
Amazon Key expands to deliver packages inside your car - rbanffy
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/04/amazon-key-expands-to-deliver-packages-inside-your-car/
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wehadfun
Amazon should sell installable mailboxes that hold packages delivered by
Amazon. Amazon can have the key to that.

~~~
Someone1234
I like the concept, but I don't like the brand lock-in.

Plus I imagine for branding reasons these boxes would be highly visible and
more visible than most packages would be.

You give me a subtle box that can be opened by UPS, FedEx, USPS, and Amazon
Logistics and I'm game.

~~~
matte_black
The USPS will never allow it. Only USPS deliveries are allowed in any USPS
receptacle.

~~~
ajford
Everyone except USPS then. I've been kicking around the idea myself. Something
like a package box with a slide down ramp, so you can't pull anything out when
delivering something new.

~~~
matte_black
You can get one of these on Amazon.

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kqr2
I would be wary of using this service in a place like SF where smash and grab
is so prevalent.

Basically thieves will follow Amazon delivery trucks and watch where the
packages get delivered.

[http://www.sfweekly.com/news/authorities-hustle-to-curb-
s-f-...](http://www.sfweekly.com/news/authorities-hustle-to-curb-s-f-s-smash-
and-grab-epidemic/)

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shadowtree
If car manufacturers were smart, they'd be all over this. Separate key for
trunk vs. cabin.

This solves the drop-package in an unsafe location problem. Why drop shit on
your porch when you can drop it into the safer trunk of your car, wherever it
is?

Brilliant idea, they're really hammering at the problem.

Once cars are even smarter, they'd go to a Amazon hub while you're sleeping/at
work and pick up packages for you of course. Without the effin' carton around
it, no need for all that garbage.

Mock all you want, Amazon is at least trying.

~~~
cal5k
A lot of vehicles allow access to the trunk by folding down a section of the
back seat (so you can haul longer items like skis), so I'm not sure this would
be quite as easy as suggested.

~~~
skykooler
Usually the latches are only accessible from inside the cabin, however; if
only the trunk is unlocked, you can't fold down the seat.

~~~
joezydeco
My Mazda has the backseat release cables in the trunk on purpose.

I'd be more worried about someone breaking the glass to get into the trunk
than vice versa, so the arrangement seems the most logical.

~~~
walshemj
A few years ago my company had a big meeting for all senior mangers at a huge
conference centre.

Problem was some perp had worked out they had all left their laptops in the
company car a large number of which where hatch back's when they all came out
a number of hatch backs windows had been smashed and the lap tops nicked.

~~~
joezydeco
My car isn't a hatchback but obviously there's a huge problem if you own one.

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ggg9990
I like this. There’s no way I’d let an Amazon bozo into my home but I don’t
mind them leaving stuff in my car which is much less risky. I’d prefer that
they only get access to the trunk but I think most cars are set up the other
way (able to specifically lock trunk, not cabin).

~~~
petra
I wonder if Amazon's plan of delivery into home was just marketing for in-
trunk delivery.

Or maybe as a distraction for Walmart , which copied the in-home version.

~~~
the-pigeon
There's also the idea of having them put cold groceries directly into the
fridge and freezer.

Or a dog walker being able to use an Amazon access to open the door to get
your dog.

I think Amazon wants to go anywhere consumers will let them but they realize
people are going to be very reluctant and some people will never be ok with it
but they must think enough will for it to be worth the R&D.

~~~
ggg9990
Feckin' gross, I definitely do not want some Amazon dude rooting around in my
refrigerator.

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qu1mby
The problem is particularly bad for packages sent to condo buildings. Amazon
pickup points are good, but still require you to go pick it up (and delivery
notifications are usually quite delayed for me for some reason).

I've been throwing around an idea where condo residents can sign up to be a
package hero and accept deliveries on your behalf... maybe even deliver to
your door on demand. Is there a reason this doesn't yet exist? Just trust or
something else?

~~~
eigen-vector
This was introduced to solve this specific problem
[https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=17337376011](https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=17337376011)

It requires buildings to sign up though. There are also services like Parcel
Pending that solve this problem.

~~~
ng12
We had one in my building. First package I ever received the door got stuck
and I couldn't get it out. Had to get on the phone and wait for a maintenance
man.

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dsfyu404ed
They're probably angling to cut delivery costs by delivering to people's cars
while they're at work.

A parking lot is a much denser cluster of delivery points than a neighborhood
of three family houses and packages get stolen from locked cars less than from
doorsteps (well maybe not in SF).

