Using carriers to your advantage
Some carriers call you a few minutes before your package is about to arrive. If
you use an address that is located on your street but does not exist or you use
a neighbors address, you can tell him you will be outside shortly and then you
can wait for him at the street corner. This way, neither the company, nor the
carrier will have your address. This method only works if you know the carrier
will call you. Some countries do not have this privilege, but there is a fix for
this:
Most carriers, such as UPS or DHL will have drop off points in the area and
when the carrier cant find the address (or no neighbor is there to take the
package) they will drop the package off at a drop off point. You will then be
able to collect the item from there. But be careful, you might have to show
your ID card and your tracking number for the item, but no worries, they will
not scan your ID. Cameras in the drop off point might be a problem tho.
If you know the company does not bill, or you have a blacklisted address, you
might be able to misspell the address and the item will still go to your house,
since the carrier uses common sense to determine where it should go. If it
doesn't go to your house then it will end up at a drop off point.
(Example 1: Teststreet 224 = Teststreet 2244, provided there is no 2244 on
your street)
(Example 2: Teststreet 224 = Testst. 224)
(Example 3: John Smith, Teststreet 224 = Brian Colins, Teststreet 224, say
you are in-laws)
Some carriers allow you to specify safe spots without you having to log in with
a verified account. Make sure to check if this is possible, because if it is, you
can just use a random address in your area, such as the house of your
neighbor who isn't home, and say they can leave it at the door. After the
delivery truck was in your street or the tracking shows 100%, you can go over
there and collect your package.
Using dead addresses
Some countries have the privilege of requiring no signature for receiving a
package. You can just use a dead address, like a house for sale at the
moment. If the carrier allows you to specify a safe location, visit the house
before the SE and then look for a safe place. In the tracking options, specify a
safe place (e.g. "place the package behind the plant next to the garage door"
or "leave it behind the gate in the garden")
The house for sale method also works for countries that require a signature,
although this is a lengthy process. You will have to camp at the house and
wait for the carrier. If the carrier provides a time window for his arrival, then
you will not have to wait a long time for the package. But if the carrier arrives
at your desired location, you can just come out from the back (or the garden)
and collect the package. Make sure the address does not look like a house in
Detroit , but one that is lived in. If the carrier asks why you come out from the
back, either say you were in the process of leaving, or say your pet has to
stay inside because it has to go to the vet soon, he will not ask any further
questions. If the house is an apartment building, use a remote doorbell (u can
buy them cheaply off of amazon, like 20 bucks each) that sends messages to
your phone when someone rings. You can then quickly head to the drop
location and get the item.
For small items you need to have an an address that has a mailbox. Ideally
you would be using an apartment building with lots of empty apartments. Find
out which is empty and then use this mailbox as your drop address. Small
items that are shipped in bubble wrap envelopes will probably find their way
into your desired mailbox since the delivery guys are probably too lazy to go
up the stairs and knock on your door.
Using reships
There are reship companies and there are platforms for personal reshippers. I
recommend none of them since they are too expensive, but here is a overview
anyway:
1) Using reship companies
Reship companies might sound like a good idea at first, but not if you have to
verify with your ID or use a real address where the items get sent to.
Reship companies offer you a personal company address, like (John Smith,
Number 12345, Reship LLC, 123 Test Street, 99999 Fake City), therefore
they might be a blacklisted address since the company you are going to SE
can clearly see that you are using a reship.
Reship companies might require a proof of purchase for the item
Reship companies might not forward goods with batteries
Reship companies might forward bills you receive!
2) Using personal reshippers
Personal reshippers are people that accept your package and then forward it
to you for a fee. Their addresses are usually not blacklisted! You might get
away with them sending it to a fake address so you can collect it from a drop
off point. So therefore, if the reshipper guy gets a bill, he will either ignore it or
send it to the fake address. No risk at all.
If you live in the city where the reshipper is located, you can go and collect the
item in person, this avoids any need for an address!
Renting AirBnB's or ApartHotels
You can also rent AirBnBs and accept the items when you are there. This
might not work if the carrier fails to deliver at the exact date you are there.
You can ask the host to accept packages for you before you actually arrive
there. You can say that you want to buy some gifts but you are currently in
another country and can't buy them there because of tax/vat reasons. The
host will probably accept, since he wants good reviews anyway. You can then
collect the packages there.
The same applies to ApartHotels. You basically rent your own apartment for
the time you are staying there. You can also receive packages, and since you
are a customer there, the reception will give you the package as soon as you
show them your room card.
Using People's goodwill
Now here comes real life social engineering
Go and ring at people's doors saying that you accidentally typed in their
address (or it autocompleted) for delivery address on a package you orderer
online. Say it is a gift for your dad and ask them if they could be so helpful and
accept the package for you. Say the delivery address couldn't be changed
anymore and you tried calling them but they said they are not able to change
it. Say it has been shipped now and you just wanted the person to know that
they will be getting a package soon and if they could accept it. The person at
the door is probably going to say yes. If he did, you can go back to your SE
and use his address, but make sure the delivery doesn't take over a weeks
since it seems weird that a delivery takes that long. After tracking shows
100%, go back to the house and collect your item. Make sure to bring him a
box of chocolate or something.
Go to some local companies (Restaurants, Gyms, Hotels, anything that
accepts packages) and say you accidentally sent a package to them since the
address autocompleted in the order process, since you searched for the
company earlier on Google Maps. They will most likely accept it if you are nice
and make up a good story. You can do the same as above and just go there
after the tracking shows 100%
Put up an ad on a local marketplace like craigslist asking for someone that
can accept packages, since you will be on holidays and you can't buy the gifts
there because of VAT/tax reasons. Tell them they will get like $15 per
package.
Use a dead address and place a piece of paper at the front door saying that
you will be off to collect your kid from school since he fell down the stairs or
sth. like that and that they can leave the package next to the door. Or tell them
your pet just got hit by a car and you had to rush to the vet. The delivery guy
will probably not think twice about that.
Make a listing on a local forum saying that you will require personal
assistance 2 hours a week paying $15/hour. If someone accepts the offer, tell
them they need to accept packages for you and do some other non essential
stuff (just be creative). Use them as drop address and pay them accordingly!
The last one might be a bit sketchy, but you could make friends with homeless
people and pay them if they can get packages from the post office for you.
Just send the package with his name to an address where you know the
package will end up in the post office.