How to get scammed, by Rachel

So I am happily posting on the blog on Monday when somebody bangs on my screen door and yells to ask if anybody is home. They sound friendly like a neighbor so I go out and say that I am, but I don’t open the screen. He quickly makes it obvious that he is a salesman, because it is hard to get him to get to the point about his visit. I am ready for him to leave when he says he is selling meat. Well, I actually would like some, but doubt he has anything in my price range, but I let him get out the chicken and pork for me.

He lays them all out over the hood of the car (I don’t invite him in) and flashes a name tag and a flyer saying USDA approved at me. I am more convinced that the meat is safe by the cool refrigerated, logo’d truck. I finally get him to tell me how much it costs – $389 and I’ll throw the case of pork in free. Hmm – so I gather that $389 is not what it’s worth, but that about half that is more like it – about $180, I guess. I say, no, I can’t get that much meat right now. He says that I can get the one crate with $200 off. That makes it the $180 for the one crate of beef. I wonder how much that is per pound – because I know what I’m used to paying at good old Freddies. He tells me how many servings it is but I say I want to know how many pounds. He says about 45 pounds.

So I think and try and do math in my head. I can’t, so I do math out loud. I tell him I will pay $3 a pound for good beef and what he has looks ok. I say $3 a pound times 45 pounds is $135. He hemms and hawws and eventually says he’ll do $145 for a case, which he repeats at my question is about 45 pounds. I call Brian and he looks up their web page, homemeatmarket.com and says the meat looks good and $3 a pound is a good price. I give him a check, he packs my freezer and I wave goodbye.

Brian weighs the meat with me that night. It is about 24 pounds. Scammed. I should have known – the guy was pretty slimy, after all – had me write the check to his name, not the business and all. Well, Rachel isn’t too upset yet, maybe I can end up better off than I started. I look up badbusinessbureau.com on the net and then the better business bureau (www.bbb.org) and then the Department of Justice complaint form. (http://www.doj.state.or.us/finfraud/engexplanation.shtml) From the number of resolved complaints, they are chronically dishonest, but will pay up when you pressure them. The Better Business Bureau and the Department of Justice sent them a letter asking them for another case of meat free or my money back, so I think it will get resolved pretty soon. I kinda hope that they send me more beef – it sure looks good. Go to homemeatmarket.com and look at their beef. You will think it looks good too – but don’t buy any. Trust me.