back to article Junk in your trunk is Amazon Germany's new delivery plan

Amazon.com's German outpost, Amazon.de, is trialling delivery of goods direct into the trunks of buyers' cars. The trial will only work for Amazon Prime customers who drive an Audi, as the scheme relies on keyless entry to the vehicle. Enabling that access will require testers to add a gadget of undetermined nature to their …

  1. Enrico Vanni
    Stop

    Insurance

    ..invalidated? Or at least significant extra premiums for those willing to try this out methinks.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Insurance

      Why? All they're getting is a one time code to unlock the boot, not the key to enable them to actually start the car or anything. As long as the car locks again once the boot closes there's no real issue.

      1. John Miles

        Re: not the key to enable them to actually start the car or anything

        From the boot you can often get into the car or access the wiring loom thus allowing access car's security and in the last generation of keyless BMWs there was a lot of thefts because plugging a computer into the obd port allowed you to program the car to accept a new remote and at that point you could drive it away. (There is a patch but BMW didn't recall or otherwise inform owners). The thieves have since moved on to include other makes - such as Range Rovers. (BMWs also have some flaws in UK model's alarm systems/door locks which made entering them quiet)

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: not the key to enable them to actually start the car or anything

          "From the boot you can often get into the car or access the wiring loom"...ditto for going through a window...if only the DHL guy has access to the boot (big IF) there's no additional security risk

          1. John Miles

            Re: .ditto for going through a window

            IIRC there was some speculation that thieves were smashing window, reprogramming car and leaving it so owner then it fixed, then they steal car. Hopefully a smashed window will alert people something happened - but just getting into boot might not.

      2. Jimmy2Cows Silver badge

        Re: Why?

        We are talking insurance companies. It's not like they need an excuse to raise premiums and not pay out. After all, users of this service will be permitting a complete stranger unattended access to their vehicle. Not to mention if the one-time codes were intercepted before use, say through a MITM attack (other attack vectors are available) compromising Amazon and DHL. Innovative, but risky.

      3. Code Monkey

        Re: Insurance

        This is less of an insurance hazard than giving the keys to a garage for an MOT or repairs. Whether the insurance companies agree - or, as some commenters suggest, spy an excuse to put a zero on the end of my premiums - is another matter.

    2. big_D Silver badge

      Re: Insurance

      Makes me glad I don't drive an Audi...

  2. DN4

    Ingenious. I cannot imagine anything that could possibly go wrong with this plan...

    1. Ole Juul

      R&D

      I too can imagine some interesting situations. However, of course lots of things can go wrong with any method of delivery. As we all know, even Post Office and courier deliveries go wrong all the time. In fact they can cause some serious problems on occasion. In this case I give kudos to Amazon for making the effort to ferret out economically (and thus environmentally) efficient ways to deliver goods.

    2. PleebSmash
      Windows

      I don't need a home anymore!

    3. Captain Scarlet Silver badge
      Devil

      Box to big I think will be one and Couriers in a hurry, courier chucks in a huge box (Also marked as requiring two people to handle) closes it running away and doesn't hear the big smashing noise when the boot window smashes.

  3. auburnman

    Why?

    How are they going to deliver to your car, unless your car is at home? And if your car is home, it's a good bet you are too? And if this is aimed at two car homes, surely they can just get the butler to receive the parcel :)

    1. Jimmy2Cows Silver badge
      Trollface

      Cars/bulter ratio

      Three cars. No butler. What am I doing wrong? I want my butler, dammit.

      Guess you missed the bit where the customer tells Amazon where the car will be during the delivery window...

      1. auburnman

        Re: Cars/bulter ratio

        That'll never work in a million years. Some delivery companies can barely deliver to static addresses, now they want to go after moving targets? Banking on Joe public for accurate directions better than "the grey Audi on Somesuch street" and remembering they can't move the car on that day?

        This all sounds way more complicated than just getting a parcel sent to your work if you can't be home.

        1. David Nash Silver badge

          Re: Cars/bulter ratio

          Some cars are always in the same place during working hours - train station car park.

          Ideal for people who are not at home but don't want or can't receive a parcel at work or dont want to lug a parcel around on the train on the way home.

          I would be slightly nervous of the security implications though.

          1. auburnman

            Re: Cars/bulter ratio

            Then surely the solution there would be an Amazon locker in the train station near the car park. What if it's a multi story park? I still maintain that with a number of delivery companies barely managing to service a static address, a moving target is a recipe for disaster. Or at least coming home to a "We could not (be arsed to) deliver your parcel" email.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Why?

      Maybe, as in any big city with a good public transportation network, the only good daily use for a car in Munich is as an automated letter box.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What can go wrong????

    Amazon really need to think again

    They are trialling this for Audi owners in Munich?

    Don't they know that munich is the home of BMW.

    I'm sure that one or two Auto Unions will get [redacted] with this plan.

    Now if they'd done is with Audi's in Wolfsburg I'd understand.

    1. pklausner

      Re: What can go wrong????

      Audis are not from Wolfsburg; head quarters and main assembly line are in Ingolstadt, 80 km north of Munich. So at least it is proper Bavarian stuff :-)

  5. Simon Jones [MSDL]

    Its a BOOT.

    Elephants have trunks. Cars have boots.

    (And they have bonnets, not hoods.

    The cars that is, not the elephants.)

    British English please.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Its a BOOT.

      Whilst I whole-heartedly agree with you, chap, what alternative rhyming-headline would you suggest?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Its a BOOT.

      Right - the headline should read "LOOT in your BOOT..."!!.

      1. David Nash Silver badge
        Coat

        Re: Its a BOOT.

        And the article should appear in the bootnotes section...

    3. AndrueC Silver badge
      Joke

      Re: Its a BOOT.

      The cars that is, not the elephants.

      What've you got against elephants? They can have a bonnet if they wish. Maybe a fetching tutu as well :)

  6. strum

    Diversity

    So, Amazon will turn up to deliver stuff to your car.

    Google will simply summon the car to come and pick it up.

  7. Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese Silver badge

    Audi

    If this requires the car to have a device fitted, why target at Audi only? What's so special about them that means such a device can be fitted to them, but no to other makes of car (especially seeing as Audi/VW/Skoda/Seat are essentially the same car)?

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Wow, what a concept

    There must be a lot of dumb arses in Germany who drive Audi.

  9. Schönste Freude
    Happy

    Audi is only trial

    Most suitable market niche: rich, not too rich

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