Protecting your packages from porch pirates

The start of the holiday shopping season is right around the corner with Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

Millions of people will be sending and receiving gifts in the mail, but porch pirates could be waiting to steal your merchandise.

PEMCO Insurance said one in three people reported that they have had a package stolen in a survey last year.

"I think the most important thing is if you have any doubts, go ahead and insure that package because you want to make sure that it gets to its destination successfully," said Derek Wing, the Communications Manager at PEMCO Insurance. "You can do that with the shipping company, you can do that with a third-party company."



UPS and FedEx automatically give you $100 in coverage against loss or damage. For the post office, you automatically get $50 for priority mail.

Some credit card companies also automatically protect shipped items that were brought with their card.

PEMCO Insurance said that shipping insurance is no different from any other kind of insurance, so it is important to do your research and find out what is covered and what is not.

" If you do need to file a claim or do something, you might want to make sure you have a good tracking number or shipping number handy and make sure you keep your receipts because that may be important if something bad happens," said Wing.

PEMCO recommends contacting retailers if your package is missing. For example, Amazon covers most stolen packages and will send a replacement item.

Wing also said you should consider package insurance anytime you are mailing something that is valued higher than the automatic coverage the shipper provides.