Everyone likes bargains, everyone has to buy groceries. It is not unusual for people to seek to buy groceries in bulk, particularly meats. Unfortunately, this is an area that is subject to bait and switch tactics.

    Bait and switch meat selling stores work like this: Typically the local papers or other media will advertise bulk meats at unrealistically low prices. Chickens, hot dogs, or hamburgers may be advertised as "free" with a certain size order, or if the customer responds within a certain time. The ads themselves may be large and colorful full page ads, sometimes featuring cartoon cows. When a couple comes to the store, the seller will try to separate them, and have one go to bring the car around.

    The customer is shown the advertised "special" an undesirable cut of meat that is shriveled, misshapen or discolored. The seller says, "Surely you don't want to want to make your decision without seeing our higher quality meats?" The customer agrees because the advertised meat looks bad. Then the customer is shown a more attractive meat at a higher price. If the customer balks at the higher price, the seller says that its is no problem because financing is available. The customer agrees and packaged meat is loaded into boxes. It may be different in quality than the displayed meat and the cuts or quantities may bear no relation to what the customer asks for.

    Finally, the customer is asked to sign the contract. The seller may obscure portions of the contract or distract the customer while he is signing. The customers get home to find they have signed a credit contract at 36% APR, and often find they have lower quality or quantities of meat than they bargained for, at prices per pound that are no better than they could have gotten from the supermarket.

    Door to door meat sellers operate similarly. They can often be seen on the highway in trucks with freezers in the bed. They offer bargains on bulk meats, but ultimately sell the frozen meat in boxes, where it may be hard to sort through and see what is there. The frozen meat may not be USDA stamped or unit/weight priced. These sellers may also use credit contracts or "90 days same as cash" contracts that automatically turn into high rate contracts if they are not paid in 90 days.

    Clearly, there are legitimate and scrupulous meat shops. Legitimate food sellers even sell door to door. Here are some warning signs for the bad ones:

(1)     Large, flashy ads.

(2)     Seller disparages the advertised meat or refuses to sell it, or makes it unattractive.

(3)     Seller uses packaging without USDA stamps or unit or weight of the meat indicated. This violates the law.

(4)    Seller uses contracts with blanks or obscures disclosures.

(5)    The seller sells from a freezer on his truck. While dry ice can keep meat frozen, you have no assurance the meat has not been partially thawed on hot days.

(6)    The seller has no longstanding presence in the community or even a yellow pages ad (indicating it wants to make a quick buck and get out of town).