If the Grinch strikes your home and steals Christmas packages from your porch, it can be a frustrating experience that may leave you wanting to file an insurance claim.

Filing a homeowners insurance claim for a leaking roof or tree that fell on your house are worth using insurance for. But seeking reimbursement for stolen packages is unlikely to be worth the cost of your insurance deductible — unless the packages are worth thousands or at least hundreds of dollars and add up to more than your deductible.

Around Christmas 2016 in Boston, a woman who was going door-to-door stealing packages said she did so because she thought the deliveries were insured and that the people she was stealing from would be reimbursed. It’s unclear if she thought the packages were covered by homeowners insurance, were insured by the delivery company or something else.

For homeowners awaiting deliveries, there are other ways beyond filing a homeowners insurance claim to set things right if packages are stolen from a porch, and there are a few steps to take to prevent crooks from stealing your Christmas presents.

Call the police

The first step is to call your local police department and report the thefts. The police may be investigating a string of package thefts, and they may end up finding your stolen property.

If you have a security camera in front of your house, you may have video footage that police can use to track the suspects.

Also, talk to your neighbors and the mailman to see if they saw any suspicious people around your house while you were gone.

Complain to the delivery service

Once a package is delivered to your doorstep, it’s your property. However, you may be able to hold the delivery service liable for the loss, and it should at least investigate it.

The U.S. Postal Service, or USPS, has a claims process through the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. A claim can be filed online or over the phone.

If FedEx, UPS or another carrier delivered your package, contact them or the sender of the package to start a trace process. If you don’t have a tracking number, the business where you bought the item should be able to follow up with the carrier to trace the package and tell you where it is.

The delivery service may have insurance to cover stolen packages, though not all do. Check with the company you’re buying from to see if a package that’s stolen from your doorstep is insured. You can also call the shipping company and ask the same question. If neither offers free insurance, they may allow you to buy it.

FedEx and UPS provide up to $100 of free coverage for shipments through their declared value coverage. Higher insurance coverage can be bought through the carriers by declaring a higher value and paying a fee. If a declared value of $500 or more is specified to FedEx, it will automatically include its signature confirmation service.

The insurance coverage from carriers doesn’t end at your porch. If you’re sending a gift to friends or family, the coverage will extend to them if the packages are stolen from their porch.

Report it to your credit card company

If you paid with a credit card and your package is stolen, report it to your credit card company for reimbursement.

American Express, for example, provides purchase protection for 90 days after purchase if it’s stolen or accidentally damaged, up to $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per card member n a calendar year.

Have deliveries sent elsewhere

If you’re hesitant about having Christmas packages delivered to your house, you may be able to have them delivered to a secured location where you can pick them up.

UPS has what it calls the UPS Access Point Network. It’s a network of local businesses where packages can be dropped off and picked up, including at all 4,400 UPS stores across the country.

A government-issued photo ID with the last name and full address matching those on the package is required. Otherwise, bring proof of residency that matches the address on the package, such as a recent utility bill.

Amazon also has an alternative to home delivery. Online shoppers can have packages sent to Amazon Locker, a self-service kiosk that lets customers pick up packages after they’re delivered, such as to a grocery store with the lockers.

You’ll get an email with a unique pickup code when the package is delivered, with the address and opening times for the locker location you selected. All packages must be picked up within three business days.