Synonymous with peak activity for delivery people, the holiday period is also marked by an increase in package thefts. In French-speaking Switzerland, this trend is increasingly worrying.
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December 13, 2024 – 11:00
In December, up to a million packages pass through La Poste’s logistics centers daily. However, not all of them will arrive safely. Every year, more than 20,000 packages disappear without reaching their recipients.
In 2023, 2,500 package thefts were reported to the police in French-speaking Switzerland. In the canton of Vaud, the number of flights has doubled compared to 2022. In Geneva, Fribourg, Neuchâtel and Bern, the increases range between 30 and 50%, while the figures remained stable in Valais and Jura.
Graphic: RTSinfo. Source: Romande fonts. Created with Datawrapper
However, these statistics only reflect part of the reality since, in many cases, victims do not file complaints.
Random flights
Christelle, resident of Prilly (VD), has suffered several thefts. “I ordered a camera this summer. The delivery was confirmed by the carrier, but when I got home, I noticed that my mailbox was empty,” she tells the RTS show Mise au point.
Added to this is another disappointment for his companion Valentin, who never received his contact lenses worth more than 200 francs: “Who steals these? Maybe there is a contact lens black market, but I doubt it. It’s all the more annoying when it’s a necessity,” regrets Christelle.
Packages left unattended
A large proportion of packages stolen are stolen directly from mailboxes or in front of homes. “I have already seen people in the rearview mirror and told myself that I had already seen them two streets ago,” says Loïc Monneret, parcel postman in the Yverdon region.
“In this case, you should not hesitate to take the initiative to move away to lose them. And if we really have a clear, clear and precise report, we call 117 and our superior to be able to act,” he explains.
For David Guisolan, head of communications at the Vaud police, there is no typical thief profile. “It could be a next-door neighbor or a resident of the neighborhood […] There are also likely networks that specifically target computer hardware. »
Faced with this scourge, the police advise having it delivered in person and never leaving a package unattended in front of your door.
Towards greater accountability for stakeholders?
For the customer, the current legal framework is not very favorable. Aurélie Gigon, legal manager at the Fédération romande des consommateurs (FRC), explains that “the buyer is responsible once the package is delivered”. And since carriers are free to leave a package in a location “considered safe,” many shipments are left in places that are open and accessible to everyone, including thieves.
An unacceptable situation for the FRC, which submitted, through its secretary general Sophie Michaud Gigon, a parliamentary intervention in Bern to change the legal framework. “The risk should, in our opinion, be transferred to the consumer at the moment when he confirms having received the goods. This is already what is provided for by European law and in terms of the international sale of goods,” explains Aurélie Gigon.
The proposal has not yet been examined by the Federal Council.
Refunds on a case-by-case basis
In the meantime, injured customers can only count on their insurance with often high deductibles or on the generosity of merchants. Some, like the online sales site QoQa, aim to be conciliatory. Others, however, are intractable.
“Each seller has their own practices. What can happen and which is unfortunately legal is that the seller clears himself by explaining that he has shipped the goods and that it is no longer his problem,” explains Pascal Meyer, founder of QoQa.
“At QoQa, we prefer to investigate with La Poste. If we become aware that there has been a theft, we will take action by refunding the item or resending the package. But this gesture is 100% the responsibility of the e-retailer,” he explains.
In this period when gifts travel, it is better not to miss the postman. Each year, more than 200 million packages are transported by La Poste and its competitors. So many potential targets for criminals, who, like delivery people, are increasing their efforts as the holidays approach.
