WAUSAU, WI (WSAU-WAOW) Some area small businesses that depend on shipping items through the mail are concerned about slower service from the US Postal Service.
For small businesses, like Wausau resident Patty Mishkar’s Etsy shop, this could have a major impact on revenue. “The time it takes to be delivered is just all over the place now,” she told WAOW-TV.
Mishkar says she and other Etsy sellers have been experiencing difficulties with customers not getting their orders on time. Even though it’s mostly out of her control, she said it can still have a negative impact on her store. “Buyers are getting angry and demanding refunds and reporting the shops,” she said.
The problem could be due to new policy changes at the postal service. According to an employee memo originally obtained by the Washington Post, carriers must now begin and end their days on time. This means they are not able to work overtime, and any mail not delivered during that time would have to wait.
A spokesperson for the USPS sent WAOW-TV a statement saying they’ll work to address any issues and encourage customers to reach out to their local office.
Becky Besaw, the owner of Goin’ Postal, said that even though her company contracts with USPS, she’s only heard from a couple of customers about this issue. Their shipping delays weren’t significant. “It got there three days later than the date the post office had given them,” she said.
For now, while you wait for your Etsy orders, Mishkar says be patient with sellers and keep an eye on your tracking information. “It’s out of the seller’s hands once they give it to the post office,” she said.
