Walmart To Offer Free In House Delivery Including Stocking Your Fridge

A new service by Walmart, introduced this week is set to compete with Amazon for home deliveries of products ordered. Except that Walmart will have their couriers unlock your door, enter your kitchen, open your fridge and stock your purchased groceries on your behalf.

All you have to do is install a wifi operated lock to your entry door, give permission to Walmart employees to enter your home and to stock your fridge.


That all sounds wonderful, doesnt it?

Amazon introduced a similar service last year after successfully merging their acquisition of Ring and Bleep into their company, We wrote a few articles about Amazon Key and related services here.

Are you owner or resident,willing to allow people you dont know, permission to enter your home when youre not there, have access to your kitchen and pretty much the run of your house?

Are you prepared to pay the increased insurance premiums that will no doubt be incurred?

Even if these companies compel their employees to wear body cameras, so you can view them as they enter your private home, are you really going to open yourself to the privacy concerns?

Modern technologies are great in idea and sometimes in practise. But some ideas are just plain silly.
As a locksmith security specialist, experienced technician and appraiser, I continue to explain to my customers the pitfalls of some modern electronic battery operated security products. Many will agree with me once they understand the potential security and privacy concerns.

I often discuss with clients about their current push button battery operated deadbolt they may have fitted. In many of these discussions, the client points out that, after the third or fourth time replacing the batteries, they will go back to using the mechanical key. The most common reason, is they did not expect the regular and repeated need to replace batteries, adding significantly to their cost of their chosen product. Combine this with they being locked out of their residence when they least expect it and still requiring to call a locksmith to pick their lock open due to not carrying their key.

Electronics do indeed improve our quality of life. But at the exhorbitant cost of a ~$250+ electronic lock, that is more prone to power failure, weathering, house and door movement etc, requiring increased maintenance over the mechanical products that have been around for hundreds of years, the cost differences alone, one might think to keep using and relying on maintenance free security.

(source...)