PALMETTO, Ga. — While the mail seems to be on hold, the concerns keep coming in from 11Alive viewers who said their packages have been sitting at a United States Postal Service distribution center for weeks.
11Alive first reported on these issues last week when postal customers started complaining their packages couldn't be traced at all. They said the issues are centered around one postal facility in Palmetto -- which is located mostly in Fulton County but also in part of Coweta County.
“There's business concerns. There are voting concerns. And they're affecting charities with the slowdown in the mail,” Renee Conaway said. “And I'm sure private citizens are greatly being affected by this, as well. Look at everything that still has to go through the mail: legal notices, prescriptions -- all those kinds of things getting delayed. It can cause serious problems. And it is.”
Conaway said she started noticing the issues when a package arrived at the Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center in Palmetto on Feb. 23.
“And it didn't move, and it didn't move,” she said. “And we're now on March 12th, and it still hasn't moved.”
Conaway said the first package wasn’t a huge deal, but then it happened again with another package. Now, she said it’s also impacting the small business she works for, saying people aren’t receiving their payments when they are supposed to.
“Bills not received and payments not received, that affects everyone,” Janet Russell said.
Russell is a landlord and depends on receiving monthly checks from tenants for income. She said those checks weren’t arriving, even though her tenants said they mailed them.
Russell added that her neighbors also haven’t received their deliveries, such as prescriptions.
“It’s more than just the birthday package,” Russell said. “It affects people’s lives.”
Russell added she’s also frustrated about a lack of communication from USPS about what's causing the issue.
“Plus, what are they going to do about it? Should we expect this for a month, two months, a year?” she asked.
Russell hopes USPS will deliver her mail and some answers soon.
11Alive reached out to USPS again on Tuesday morning, asking multiple questions, including what's causing the delays and what's being done, if anything, to address and fix the issues. At the time of publication, USPS had not responded.
Those experiencing delays or who have not received mail can contact the newsroom with your concerns as we continue to cover this story. Fill out our online form below, and someone from our news team will follow up with you.