Nan,
I live in a 5 unit Victorian, and we each have our own entries, which would be considered back doors, because we all have access to the front door and foyer from inside doors. I have a very large note on the front doors, directing all deliveries to the proper back door, which also states that packages left at the front door have been stolen, so they must never deliver there.
FedEx is the only carrier who can read and deliver correctly, because the PO and UPS were always leaving things at the front door, or any random side door.
Because UPS delivered a package that was stolen from the front, they will no longer deliver here, and we now have to go to their distribution center to get our packages, rather than them taking responsibility and disciplining their lazy driver.
The PO is often a lost cause. Three packages in one year, signed for, and never received. It does me no good to look at a signature that I can't read or recognize.
I find it inconvenient to have to deal with the carriers and embarrasing to deal with the vendors.
At this time of year, thieves do folow delivery trucks around and steal the packages they leave, so I'm sure the volume of non-deliveries will be much higher.
Diane