NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — A simple coffee order from Danville to Nicholasville turned into an unexpected cross-country adventure, highlighting nationwide holiday shipping delays that have frustrated customers across the region.
Scott Harvey ordered bags of his favorite coffee blend on Nov. 19, shipping them via USPS from a Danville coffee shop to his Nicholasville home — a distance of just 20 miles. Instead of taking the direct route, his package embarked on a 1,400-mile journey through three states before finally arriving 19 days later.
"USPS said, you want shipping? We'll give you tourism!" Harvey said.
The package's route took it from Danville to Louisville, where it sat in limbo for several days. From there, it traveled to Rochester, New York, then to Indianapolis, back to Lexington, and finally to Harvey's front door on Dec. 10.
Harvey visited the Louisville postal facility two weeks into the ordeal, seeking answers about his delayed package.
"I went down there like, two weeks into it, when it was in-between places for like 4 or 5 days. And they told me this is tracking in our system, there's nothing we can do. Welcome to holiday shipping time," Harvey said.
While Harvey can laugh off the delay since it was just coffee, he said friends are experiencing even longer shipping problems.
"I had two friends say, let me know if mine ever shows up, it's been 4 months," Harvey said.
Even so, Harvey doesn't blame postal workers for the delays, instead pointing to systemic issues within the shipping infrastructure.
"Good friends work for the post office, but they're like, we can't do anything about this either. It's a system issue that's not up with the times. It makes their jobs easier. They're as frustrated as we are," Harvey said.
The incident reflects broader shipping challenges many customers face during the busy holiday season, when increased package volumes can strain delivery networks nationwide.
LEX 18 has reached out to USPS for comment and has not heard back yet.
