Tips to keep Christmas shipping timely and safe

Christmas is fast approaching and the Jacksboro Post Office would like to remind those planning to ship packages of important postal deadlines.

The USPS ground delivery deadline is less than a week away on Thursday, Dec. 14 for contiguous U.S. The First Class deadline is Dec. 19.

Priority and Priority Express are Dec. 20 and 22, respectively.

Several military mail shipping dates have passed. Most addresses can still get their shipments if sent Priority or First Class by Dec. 11 or Priority Express Military Service by Dec. 16.

Package theft can be a concern, especially this time of year.

Jacksboro Postmaster Ginger Magriplis said she has not received reports of package theft locally, but the post office wants to go the extra step to ensure a package’s safe arrival.

“Our carriers here are really good and if you have a spot you want us to leave it at, we’ll work to accommodate you,” she said.

USPS.com offers Package Intercept while the package is en route. Customers who know they won’t be home when their package is delivered can try it. Prior to delivery, most domestic package shipments can be redirected back to the sender, to a new address or to the post office to be held for pickup.

The customer can also provide delivery instructions online and authorize the carrier to leave it in a specified location. Visit usps.com, enter the tracking number and select Delivery Instructions. Customers can also request their packages be left with a neighbor or held at a post office for pickup.

The Jacksboro postal workers want to do their part to make the season merry and bright, but if there is an issue, Magriplis said she wants to know about it.

“If people have complaints, I don’t know about it unless they call me,” she said.