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Kinek has moved it's news updates to it's Facebook and Twitter pages! You can find tons of information about our service, industry, and may run into a contest or two.

Kinek is the solution to never missing a delivery again! If you have ever run into a bad delivery experience don't be hesitant to share it on Kinek's Facebook or Twitter pages. Kinek is in the business of helping get rid of the frustrating delivery problems that so many people are having. Next time you shop online, think Kinek!

Hey Guys, Mother's Day is on the Way!

Do you remember back when you where a kid and had to hide your precious work of art that you had lovingly created for Mother's Day? Your now all grown up but now you have the problem of keeping the Mother's Day gift you have bought online for your wife a secret.  You can't have it delivered home because she might get the mail before you do.

Kinek has the answer!  Simply send the gift to a convenient Kinek Point and your secret is safe with us!

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 10th - don't forget!

Earth Day News: Shopping Online is Green!

Happy Earth Day!  

A recent study by Carnegie Mellon University's Green Design Institute highlights that the environment benefits when you shop online. The study found that online shopping can result in a reduction of CO2 emissions when compared to shopping in traditional retail stores.  

At Kinek, we believe that the Kinek service will further reduce the carbon footprint of online shopping by streamlining the 'last mile' of online delivery and removing the need for couriers to make repeat deliveries.  

The Carnegie Mellon study can be found @ the Green Design Institute website.

The importance of your KN#

You wouldn’t mail a letter without writing the recipient’s name on the envelope. You want to be sure that your letter reaches the right person and including the name helps accomplish that. A KN# is just like a name on an envelope: it identifies a package as being yours.

Once your parcel arrives at a depot, the KN# is entered into the system. Once it is entered, you’ll receive an email letting you know that your package is ready to be picked up.

If you forget to include the KN# when filling out a retailer’s shipping form, the system can’t identify you and your package may be left in limbo.

Always remember to put your KN# followed by the name of the depot you are shipping to in the second address line of a retailer’s shipping form (see the image above for an example).

Big News

A new version of KinekPoint is coming soon. The new version will include several ways to save the addresses of your favourite depots along with your KN#. Check back for updates.

Bloggers spread the word about package theft

As the Prince of Petworth (PoP) recently demonstrated, blogging can be about more than just what you had for breakfast. With a focus on the happenings of many popular Washington DC neighborhoods, PoP’s blog covers everything from real estate and neighborhood development to art galleries and restaurants.

On March 16th, he turned his attention to the issue of package theft. After receiving a number of tips about stolen packages in the Columbia Heights area, he posted a selection of tips he was receiving on his blog and asked for reader feedback.

Hats off to bloggers like the Prince of Petworth who are using their blogs to warn readers about what’s going on in their neighborhoods.

If you’re worried about your package being stolen from your doorstep, try using KinekPoint.

KinekPoint heads to Silicon Valley

KinekPoint is pleased to announce that it has been selected as one of six companies to participate in a business expansion program run by the Canadian Consulate. As part of the program, KinekPoint will take up residence in the Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale, California. From this incubation center, KinekPoint will coordinate the launch of its service in Silicon Valley.

The launch of the program was recently covered by the San Jose Business Journal. The article can be viewed here.

Good recession news... but hurry!

If there ever was a time to shop for deals on electronics now is the time. Laptops, flat-screen TVs and cameras are all declining in price. Online retailers give consumers the power to compare prices and find the best bargains without leaving home. The only problem is that price drops may be slowing down and may be reaching rock-bottom. You may want to take advantage before it is too late. If you do find that perfect deal and want to get your package more conveniently, why not ship the delivery to a KinekPoint Depot!

Will economic downturn deliver a crime wave?

Experts worry that the combustible cocktail of rising unemployment and deep law enforcement cutbacks may lead to a spike in crime. As the recession deepens, more evidence accumulates that crime is on the uptick. Having your package deliveries left on your front step while you are not home increases the opportunity for a theft. Help limit your exposure by sending your packages to a KinekPoint Depot. Ensure that your important deliveries are not exposed to the threat of theft.

