Some Marylanders are rethinking how they pay bills amid USPS delays
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ELLICOTT CITY, Maryland (WBAL) — Some Marylanders are rethinking how they pay their bills because of continued postal delays, and one family is trying to find passport information.
Cher Cowan, of Essex, has medical equipment that she needs to replace and wonders when the delivery will arrive She has waited more than a week and said it’s at the post office. She has even called the company that mailed it.
“I said, ‘I know you sent this out. I know it’s in my mail because I have a picture of it from last week when it came.’ I never got it,” Cowan said.
Mel Collins said he always pays his bills on time by mailing checks, but he recently received notices of nonpayment.
“It’s just becoming totally unacceptable,” Collins said.
He began worrying about his credit rating, so he called his mortgage company and got a warning.
“She’s saying, ‘Well, yeah, if we don’t get your payment by the 31st, your account will be reported as delinquent to the three major credit bureaus,'” Collins said.
While Meghan Bennett has received her mail, she told 11 News she’s concerned about passport applications she filled out at the Ellicott City post office on Dec. 5 that contain personal information and photos. She was told it would take 10 to 12 weeks to process the documents, but she was unable to get tracking information from the postal service. All she has been told is it’s not lost.
“I’m thinking that I was guaranteed a service that hasn’t necessarily been provided. And although I’m happy to reapply, I still worry about that missing information,” Bennett said.
In an email, the USPS responded to 11 News, saying: “The 2020 holiday season was a record for the United States Postal Service with more than a billion packages delivered.”
Postal workers faced all kinds of challenges that caused temporary pockets of delays.
“As is our duty, we accepted all volumes and our employees rose to the occasion to deliver for America. This epic volume was also amplified by employee availability challenges and necessary COVID-19 policies designed to keep our employees and our communities safe,” the USPS statement said.
Bennett said she will keep trying to track down where her family’s information is. Collins said he will be forced to pay bills online, something he is uncomfortable doing because he has been a victim of identity theft in the past.
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