When a package is dropped off on your porch, for most parties involved, the delivery process ends.
But, if the package is stolen before you can bring it inside, who’s responsible?
Ben Dehner asked that same question when a package was stolen off of his porch a few years ago.
What he found was inconclusive.
Sometimes the manufacturer will replace the item or maybe the shipping company will help. Your credit card company may offer assistance and, as a last resort, there’s always potential with homeowner’s insurance.
None of these options are certainties.
“The one common theme is, if it’s on your front porch, it’s your responsibility” Dehner said. “It’s the last 10 feet that no one wants to protect, because it’s such a vulnerable spot of the delivery process.”
In an effort to combat ‘Porch Pirates’ as these package thieves are called, Dehner began working on a stylish solution.
He realized that most homeowners have some sort of bench or seating area on their front porch and saw an opportunity. Dehner set out to turn the bench into a secure storage space.
Dehner created BenchSentry, a hybrid bench and storage system that includes surveillance and alerts for deliveries.
The product is a heavy-duty polymer bench with a lid and storage compartment inside. The lid is configured with a touchscreen locking mechanism that can be controlled via a smartphone app. The bench also features a camera that monitors activity around the bench sentry, snapping photos of people attempting to open the lid.
The BenchSentry remains unlocked when empty and locks upon a package being placed inside. If there is a second delivery, the delivery person is instructed to enter the last four digits of the products tracking code on a touchscreen to unlock the box. When they do so, the camera takes a photo of them, and the bench locks when the package is placed inside.
Users have the ability to simply share the tracking code with the bench to allow for easy delivery. Once a package is delivered, users are sent an alert on the BenchSentry app.
Not only is the BenchSentry functional, Dehner said the product is HOA-friendly and not an eyesore on your front porch.
“We want to disguise it as a piece of furniture,” he said. “It looks like it’s supposed to be there.”
Over a year ago, Dehner created 50 prototypes that he distributed to users across the Denver area. After a year of feedback and honing the BenchSentry, Dehner and co-founder Mark Soderberg are preparing to launch an IndieGoGo campaign in June.
In anticipation of that campaign and a product release later this year, Dehner said he made a recent attempt to retrieve the prototypes.
“We tried to get our prototypes back and people weren’t willing to give it up,” he said with a laugh. “They got accustomed to it and liked that you didn’t have to think about your packages anymore.”
In addition to package deliveries, Dehner said the BenchSentry has been used for food orders, Facebook Marketplace exchanges and in a variety of other cases. Users have the ability to set a custom lock code on the BenchSentry that they can share to allow access to outside people.
The initial model will be a plug-in model, though Dehner said the team has plans to introduce a battery-operated model in the future.
He’s hoping to deliver the first batch of BenchSentry’s to customers before the holiday season, the busiest time of the year for package theft.
BenchSentry recently raised a $530,000 equity funding round and Dehner said much of that money will be put towards production of the first line of BenchSentry’s. The company is also looking to hire two to three additional employees before the end of the year.