Combine your orders to shop a little greener and save on shipping

If you are a veteran online shopper, you’re probably familiar with free shipping. Spend a certain amount of money, and the retailer will ship your items for free. It may take a few days longer to get your order, but your pocket book will thank you.

There’s another good reason to combine your orders: it makes your shopping a little greener. Say you’re ordering three DVDs from Amazon.com – those would easily fit in one box. Shipping them separately means more packaging, more waste, and more energy spent.












Want to be greener still? Ship them to a KinekPoint Depot! Chances are the courier delivering your package already has to stop by a KinekPoint location and, if the courier tries you at home and misses, you’ll likely have to drive out to their depot to retrieve your package – using more fuel in the retrieval of your shopping.

You can't put a price on love

Retailer's worried about the effects of the economy on their Valentine's Day sales may have a reason to breathe a little easier. Discover® Card's Fourth Annual Valentine's Day Shopping Survey revealed only a drop of 2% in planned shopping budgets over 2008 figures. More surprising is the fact that women may actually plan to spend more money this year.


To read the Discover® press release on the survey, click here.

Let KinekPoint be your buddy this Valentine's Day

You’ve finally found the perfect gift online. There’s just one problem: How do you keep your partner from getting to the door first when it arrives?

Instead of shipping to your home, why not ship to a KinekPoint? We’ll notify you as soon as your parcel arrives and you can pick it up when it’s convenient for you.

Remember, sneaking the perfect gift into the house is always easier when it doesn’t ring the doorbell.

Postmaster general's woes

Today the U.S. postmaster general requested:

“I reluctantly request that Congress remove the annual appropriation bill rider, first added in 1983, that requires the Postal Service to deliver mail six days each week.”

This could mean the end of Saturday delivery by the USPS as we know it. If you are not at home during weekdays, this will make receiving packages a lot more difficult. That is why we suggest you ship them to a KinekPoint Depot! Don't worry about government cutbacks when all you want to get your package.

A tweet a day keeps heartache away

Judy McGuire, in the article “Awful Valentine’s Day – how to avoid it” (for The Frisky and featured on CNN), wises states the following:

If your boyfriend forgets what day it is, you have nobody but yourself to blame. Do you know when the World Series is? Probably not. If you want your man to remember something, remind him.

It’s good advice. As much as women would like to think that men have a built-in radar for Valentine’s Day, there is a thriving market for last minute flowers and candy. The solution? Drop hints early and widely. Don’t just rely on face-to-face conversations, exploit Twitter and Facebook.

A tweet a day can keep you from being disappointed on the big day.

Frustrated shoppers take their security complaints to YouTube

Almost everyone has had a bad delivery experience. From having a parcel stolen from your doorstep to coming home to find a box that looks as though it went ten rounds in a boxing ring, chances are you’ve had at least one delivery experience that has left you seething.

With the advent of social media, frustrated consumers are finding new ways to share their frustration and the results are turning up on YouTube for the world to see. From a woman who videotaped herself on hold with customer service after a parcel went missing to a man who set up a hidden camera to catch a delivery man routinely throwing packages from the curb to his door, consumers are reaching out and sharing their experiences and annoyances with traditional deliveries.

We’re not advocating that you line your driveway with hidden cameras but if you have had a frustrating experience, try typing the name of the courier into YouTube. You might find out that you’re not alone.

Valentine’s Day is just a month away. Are you ready?

Candy. Flowers. Dinner. For years, men have fallen back on these tried and true Valentine’s Day gifts. It’s no coincidence that “tried” and “tired” share all the same letters. While women appreciate roses and chocolates, they’re often left wondering why they didn’t get something a little more personal.

One of the big keys to getting a great and unique gift is to think ahead and look for clues. Does your girlfriend or wife have wish lists at sites like Amazon? Have you seen her eyeing anything in the mall? What about social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook – has she dropped any hints there?

It’s January 14th and it’s not too early to start thinking ahead.

