LAURENS COUNTY, Ga. — People across the nation have experienced mail problems with the United States Postal Service. Those problems have impacted businesses, legal operations and people who just want their mail.
People in Georgia also had issues with the post office, so Georgia lawmakers sent a signed letter to the U.S. Postmaster General. In the letter, leaders said constituents told them about missing and stolen mail, misdelivered mail and post office closures.
Last year, we reported the post office was changing its mail sorting operations. They said they would scale down their processing distribution facility in Macon and move the processing center to Atlanta.
Now in Dublin, small shipping business Mail & More said the problems have gotten so bad, that they're not recommending their customers to use ship with through the post office until it gets fixed.
"This is the first time the post office has been in such a state of delay. So it has been lengthy delivery times with letters and parcels," owner Audrey Hogan said.
Her store also offers UPS and FedEx options for customers. They've been recommending these two, even though it costs a bit more.
"They have tracking and their time deliveries are typically more definite than the post office. Which is now kind of lagging two or three weeks behind," Hogan said.
In Dudley, people are also having USPS issues.
Councilmember Kyle Williams said the city mailed out utility bills on Feb. 27, but they failed to arrive at the post office for further processing, so residents didn't receive them yet.
"Our city clerk, she does a great job in sending these out timely, so you know, it's frustrating for us as city officials," Williams said.
The city posted about it on Facebook to try to let everyone in town know about their missing bill.
"When you learn that it's something outside of our control, it's just really frustrating. Especially when it's you know, an agency such as the U.S. postal service that's been ran so smoothly for so many years," Williams said.
Hogan said they're also trying to get the word out about the delays to everyone, so nobody gets caught by surprise.
"We've heard a lot of those sad stories," Hogan said. "Several weeks ago, we've had several people mail things three or four weeks ago- tax documents going to accountants that just are not getting there in a timely manner."
That's why she recommends people mail tax documents sooner rather than later.
We reached out to the post office's media contact for comment and they sent us this statement.
"The Postal Service plays an important role in the community, and we are committed to providing the best service possible. While a vast majority of mail in the Atlanta area is being delivered in a timely manner, local management has been made aware of the concerns of some local customers regarding their mail delivery and are working quickly to resolve any issues. We sincerely express our apologies to our customers who may have experienced a deviation from our normal dependable service and appreciate their patience. Customers are reminded that, if they need assistance with mailing or shipping concerns, they have a variety of options for reaching us, including contacting a manager or supervisor at their local Post Office, calling 1-800-ASK-USPS(1-800-275-8777), or visiting our website at www.usps.com."
The City of Dudley said they are waiving late fees this month for people's utility bills. You can call Dudley City Hall to find out your bill amount at 478-676-3495.
They ask everyone to bring cash, money orders or a check to pay it in person at city hall or use their dropbox. They're open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Wednesday.
Mail & More is currently hiring for two full-time positions and a few part-time positions. If you'd like to apply, you can fill out an application in person at 1101-L, Hillcrest Pkwy, Dublin, GA 31021.