(WXYZ) — Remember during the height of the pandemic when mail would show up late or not come at all? The pandemic is easing, but in many areas, those delays are not.
Like many postal customers, Terry Eshom has the USPS Informed Delivery app on his phone that tells him what to expect on any given day. But, he says what the app tells him and what he receives are often two different things.
"We were expecting eight or nine pieces of mail. We got nothing," Eshom said.
It's not just first-class letters. Others complain about the priority mail service for packages.
Lucas McBride had to return a car part for his minivan. It took so long to arrive that he bought a more expensive version at a local auto parts store.
"It cost me 92 dollars more than it cost me when I went online and got it," he said.
The USPS recently told Congress it expects to deliver just 88% of mail on time this year, down from 95% normally.
It blames "ongoing impacts from the pandemic," including absenteeism, old equipment and the labor shortage.
Eshom doesn't blame his mail carrier, but a system that he feels is no longer up to the job.
The USPS tells Congress it expects to have delivery issues stabilized late this year, and hopes to resume 90% on-time delivery or better in the near future.
