UPS Blames Bad Weather, More Packages and Online Shopping for Delays

With many still waiting for their Christmas presents, UPS blamed this year’s surge of holiday package delays on a “perfect storm” of circumstances, including severe weather conditions in Dallas, a shorter time frame between Thanksgiving and Christmas and an uptick in online shopping. “All of this culminated to become the perfect storm, so to speak,” UPS spokeswoman Natalie Black told CNN. “We’re terribly sorry.” After many customers were left waiting in vain for on-time delivery of Christmas presents, the company issued a statement apologizing for the hold-up and said it was working to resolve the problem. UPS sorted packages on Wednesday, Christmas Day, so drivers could get an early start Thursday, Black said. “This has been the worst Christmas ever,” Larry Ledet, who’s been a driver for UPS for 27 years, told USA Today. Meanwhile, companies like Amazon also took a hit from the shipment backlog. The online retailer, which promised some customers a delivery in time for the holiday, issued an apology for the UPS failure and offered to refund shipping charges and provide gift cards. [CNN]