BUFFALO, NY (WIVB) If you’ve noticed any changes in the way an Amazon package was delivered this week, you may not be imagining it.

For the past week, the US Postal carriers in Buffalo say they have been delivering about half of the parcels they normally do. That’s because they claim Amazon suddenly decided to use their own private couriers in Western New York instead of the US Postal Service to deliver Amazon parcels.

“What we’re trying to do is just let the general public know, ‘hey, you guys are kind of used to getting your packages in your mailbox. Flex drivers aren’t allowed to utilize the mailbox, so your packages might be in a different location,” said David Grosskopf, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers for Buffalo and Western New York.

The 1,200 unionized letter carriers in the Buffalo district have been a major carrier of those packages and boast of a 99% on time delivery rate. They want that Amazon business back and because US Postal carriers are the only ones allowed to put anything in your mailbox, if they find an Amazon package in your mailbox this week, they are bringing it back to the post office and returning to sender.

“What I’m trying to do here is make the general public aware with the private courier services, please don’t utilize our mailbox. We’re not trying to delay any of Amazon of anybody else items that they’re putting in that box. However, they must understand, there’s laws and rules in place that the carriers have to follow,” said Grosskopf.

Amazon opened a warehouse on Walden Avenue in Lancaster about a year and a half ago, but it wasn’t until last week that carriers believe Amazon began using private couriers instead of letter carriers to deliver the parcels in Buffalo.

We reached out to Amazon Thursday, and they insist they are still using some US Postal carriers in Buffalo. They sent us a statement late Friday which says:
Amazon uses a variety of carriers to deliver packages to customers. Amazon’s own carrier network helps to supplement a very small percentage of package deliveries in the Buffalo area, and we continue to utilize a variety of other carriers to make deliveries to customers in the community.