Cape Coral woman deals with mail delays, altered packages amid Postal Service concerns

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

Jennifer Ciarlo, a Cape Coral resident, has been dealing with ongoing mail delivery issues since moving across town over a year ago, including delays in receiving critical legal documents and altered package labels.

“I wasn’t getting forwarding mail at first,” she said. “I signed everything up for it, and nothing came in. I just thought, ‘Maybe nothing’s getting forwarded,’ so I chalked it up to ... OK, well ... I’m not getting any mail.”

Months later, mail began arriving sporadically, but Ciarlo said the delays caused headaches, such as receiving a Christmas card in February.

“My friend Alyssa mailed it out at the beginning of December, so that should have been here within a week, two weeks,” she said.

The situation became more serious when time-sensitive letters from her lawyer regarding her Social Security case were delayed.

“I was going through cancer, and I had become disabled, and I needed to get the letter signed to go to court, and I was waiting three years for this,” Ciarlo said.

She added that the letters arrived nearly two months late.

“When I saw that I only had two weeks to sign it, it got a little concerning that I wasn’t going to be able to pursue my case or I’d have to start over,” she said.

Although Ciarlo resolved the legal matter with her lawyer, she said her package deliveries remain problematic.

“I ordered a package, and it’s saying ‘It was delivered that day.’ I looked in the mailbox. It wasn’t there,” she said.

Last month, Ciarlo said someone on Facebook reached out to her, saying her package had been delivered to them with an altered label.

“He took a picture of it, and it was crossed off, my address, part of it, was crossed off,” she said.

Ciarlo contacted the Cape Coral Post Office on Ninth Avenue the next day.

“I asked them, ‘Why is this happening?’ and he said, ‘Well, you got your package, right?’ I said, ‘Yeah, because of a good citizen, because other than that it wouldn’t have been here. You’re supposed to deliver it.’ He said, ‘Well, it happens all the time,’” she said.

After calling the Postal Service's customer service, filing multiple complaints and reaching out to her representative, Byron Donalds, Ciarlo said she still has not received answers.

“I feel like I have no fight. Like I feel like there’s no argument, I’m not going to — I’m not going to win in this,” she said.

Gulf Coast News contacted the Postal Service about Ciarlo’s complaints and broader delivery concerns reported across Lee County. The Postal Service said local management reports no widespread service issues in Cape Coral or Lehigh Acres.

The Postal Service also invited Gulf Coast News to tour the new Sorting and Delivery Center at Fort Myers Page Field in May, showcasing technology upgrades aimed at improving efficiency and delivery performance. Viewers can learn more about the facility upgrades here.

“We saw significant improvements to service performance and on-time delivery and in customer satisfaction across the country,” said Jessie Hobson, District 2 Postal Service manager of integration.

During the tour, Fort Myers Postmaster James Chambers said the upgrades are designed to ensure consistent, on-time delivery for customers.

When asked how customers like Ciarlo can get answers for repeated mail issues, Chambers said, “They can contact our call centers; they can come in and talk to us.”

He added, “Some issues are more complicated than others, but trust me, every issue is important to us, every customer is important to us and we do address those issues.”

Ciarlo said she just wants an explanation.

“I haven’t heard back from anybody. I feel like they’re just not taking me seriously,” she said.

She is now encouraging others to speak up about their mail delivery experiences.

“If you see an issue with your mail or with anything else, it’s good to speak up because if you don’t speak up, it just passes through the cracks and it keeps happening, and one day, if you need something important and it doesn’t come, you’re going to be in trouble,” she said.

Gulf Coast News has reached out to Donalds’ office about Ciarlo’s case but has not received a response. If you have mail service issues you would like us to look into, email us at Tips@GulfCoastNewsNow.com.

Full U.S. Postal Service statement responding to Gulf Coast News:

“The Postal Service strives to continuously provide the best possible service to our valued customers. We have a variety of methods by which our customers may contact us so we can address any concerns. Local management in the Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres areas report no widespread service issues, and mail delivery continues to be timely, accurate, and efficient. However, we do realize that in isolated instances, service issues may arise.

"We always want to hear directly from customers who have concerns regarding the quality of their mail service. Customers are reminded that they can reach us in a variety of ways, including by contacting their local Post Office, calling 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777), or visiting us on our website at www.usps.com/help for assistance.

"We appreciate the patience of customers as we attempt to research and resolve any service matters as quickly as possible.”

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