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The Christmas period means packages! But be careful because there's been a constant rise in packages that have been ordered and paid for not arriving. Figures from AXA show that package thefts trebled between 2019 and 2023. This year, there's been an approx. 20 percent increase compared to last year. Package theft is very common in November and the Christmas period in December in particular. However, if you follow a few tips, you can protect yourself against thieves and you'll receive your eagerly awaited Christmas packages safely.
“Package delivered” appears on your smartphone, but one disappointing look in your mailbox tells a different story. It looks like your package has been stolen. AXA statistics shows that this is happening more and more often. “In 2023, we saw a threefold increase in package theft compared to 2019,” says Stefan Müller, Head of Property Insurance Claims at AXA. Many of these thefts were reported to AXA in November and December on account of discount days and Christmas shopping, he adds. However, the average claim has remained the same over the years, with AXA paying out around CHF 300 per claim on average.
AXA's claim figures revealed a sharp 30 percent rise in stolen packages compared to 2020. At that time, people switched to online shopping due to the pandemic. However, thefts in 2022 and 2023 rose again sharply by around 50 percent in each case. For 2024, there's been an approx. 20 percent rise compared to last year. “Since the end of the pandemic and the return of mobility, we're seeing a general increase in thefts,” explains Stefan Müller. “And it's now become the norm for people to shop online. This means that there are a lot of packages in circulation,” adds the expert. Compared with other theft claims, however, the number of stolen packages is low, accounting for only some two percent of thefts insured under AXA.
Victims of package theft must first report it to the police before being able to contact the insurance company. It's important to know that household contents insurance covers claims for packages that were demonstrably stolen after they had been delivered. Undelivered packages are not insured. “In these cases, we advise our customers to contact the supplier or carrier,” says Stefan Müller. If a package hasn't been delivered correctly, it needs to be established whether the carrier company is liable. But when is a package not delivered correctly? The contractual terms and conditions of delivery specify this. Swiss Post states that the carrier can leave a package at the delivery address if it is too large for the parcel box and nobody is at home to take personal delivery. However, this is only permitted if the location where the package can be left is weatherproof and secure or if this has been agreed with the sender or recipient. If not, the carrier must issue a missed delivery note and take the package back.
Whether it's insured or not: it's really annoying if goods you've ordered have been lost, so it's worth taking a few precautions. “Luckily there are now proper solutions offered by the postal service or other delivery companies. People also seem to be more aware of secure delivery processes,” says Stefan Müller. He recommends taking delivery of the package directly if possible. To do so, you can select the delivery day in advance. If you can't find a suitable day, you can give an alternative delivery address, such as that of a neighbor or family member, or collect the package from a pickup point at the post office, gas station or other locations.
Simona Altwegg is a media spokes person and topic manager in the AXA Newsroom.
