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When salesmen knock on your door, they could represent any number of different legitimate products and services such as magazines, cleaning supplies, home alarm systems and even frozen meat and poultry. They might also be itinerant workers who are offering a low-ball estimate to fix your roof or repave your driveway. Regardless of what they are selling, protect your home and your wallet by confirming their credentials.

BBB recommends being cautious of a door to door salesperson or itinerant worker if they:

Use high pressure sales tactics. A reputable salesman will give you time to think through the deal and make an appointment to return at a later date. Watch out if you’re asked to sign up immediately before you do your research. Do not give in to high-pressure sales tactics—even if the deal supposedly won’t last long or the salesperson is aggressive—it’s worth it to stop and think it over first.

Offer a deal that sounds too good to be true. Some salesmen might offer an extremely good price for their products or services. The adage holds true that you get what you pay for and many people have been quickly disappointed when the products didn’t live up to the hype or the company did a shoddy job.
Fail to follow federal law. Federal law requires that if you purchase more than $25 in goods, the salesperson must inform you of your rights to cancel within three business days. Called the “cooling off” rule, these rights are typically included with the company’s contact information on the receipt or contract.

Work for a company with a poor rating from your BBB. Before you break out your checkbook, always check the company out with your BBB first to see how many complaints they’ve received in addition to BBB’s overall rating.

Finally, pay with a check or credit card—rather than cash—in order to take advantage of the consumer protections provided.

When temperatures heat up, door-to-door salesmen start making their rounds selling any number of different products and services. While many door-to-door salesmen are honest, every summer, Better Business Bureau receives troubling complaints from consumers who purchased meat from door-to-door salesmen and were dissatisfied with the quality or even claim to have gotten food poisoning.

In a recent example, the BBB in Denver issued a warning about mounting complaints against a door-to-door meat salesman. According to complaints, customers spend an average of $185 on different kinds of meat, poultry and/or fish. Consumers have described the products as being, “inferior quality,” “tainted,” “not edible,” “old and freezer burnt” and “drowned in salt and preservatives”. Some complainants have also claimed to have gotten sick from the meat and one complainant described it as tasting “like chlorine.”

“Many people might be a little put off by the idea of buying steaks or seafood from the back of a truck, but the low price can often be tempting enough to override any fears about safety or quality,” said Kim States, BBB President. “It’s not uncommon for a customer to waste hundreds of dollars on inferior meat and it is extremely important for your financial health, in addition to your personal health, that you do your research before you buy.”

Other common complaints to BBB against door-to-door meat sellers include claims that the customer received less meat than what they paid for, that the salesman did not have appropriate permits to sell food door to door and that the salesman failed to stand by the promised satisfaction guarantee.

When considering buying meat from a door-to-door salesman, BBB recommends that consumers:

• Do your research. Ask the salesmen for written material about the company and let them know you are going to research them first before doing business with them. Check the company’s Reliability Report with your BBB. Many communities have licensing and permit requirements for food vendors and for selling door-to-door; confirm with your city or county government that the seller is in line with the law.
• Don’t fall for empty promises. The seller might claim to offer a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee, but many complainants had no way to contact the seller if they were dissatisfied. Additionally, the seller might claim that the meat is a higher grade than it really is.
• Never pay with cash. When paying by check or credit card you have at least some way to protect your money—such as canceling the check or reporting it as fraud to your credit card company. If you pay with cash and are dissatisfied, you’re at the mercy of the salesman.
• Know your rights. If you decide to make a purchase, ask for a dated cancellation form and a dated receipt. The Federal Trade Commission Cooling-Off Rule gives you three business days to cancel the purchase. Saturday is considered a business day.
• Report the bad guys. If you feel that you were ripped off by a door-to-door salesmen, file a complaint with your Better Business Bureau. Also report any unlicensed salesmen to the appropriate city or county authorities.

Consumers with questions about purchasing meat can contact the USDA’S Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854.

For more advice to help you make smart purchasing decisions, visit http://www.bbb.org/us/consumer-tips-product-purchasing/.