Eyes on the prize

It's all too easy for packages to go missing from doorsteps as this story from CBS 11 (Dallas/Fort Worth Local News) illustrates. This isn't the first case where an enterprising and opportunistic thief tailed a delivery truck while it made it's rounds. In 2007, about 700 packages were stolen from doorsteps and driveways in Indiana and Illinois.

The bottom line? A package left on you doorstep is an attractive target to thieves who are all too good at figuring out delivery schedules and watching courier routes.

KinekPoint provides a barrier between your package and opportunistic thieves hoping to resell your online shopping.

Wii Contest Winner

An excited Carla Weaver left Kinek yesterday with A Wii Console and Wii Fit prize package compliments of KinekPoint. Carla’s mother referred KinekPoint to her after hearing about the new service on the evening news. She went on to say “I’ve had many missed deliveries in the past and this service is definitely something I can use.” Carla’s kids were jumping up and down while she was on the phone hearing the news that she had won the Wii prize package.

If you didn’t win, don’t worry! Another KinekPoint contest is just around the corner! While you wait, try out KinekPoint and see how easily it takes the frustration out of deliveries.

Where can I get the best deals online?

2008 is definitely ending on an economic down note but the upside is that it’s truly a buyer’s market when it comes to this year’s holiday shopping. The savvy shopper can still give great gifts while saving money – if they know where to look.

With expectations of some major retailer chains filing for bankruptcy, others will try to survive by offering low prices before and after the Holiday shopping season. Even stable retailers are offering great deals to entice shoppers.

If you’re a technical person like myself, you may enjoy the Dell Days of Deals. They only arrive about once a month so it’s best to check in every once in awhile. Another Canadian website that offers great deals and coupons is redflagdeals.com. Many online retailers put up their door crashers here and it’s a great way to save on a wide variety of things. If you are a book lover Amazon.com or Amazon.ca are great sites to order from, especially if you buy enough books to add up to $39 or more. This qualifies you for Free Shipping. If you know of any sites that have great deals before and after the Holidays post them here and spread holiday cheer!

Holiday shopping frenzy

It’s getting close to that time of year and if you don’t act now you’ll probably find yourself in an overcrowded mall trying to find that perfect gift – a gift that was probably sold out 3 weeks ago. Is this really how you want to spend your Saturday? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Online shopping continues to gain popularity (according to Statistics Canada, it rose 61% between 2005 and 2007) and it’s easy to see why: great deals, huge selection, and the ability to shop while wearing your house coat and drinking some coffee.

Want to make holiday shopping even easier? Use KinekPoint!

Haven’t used it yet? It’s simple:

1) Sign up for a free account at www.kinekpoint.com (do it by December 16th and you’ll have a chance at winning a free Wii & Wii Fit*)

2) Log In and find a KinekPoint Depot that’s close to your home or work – maybe even one along your daily commute.

3) After selecting the Depot, copy the address into the shipping form when you order online (don’t forget to include your KN number)

If you often shop from the same retailers, you can usually save the address on their site. That’ll keep you from having to type in the information every time.

I’ve been using KinekPoint and it’s already saved me loads of time (I’m never home when couriers try to drop off packages so I usually have to drive across town to get them). There’s a depot located just a block from my office and it only takes a minute to pick up my deliveries. If there’s not yet a KinekPoint near you, suggest a location – we really do want to know what locations would work for you.

Happy shopping!

Not sure what to get them this holiday season? Did you check their wish list?

Wish Lists are becoming a common sight on some of our favourite online stores and people are using them in increasing numbers.

Think no one you know has one? You might be surprised. We randomly typed in the names of our friends and family as a test. The result? More people than we thought were using wish lists at sites like amazon.com and chapters.indigo.ca (great guys, but next time maybe you could tell us – it would take some of the guesswork out of shopping).

Most sites with wish lists allow you to search by name or email address. If you’re searching by an email address, there’s a good chance that any result that comes back will be the right one. If, however, you’re searching by name (especially a common name like John Smith), check the items on the list and ask yourself if they match up with what you’d expect that person to like – if they don’t, you may have the wrong list.

Happy shopping and don’t forget to use KinekPoint – it’ll help you keep whatever gift you find a surprise.