Brazos County homeowners push for better package delivery from the postal service
WELLBORN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) -Several residents in Brazos County have raised concerns about the handling of their mail by the Postal Service. Leslie Husfeld Jett, who recently moved to Wellborn, says her packages were not left in or around her mailbox on multiple occasions.
“Most of them have been left in this tree right here where you see that box. Sometimes it’s pouring down rain, and our packages get left there. They get rained on; some of them get destroyed,” Jett explained.
She says despite tracking updates indicating packages were “delivered in/near mailbox,” many items, including valuable and sentimental gifts, have been left elsewhere. Jett was particularly disheartened when birthday gifts from her mother and husband went missing.
“My mom’s not in Texas right now. My birthday is Sunday, so it was really important for her to get me some birthday gifts. She was so excited that they arrived, and I went there and they weren’t there,” said Jett. “It really made her upset. And my husband had gotten me something really nice as well, and that was gone, too. He was pretty upset. So it’s more of a sentimental issue, some valuables, you know, that you can never get back again.”
Jett says attempts to contact the Postal Service for assistance have been largely unsuccessful.
“Not good at all. I’ve actually called them many times, and I get no response. You get an automated message. I have emailed them. I have actually gone up to the post office and was told to go back. I have sent several service requests stating they would get back to me within two to three business days. No one’s ever gotten back to me about the stolen or missing items,” said Jett. “So it’s been a bit of a headache trying to get a hold of somebody.”
According to an online Postal Service manual, their policy requires carriers to make reasonable efforts to deliver packages directly to recipients. A USPS representative stated that they are aware of the complaints and that local management is looking into the situation.
Jett, whose father worked for the Postal Service for 35 years, emphasized her respect for the job carriers do but hopes for more care in delivering packages safely to their intended destinations.
“My dad worked for the post office for over 35 years. He worked very, very hard. He made sure everybody got their gifts. He was very friendly,” said Jett. “He was always on time, and he went above and beyond for his customers every day, all day.”
“I would say to you, please, if you can just take that extra measure, even if you can just drive a couple of feet in. You may be busy, you may have a lot of gifts to deliver, but some of these things are very valuable to us, and there’s a lot of money invested in them as well. It’s not too much to ask if you could just drive a few more feet to drop it off at the house. We would really appreciate that,” Jett added.
