You do not have to pay for genuinely unsolicited merchandise sent to you, but first establish that the unexpected smart lock is not a household order, a gift or a delivery meant for someone else. FTC guidance says recipients need not pay for or return things they did not order. That rule is not a reason to treat every unfamiliar carton as a free purchase. Check the addressee and your own order records, and ask household members about the delivery before responding to a payment demand or making plans to install the hardware.
An unexpected shipment needs an explanation through a known retailer or carrier channel rather than through a note that arrived inside the box. If the label identifies another recipient or an apparent shipping mistake, describe that discrepancy to the responsible company instead of declaring the item unsolicited merchandise. If it appears linked to your shopping account, open that service independently and inspect the actual orders and charges. Preserve the label and the unexplained request privately; do not post your home address or an order identifier while asking strangers to identify the parcel.
A QR code promising to reveal the sender or arrange a return can be a second risk even when the package itself looks ordinary. The FTC warns that such codes in unexpected packages can lead to phishing pages requesting payment information or account credentials. The Postal Inspection Service explains that some unsolicited deliveries support fake reviews written in a recipient’s name. Neither possibility proves what happened in your case, so report the unexplained shipment through the marketplace’s genuine website without scanning the enclosed code or supplying a password to the sender.
Keeping unsolicited merchandise does not establish that an unknown smart lock is suitable to install on your entrance. The FTC specifically advises caution about using products from an unknown sender; leave the existing lock in place while you clarify the new item’s source. Follow the Postal Inspection Service’s advice to change potentially exposed account passwords, monitor financial records and notify the retailer about suspected misuse of your identity. The useful outcome is an explained shipment and addressed account concern, not turning a mystery package into an unplanned door replacement.