@hypolite @tek I guess that this "porch pirate" thing is an American thing and that France is like Germany in this case. In Germany, at least, it is not common for parcels to be left on the doorstep. If you're not at home, they're usually taken to a nearby shop. Many small shops in Germany (whether they sell tobacco, newspapers, clothes, bicycles or whatever) make extra money by having parcels delivered to them by couriers such as DHL, DPD, Hermes or UPS.
After a week these parcels are normally sent back to their origin when they are unclaimed.