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Everyday Businesses Impacted By Shipping Delays Before The Holidays

BOSTON (CBS) -- Holiday packages this season are taking a lot longer to get to their destinations.

"I feel like there has been a few times when you know that it's slowed down the last few days," said Julie Westman.

"You do get anxious when you like set an expectation from a company then they're like oh, [just kidding] we couldn't get it together," said Kelsey Cottrell.

But imagine if that delay impacted the largest purchase you'll likely ever make.

"So right now we have a buyer who's waiting to get in and a seller waiting to get their money," said Attorney Hang Nina Nguyen. She specializes in real estate closings.

"We're doing day to day business, we're caught in that whole web of e-commerce that everyone is doing right now in November-December," said Nguyen.

Nguyen has had several packages not delivered on time this month. It's prevented her clients from getting into their homes. She even had to make special accommodations for one client who had all their belongs in a moving truck.

"Otherwise they're homeless, technically, that's what we're looking at people being homeless in those situations."

Local couriers in and around the city of Boston are seeing an uptick in business with all these delivery delays

"For some reason, this year feels a little bit more intense than prior years," said Breakaway Courier owner Tom Cromwell.

Cromwell expects his 20 bike messengers and 50 drivers to stay busy right up until Christmas.

"It's been completely crazy the last three weeks pretty much non-stop from 8 o'clock in the morning until 7 p.m. at night," said Cromwell.

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