Amazon Key! What’s That?

Amazon Key is a new service for Prime members from Amazon available initially in 37 cities across the US.  You see, the two of you have been spending a lot of late nights together especially as Christmas gets closer and Amazon wants to take the relationship to the next level.  It wants a key to your home so it can drop by anytime. Seriously!

Heart Lock

Amazon Key is a brand new smart device being introduced by the world’s largest online retailer that will allow anyone you trust inside your home when you are not there.  I know it sounds crazy, but Amazon sees it as a bold new step into the future and they could be right.

How Can I Get It?

The Amazon Key is actually a bundle of products designed to make you feel safe.

1. The Amazon Key app allows you to manage the whole thing right from your smartphone.
2. You will also need to choose from three different styles of smart locks.  Each of the styles comes in three different colors, bronze, brass, and nickel.
3. Finally, the Amazon Cloud Cam allows you to monitor everything either live or view a video later.

You can go ahead and pre-order yours today at this link if you are in one of the 37 selected cities and you are a Prime Member.

Your cost at the time of this post is between $249.99 and $319.99 based on which smart lock you choose.

Pros –

First, let’s hear what Amazon has to say.  They make a pretty compelling case in the following video:

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn7DBdaUNLA[/embedyt]

So Let me get this straight.

• Place an order, choose “In-home-delivery” and the package will be placed inside my house, safe from the weather and the possibility of being stolen.
• Receive three separate notifications, on the morning of the delivery, immediately before the delivery, and after the delivery is complete.
• Watch the whole process either live or later.
• Let anyone I trust into my home anytime from anywhere.
• The service is FREE!

Electric Lock

Cons –

• I’m giving a complete stranger access to my home.
• Technology has a tendency to fail at some point. (Trust me, I know!  I work in IT.  Not going to bring up ALEXA)
• It is only available to PRIME members
• The cost is a little high (Prime membership + at least $249.99)

Crazy Dave’s Final Thoughts

I may be a conspiracy theorist, but I can see how this will be used by criminals to scope out prospective homes to rob.  An amazing amount of information about you and your possessions can be determined by stepping inside the front door of your home.  How many pets do you have and are they friendly to strangers?  Do you have expensive decorations? How quickly can your entertainment equipment be accessed after entering your home?  What hours are you home and how could the security camera be avoided.  By the way, if you are using this service, I already know you don’t have an alarm system in place!

All in all, Amazon Key sounds like a great idea.  I could see how it would be a valuable service if you have packages disappearing from your doorstep or being damaged by the weather.  But I think I will take my chances before allowing someone I don’t know to enter my home when I am not there.

Amazon, I hope we can keep seeing each other.  So far our relationship has been good, but I am not ready to take the relationship to the next level.  I will not be giving you an Amazon Key to my home anytime soon.

Your Thoughts

What do you think? Should we trust Amazon with a Key to our homes?  Are we allowing convenience cloud our better judgment or am I being too harsh?  Tells what you think in the comments below.