Amazon Has Sights Set On In-Home Delivery With Key
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - It's called Amazon Key -- a way for your Amazon orders to be delivered to your home -- and actually put inside your door when you are not there.
"They're really talking about it being almost like a New York City delivery service and Amazon is your doorman or concierge," Point Park University business Prof. Elaine Luther told KDKA money editor Jon Delano on Wednesday.
Sold as a kit for $250, it includes the Amazon Cloud cam to record the delivery, compatible smart locks to open your door, and a key app for you to watch what's going on..
Once set up, the system verifies that the correct driver is at the door, turns on the monitoring camera, unlocks the door, and videos the package being delivered inside followed by the door being closed and locked.
Amazon Key customers can watch the delivery in real time or on a recorded video later.
Luther suspects Amazon has had goods stolen outside but sees many other inside services it can offer.
"Maybe to let in your dog walker, a friend, or maybe your team of home cleaning ninjas," says the Amazon Key ad.
In a statement, Amazon's vice president of delivery technology, Peter Larsen, claimed, "Amazon Key gives customers peace of mind knowing their orders have been safely delivered to their homes and are waiting for them when they walk through their doors."
But would you let a stranger enter your house when you're not there?
"The only reason you let them in is that your trust the business that they're coming with," says Luther.
And, even then, says Luther, it might be smart to limit access to a vestibule or one room.
"I would like carve off a room in my house that they could just access that little room and not the rest of the house."
Amazon Key will be available in Pittsburgh beginning Nov. 8.
