Kinston-area residents report delays, missing mail

Some Kinston-area residents and business customers say they are dealing with delayed, missing or misdelivered mail, including expected items that appeared in USPS Informed Delivery but did not arrive in their mailboxes.

The reports include residents who said they had gone several days without receiving mail, received mail addressed to neighbors, waited weeks for cards or letters, or had packages marked as delivered that were not found. Others reported delayed bills, checks, title documents, healthcare letters and other time-sensitive mail.

Several residents said the issue was not consistent every day, but appeared to happen randomly or when substitute carriers were working. Some said their regular carriers provide reliable service, while others said mail has arrived late in the evening or several days after it appeared in Informed Delivery.

The concerns also included reports from people using commercial mailbox services. One local business owner said their business, which rents mailboxes, had customers come in looking for mail they were told to expect, but the business had not received the mail. The same commenter said there had also been times in recent months when outgoing USPS shipments were not picked up, causing shipments to be late.

Residents in other nearby communities, including La Grange, Deep Run, Snow Hill and New Bern, also described mail delays, missing items or misdelivered mail. Some commenters said they had no issues with their mail service and praised their regular carriers.

Kinston Postmaster Alvin Brantley was contacted by phone and email for comment.

Philip Bogenberger, of USPS sent the following response:
”Most Kinston customers are experiencing normal mail and package delivery. Due to unforeseen employee availability this week, some routes may have briefly experienced sporadic mail delivery. Package delivery was made daily, and mail delivery is expected to return to normal next week. 

We want to acknowledge the dedication of the of carriers who took on additional routes and worked longer hours to ensure as many deliveries could be made as possible. We also thank customers for their understanding and continued support.”

The U.S. Postal Service says Informed Delivery shows mail that has been processed, but it does not guarantee the item will arrive that same day. Residents who believe mail is missing can file a Missing Mail request with USPS. Suspected mail theft or mail-related crimes can be reported to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

This story will be updated if USPS provides additional information.