United States-Butcher banned from trading.

UNITED STATES-BUTCHER BANNED FROM TRADING.

A Wisconsin company that spent nearly four years selling meat and seafood door-to-door is out of business for good.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice shut down Great Lakes Wholesale Foods Inc., based in Hudson, after numerous consumer complaints.

Brent Smeester in Green Bay won’t forget what a knock on his door led to a year-and-a-half ago. A salesman offering meat products out of a van sold him $300 worth of beef.

"We need more right now anyway, the price seemed right, timing was right. I was pretty happy with the guy, very personable, so took a chance and bought the product."

Just days later, friends came over to try out the Smeester’s first batch of steaks. He laughs, saying, "When we served the dinner, couldn’t get a knife through them."

Smeester says he then spent three weeks trying to contact the salesperson.

He also did some math on the undersized steaks. "You ended up paying about 15-16 bucks a pound for shoe leather."

Smeester wasn’t alone in being frustrated. Consumer Protection says similar complaints came in from all over the state, including Appleton, Neenah, and Sheboygan.

"The quality wasn’t very good. It wasn’t what they had said. Some complaints said when the consumer would exercise their three-day right to cancel that the company would just ignore them, that the company wouldn’t respond to any requests like they’re required to do," consumer protection investigator Ed Walker said.

After four months of calls and letters to the company, Smeester finally got his money back.

But he’s even happier to learn the company won’t be allowed to sell meat in the state again.

Great Lakes Wholesale Foods was also fined $10,000.

Walker advised, "Be skeptical of anyone coming to your door with whatever they’re selling. Second piece of advice, do the research, ask questions, get literature, never be pushed into making a snap decision."

wbay.com