PRESTON, Md. - Mail has not been delivered several days this week at Arlene and Michael Stevens' "Shore Country Store" in Harmony. They are not alone.
Stevens says mail only comes a few days a week now.
"There is days that go by where we don't have any mail, which is kind of uncommon," Stevens said.
Stevens says the problem is hurting his still young business, which opened its doors in June.
"Yesterday we saw the mail delivery for the second time go by with the flag up. Trying to pay bills, trying to receive invoices. It impacts your credit card statements, makes them late. Makes you look bad," Stevens said.
Neighbors say post office officials have told them the issue amounts to being short staffed.
Regina Collins lives in Preston. She says her bills are coming in late, sometimes at their due dates.
After seeing she was not getting mail deliveries, Collins tried putting up her mailbox flag. She says that did not work.
"Last week we put our flag up to see if they would stop to send mail. And it was totally ignored. Didn't get mail for three days," Collins said.
Collins says she just wants USPS officials to let people know what's going on.
"No one was ever notified that we were going to have issues with the mail. It just started happening. And I also feel like if they were going to have an issue they needed to inform everyone."
These sentiments echoed all over social media. Folks from Preston all wondering where their mail is and why it's coming so infrequently.
In regards to shortages at the U.S. Post Office in Preston, an official said they recognize the challenges the pandemic has created.
They said "We have expanded mail deliveries to earlier in the morning, later in the evening, and on Sundays to ensure customers receive mail at the earliest date possible."
Officials say they are also using additional carriers from nearby offices.
