for the pckage and they'll leave it at your door.

Fedex and UPS typically leave them with the Apartment manager. As I recall, even 20 years ago that's how it worked.
Click to expand...

I think the difference is the volume of mail now ... 20 years ago there was probably a Christmas rush on packages but hardly any other time ... now it is a constant stream with Christmas and Black Friday being ungodly messes ... my complex they just leave the packages outside the door or leave a tag if they need a signature so I try to order at times when I know I can work from home or I'm not travelling
 
I'm lucky since I live next to the super and he usually holds deliveries for me. Less often I get the slip if he wasn't around, or it was too big for the mailbox.

But recently UPS delivered a Logitech G602 from RMA and I saw from work it had been "delivered". Someone let the UPS guy in and he just left it outside my apartment door all day. :mad:
 
This is probably because younger people tend to buy online more and younger people are less able to afford houses.
 
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