JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The countdown for Christmas Day is on as the holiday is one week away, meaning it’s that time of the holiday season when the window to have gifts delivered to loved ones is narrowing down.
Customers at a UPS store in Miramar were scrambling to mail packages Monday. While, for some, there was no pressure because the packages they were mailing were being sent to addresses in the States.
Depending on where the packages were going, many people had to pay for priority shipping just to ensure they would arrive on time.
Cathe Gray said shopping for gifts is always the fun part but every step after that is ... stressful.
“My sister is in Miami. She’s getting hers shipped out today. My nephew is in Houston; his went out last week. Thank goodness, my son in Baltimore is driving down so I don’t have to ship there. But I will probably have to ship something back because it won’t fit in their car,” Gray said. “The shopping is fun, but then you have to wrap, pack and ship. It’s stressful.”
Gray wasn’t the only person stressing over package arrival times.
“Considering we just moved here from Louisville, Kentucky, and we’re not even unpacked, yes, stress and really hectic for us right now,” Tedd Hensley said.
“It’s one of those things where you think you’re getting it out, then at the last minute, you’re running out of time,” Dino Twarika said.
The postal service recommended folks send out their holiday packages by this past Saturday to arrive before Christmas. Monday was the cut-off day to have packages arrive on time via priority mail. And Wednesday is the cut-off date to send packages via priority express.
Kathy Tafurl was aware that her packages wouldn’t make it to their destination on time because she was shipping to her daughter overseas.
“A little late. But she’s military, so she will get it by the new year, hopefully, or soon after,’ Tafuri said. “As long as she gets it, I’m good.”
Amazon is offering same-day delivery in many areas to help people avoid the stress and cost of shipping packages via postal service.