HENRICO COUNTY, Va. – Gary Zuch has been waiting for a parcel delivery for nearly a month now, and he’s worried it could now fall into the wrong hands due to delays with the US Postal Service (USPS).
“You know, we didn’t ship it on a slow boat from China,” said Zuch. “We just sent it 70 miles away.”
The Newport News husband said he and his wife had sent gifts to a disadvantaged family in Richmond, hoping they would brighten their mood for Christmas.
“It should be delivered on Friday, December 5,” said Zuch. “They come with pretty decent gift cards that allow them to buy presents and groceries and pay for other expenses, and it was important to us that it came to them at Christmas.”
Zuch said tracking records showed the package in the Henrico area at one point, before returning to the Richmond US Postal Service Distribution Center in Sandston.
“It hasn’t moved according to the system for the past 12 days, so it must be stuck to the back of a plant,” said Zuch.
Zuch is one of dozens of people who contacted CBS 6 Troubleshooters about delayed parcels and mail. A spokesman for the US Postal Service told CBS 6 in a statement that delays and delivery issues are due to the overwhelming and historic mail volume this holiday season, along with a shortage of workers due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The US Postal Service, similar to the broader shipping industry, will continue to come under pressure on service performance across all categories in the near term as it sets a historic record of holiday volumes this season,” said the spokesman. “This negative impact is exacerbated by the shortage of temporary workers due to the COVID-19 surge, as well as the ongoing capacity problems with airlifts and trucks to move this historic amount of mail,” said the US Postal Service statement. .
“I’m sure they’re doing their best with limited resources, I just think they need to be more systematic in their approach to getting things out,” said Zuch. “You just can’t stack things in a corner and think the whole thing will disappear.”
The US Postal Service said they also have capacity issues with air and ground shipments, adding to delays.
While Zuch understands, he is concerned about whether his package will reach its correct destination.
“I’m just afraid it has been taken or it will end up in the hands of the wrong person,” said Zuch. “No harsh feelings, just a little bit more disappointment than anything.”
The spokesperson said USPS will continue to address issues and remain focused on delivering mail and packages for the holidays.
“Amid historic volume, the Postal Service continues to expand its network, including by ensuring the right equipment is available to sort, process and deliver a historic volume of mail and packages this holiday season,” the spokesman said. “Our entire Operations team, from collection and processing to delivery, has been working over the weekend and will continue to work around the clock to address the historical volume. We accept all the volume offered to us that increases our challenges.”
Are you waiting for a package that is stuck in transit? Weigh in on the WTVR CBS 6 Facebook page.