Undelivered Meat Complaints Dog Illinois-Based Alexander King Farms

Alexander-King Farms, a Henry County, Ill., pork and beef supplier is the recipient of 280 BBB complaints from 16 states, including nearly 70 from Wisconsin.

While most losses appear to be in the $200 to $600 range, several customers estimate they may have lost more than $,1000.

Typically, complainants reported they paid Alexander-King Farms deposits for meat orders last summer or fall and then final fees to cover butchering, processing, and home deliveries in March or April of this year but hadn’t received their products.

The BBB Serving Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois issued a warning today advising consumers to exercise caution when dealing with Alexander-King Farms and its owners.

Alexander-King Farms has an “F” rating with BBB, the lowest grade possible. Almost all of the complaints have been filed in the past four months, and most of those were either unanswered or are considered unpursuable because BBB has been unable to contact the company.

In its report on Alexander-King Farms, BBB Serving Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois notes a pattern of complaints from consumers who ordered meat in the summer or fall of 2015 with promises of delivery in early 2016. When BBB began receiving complaints that the products were not delivered, it asked Alexander-King Farms to respond to the pattern and address the underlying cause. BBB has received no response to that request. In addition, BBB Serving Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois has attempted to contact representatives of Alexander-King Farms without success.

An unusually large number of complainants are from Wisconsin, who filed 68 BBB complaints against Alexander-King Farms. Other states include Illinois (47), Iowa (16), Colorado (15), Michigan (14), Missouri (11) and Kentucky (10).

Wisconsinites from Lake Geneva to Superior filed complaints.

A woman from Waukesha, WI states, “I preordered pork in July, 2015 paying $310 and paid processing fees of $230 in April, 2016. No pork delivered, no response to calls or emails. I would like a full refund of $540.”

A man from Hartland, WI states, “We paid $310 for a full hog and $260 in processing fees to find out our hog was never taken to locker for processing and the company is not responding.”

BBB offers the following advice to consumers considering ordering meat from companies promising to deliver at a later date:

• Research the business and owners carefully before paying any money. Check the company’s BBB Business Review at BBB.org or by calling 414-847-6000 or toll-free throughout Wisconsin at 1-800-273-1002. It is usually best to buy from an established business. Be wary of those businesses which have been operating only a short time.
• As for references and contact them. Look at online reviews. While some of these can be fabricated, they often can give you an idea of past customer satisfaction.
• Try to determine whether the business has an actual office and try to speak with someone there before ordering merchandise. If you have difficulty speaking to a company representative, you might want to reconsider doing business with the firm.
• Read all terms and conditions carefully before completing a purchase. Make sure to read and understand all agreements and refund policies. Know your options in case you receive an item that was not as advertised.
• Don’t accept a professional-looking website or a presence on social media as verification that a business is trustworthy. Make sure to check other sources.
• Pay by credit card whenever possible in case you need to challenge the payment.

For an online version of the story click here