Edit: I'm not disagreeing about the creepy factor. This could be abused fairly
easily. I expect that it's a matter of time before they sell access to the
data set (which will probably include a picture of the license plate and the
package sitting inside the car) to some authoritarian state (I'm betting PA,
MA or TX) who will then mail a citation for every equipment violation they
see. Building your own data set to do this wouldn't be worth it and wouldn't
pass public scrutiny but when you can just buy someone's data set it's easy.

There's plenty of other legally white but ethically gray when done at scale
things you could do with a data set that will likely include a smartphone-res
picture of the interior of somone's car.

On the other hand. This opens up an option for people who live in one state
but work in another to exploit differing laws to their advantage (tax,
shipping restrictions)

~~~
rossbmiller
_They 're probably angling to cut delivery costs by delivering to people's
cars while they're at work._

This analysis aligns to what I know about how Amazon rolls out new products
and features. There was an A|B test of this, and the option they're rolling
out saved a ton of money.

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LinuxBender
First they wanted to unlock my house. Now they want to unlock my car. Why does
this feel creepy?

~~~
matthewaveryusa
You should have been /be creeped out by on-star if anything. Every on-star
vehicle can be tracked within the triangulation limits of cell towers (aka.
within half a mile if not better.)

~~~
Harvey-Specter
Are you also creeped out by your cellphone?

~~~
Jemmeh
Yes, but the pros outweigh the cons.

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elvirs
sucks if this service will be exclusive to subscription services offered by
car manufacturers. Cant amazon make a dongle with a simcard and/or wifi that
plugs into ODB2 port to enable remote lock/unlock?

~~~
EADGBE
Onstar et al would _never, ever, ever_ let that happen.

Viper is the only one I know of that's similar aftermarket. But still, that's
about as common now as aftermarket head units.

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faitswulff
Obligatory Onion link: "Popular New Amazon Service Just Comes To Your House
And Kills You"

[https://www.theonion.com/popular-new-amazon-service-just-
com...](https://www.theonion.com/popular-new-amazon-service-just-comes-to-
your-house-and-1819917496)

------
berg01
Volvo has been pushing this concept since 2014:

[https://www.engadget.com/2014/02/20/volvos-roam-
delivery/](https://www.engadget.com/2014/02/20/volvos-roam-delivery/)

[https://www.engadget.com/2016/05/10/vovlo-in-car-
delivery/](https://www.engadget.com/2016/05/10/vovlo-in-car-delivery/)

~~~
gargravarr
I remember BMW pushing the concept too, around 2016.

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nacho2sweet
Yes please put an Amazon parcel in my car all day so my window can be smashed.

~~~
ggg9990
Not everyone has their car in a place where the window is likely to be
smashed. I live in a place where windows are smashed frequently but work in a
place with a parking lot patrolled by private security. I'd be perfectly
comfortable having a package sitting in my car all day, and in fact have left
my car sitting in that parking lot untouched for 6 weeks without issues.

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mayniac
I don't really see the point of this. Assuming you have equal or less cars per
(adult) person in your househould, what advantage does this have exactly? Your
car is likely going to be wherever you are. If it's going to be at work then
just deliver it to your office. If it's at home then just deliver it normally.

Best use case is if you've gone for a walk or have more cars than people and
then what, your car in your driveway becomes a glorified 5 figure oversized
mailbox?

Call me paranoid, but I feel like the real reason is this:

>On the day of delivery, customers can check if their car is parked in-range
of the delivery location in the Amazon Key app.

That implies to me they'll have access to your cars location, which is
information they can use for targeted ads.

~~~
drrotmos
That probably depends on the kind of job you have. If you're a developer,
sure, you can probably accept a package at the office, but if you're working
as a cashier in a supermarket, it's doubtful your employer would allow you to
accept packages while working.

~~~
birdman3131
I personally mail every package to my work rather than home. No worry of
leaving the house for one 15 minute window in the entire day and ups showing
up and taking my package back with them. ($1800 laptop so taking it back was
better than the porch but it was still annoying.)

That said I am the IT/Electronics tech for a small machine shop. Most of us
here have items we order come to work.

~~~
rdl
This is my favorite perk of working at a company. The only thing that sort of
sucks is when you buy some items for personal use, some for the business, and
some for personal-use-at-office, all from the same vendors, and need to
disintermingle them. If you're out of town, telling a coworker to go into the
Provantage box to grab the network tester you ordered, and having him open the
box containing soap, is weird.

