'Just Like Not Having Christmas': South Side Woman Says USPS Won't Leave Christmas Tree She Ordered At Her Door
CHICAGO (CBS) - A flood of mail, a historic boom in online shopping, and a huge snowstorm on the east coast are all making a mess of holiday shipping. An estimated 6 million packages a day are piling up in retailers' warehouses. On time delivery rates for the United States Postal Service have dropped to 86%.
One woman on the South Side of Chicago feels the postal pain firsthand. The post office has her packages. They just won't leave them at her door.
USPS claims it cannot drop of Tahirah Atkins' packages because her address can't be found, and they are undeliverable. But CBS 2 found her name on her mailbox and a way to drop them off.
"Christmas is everything this year," Atkins said.
She loves Christmas. But one week until the big day, and she still does not have her tree.
"I've gotten all my other packages, my Walmart, from Target," she said.
She said it is a USPS problem, and they brought the tree to her home and refused to deliver it, marking it and other packages undeliverable.
"He came here with the package, marked it undeliverable, said the addressee couldn't be found," she said.
Going out and getting a new one is not an option for Atkins.
"I have many health issues," she said. "I'm on about seven different immunosuppressants, so I can't be in large public spaces with large groups of people."
She has been stuck in her house since March and was already gearing up for a solo Christmas. All she wanted was that tree and the decorations she ordered to go with it.
"To not have it is kind of just like not having Christmas," she said.
She has called and filed complaint after complaint with USPS but gotten no answers and no tree.
"According to the post office, they've already sent it back, so there's no hope for me retrieving any of my items," Atkins said.
CBS 2 reached out, providing USPS with her information and her tracking numbers. A spokesperson told CBS 2 they are researching the issue, asking the Auburn Park station to check on this.
"Maybe you don't know my specific circumstances, but does it matter? It's my Christmas tree," she said.
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