Eyewitness News looks into complaints at post office in North Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It's a story we've been working on for months, and affects almost everyone in the Houston area. After being contacted by many of you about Post Office delays and lost shipments, we started digging.

Mitchell Robinson earns a living with his online store.

He tells us "We send things out through the USPS mail daily, 40 to 50 packages a day."

For roughly a year now, Robinson says he's seen an increase in delays. "I answer about 5 to 10 emails a day, where's my item. People are wanting to know because it still shows in Houston after 6 days."

Bob Boyce has also been affected, telling us "It's bank papers I had to send to my son to have him sign."

Important documents, including checking and savings information, and Social Security numbers. Boyce says it was shipped by Priority mail.

He explained "The envelope was mailed back to me on August 29th, and here it is September 9th and I still don't have it."

Boyce says after speaking with customer service, "nobody knows where it is."

Kathy Thornberry said "my mother recently passed away and we are settling her affairs."

Thornberry tells us a bank issued cashier's checks and sent them to her certified mail. However --

"Now we are at 60 days since those were at the North Houston hub, and so now the Post Office considers them officially lost." Thornberry told us.

As for getting the checked reissued? She says "Consequently I have to wait 90 days for those checks to expire, and then start the process of getting those checks replaced."

These are just 3 out of nearly a thousand viewers that reached out to us. Many providing tracking numbers showing delayed or missing mail centered around the North Houston sorting facility. Now earlier this year, the Barbara Jordan downtown Post Office shut its doors for good, meaning the North Houston facility would be the only processing center for mail going in and out of Houston.

So what is the Post Office doing about these customer complaints? They told us that they have increased staffing at the North Houston facility by adding about 750 employees from February through August of this year, and are continuing to hire additional employees. They tell us they're expanding their processing capacity by bringing in state-of-the-art package sorting equipment to help maximize efficiencies. Special postal teams have also been deployed to our area to assist with continuous improvements.

As for Ms. Thornberry and her missing certified envelope, it was finally found after we started inquiring about it. It was delivered to her personally, just a few days after our interview. Mr. Boyce received his package as well... 25 days after being sent. The Post Office tells us they're working closely with Mr. Mitchel as well to help him resolve those shipping issues.

Post Office Statement: