USPS delays disrupting small businesses and online sellers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Missing mail and parcels parked at post offices across Louisville are leaving Kentuckians waiting and wondering what’s going on with the United States Postal Service system.

Cristine Scanlan is a seamstress based in Kentucky who specializes in colonial clothing and relies heavily on USPS for things she can’t get in your average store.

“In the 1800s they could get a package from Missouri to Sacramento, Calif. by horseback in 10 days,” Scanlan said. “We have planes, trains, and automobiles and we can’t do it.”

Weeks-long delays are disrupting small businesses just like hers. She’s out almost $15,000 from missing packages and will likely feel the impacts for much longer.

“I’m down money because I don’t have the inventory to sell which means I’m going to be able to purchase less material for future events,” Scanlan said. “So this is going to trickle down the spring run where I’m just not going to have the fabric to do what I need to do.”

It’s also disrupting sales on sites like Facebook Marketplace and eBay.

“It’s frustrating,” Louisville resident Gary Pyles said. “I’m sorry for the people we sold the items to.”

Pyles shipped a few packages on Dec. 31 that have yet to get the people who purchased them. After a few days without his mail moving, he stopped by his local post office.

“Person at the counter said, ‘Well they didn’t account for retirements at the end of the year and they didn’t bring on help at the end of the year,‘” Pyles recalled. “So they were getting kind of backed up.”

USPS did address the situation in a press release.

“We are aware of recent service delays in the Louisville area and want to provide an update on the situation.

Back-to-back severe weather events have significantly impacted our operations both locally in Kentucky and across our network. These weather-related challenges, coupled with an increase in employee availability issues following the storms, have contributed to temporary mail and package delivery delays in the region.

Senior leaders are actively working with local teams to address the situation and restore the level of service our customers are accustomed to. We are committed to resuming normal operations as quickly and safely as possible.

Customers are encouraged to visit our Service Alerts page at Service alerts - Newsroom - About.usps.com for up-to-date information on service impacts related to weather events."

However, several of the packages Scanlan is waiting for were supposed to be delivered well before the January snowstorm. She brought that issue up with postal workers.

“Both my postmaster and consumer affairs, they finally let it slip that they’ve had packages sitting at the packing center in Louisville since Dec. 3,” Scanlan said. “That was a week ago.”

The delays are an inconvenience for Pyles, though he believes the real concern is for people whose lives and finances depend on the mail system.

“I can’t imagine the stress those people are under,” he said. “That would be horrific.”

It’s stressful for Scanlan, who went on the road for work without getting the shipments she had hoped.

Her small business survived Covid and inflation, and she says she won’t let shipping problems shut her down.

“We will figure out ways,” Scanlan said. “Even if that means moving away from the US Postal Service we will do so.”