Thanks to Amazon, getting almost anything you delivered directly to you in a matter of days has practically become second nature. Prime members get free two-day delivery, which coupled with the other benefits of membership like Amazon Prime Video, makes the service attractive. But two-day shipping is useless if your packages get stolen. That’s where Amazon Locker comes in.
What is Amazon Locker?
Amazon Locker is a delivery and returns service that allows Prime members (or anyone willing to pay) to send their packages to secure, self-service kiosks. If an Amazon Locker location is available near you, you’ll see it in your shipping options when you make your purchase on Amazon. Rather than shipping your package to your home, it will be securely delivered to a Locker.
Items must meet a specific size and weight criteria to be eligible for delivery to an Amazon Locker. Packages can have a shipping weight less than 20 pounds, and dimensions smaller than 19 x 12 x 14 inches. Additionally, each package must have a value under $5,000. Beyond these restrictions Amazon does not allow items shipped from other countries, packages fulfilled by third-party sellers, or Subscribe & Save items.
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How does Amazon Locker work?
Once your package has arrived, Amazon will send you an email with a unique six-digit code to get your package.
Rather than check in with a clerk, you simply go up to the bay of lockers, find yours, enter the code, and take your product. No human interaction or signatures required. Users have up to three calendar days to pick up their package before it’s returned to Amazon for a refund.
Using an Amazon Locker costs the same as basic shipping. Amazon Prime users can have items sent to their locker with free two-day shipping while normal customers have to pay the standard rate.
If your product is eligible for a return via Amazon Locker, you will see the option listed on your Drop Off options during the return process via Amazon.com.
Amazon Locker locations and hours
Head over to this link to see where the closest Amazon Locker is to you.
There are no set hours for lockers. Some locations are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while others are only open from 10am to 8pm Monday through Friday. It’s important to make sure you’ll be able to get to your Locker during business hours, so make sure to double check the hours of your closest location. Better safe than sorry.
What are the drawbacks of Amazon Locker?
While there are over 2,000 Amazon Locker locations spread out across more than 50 metropolitan areas in the U.S., Lockers still aren’t everywhere. If you live in Nampa, Indiana, for example, you’d have to drive to Boise, Idaho, to pick up your package. If you live in Los Angeles, you’ll have a hundred locations to choose from. Obviously, this issue will improve as the service spreads, but how much mileage you’ll get out of Amazon Lockers wildly depends on your location.
The only other drawback is philosophical. Amazon Locker is a perfect example of the company’s incredible, and occasionally terrifying, ability to see a need and fill it, often at the expense of traditional jobs. This automation is ideal for busy people who don’t have time to waste, but for every little change that makes our lives easier, Amazon’s power is consolidated a little bit more. Does it sound hysterical to worry about a day when Amazon buys FedEx or controls the mail? I’m not so sure.
Is an Amazon Locker worth it?
Lockers are ideal for people who live in apartment buildings without a mailroom or houses with sketchy neighbors. Even secure neighborhoods often fall prey to opportunistic thieves who see a box on the front stoop and help themselves. The uses go beyond being worried about theft, though. Sometimes you need to get an expensive or important package delivered, only to have FedEx not show up during the hours they said they would or, worse, say they knocked when they didn’t. Rather than relinquish your day to the whims of an underpaid delivery person, Amazon Lockers let you ensure you’ll be able to pick up your package when you need it.
Looking for more help? Here’s what you need to know about Amazon Alexa and how to use Amazon Alexa as an intercom system, Amazon Prime Pantry, how to sell on Amazon, Amazon Prime membership and if it’s really worth it.