Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/09/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I paid, $4004.00 for a, "Whole Beef" which they had listed for December on their website. I contacted them, via their website, because I needed it sooner as I was returning from Vacation in VA to MA. They told me to not worry about the December date they would simply change it. I agreed, located them at the ********** ******* market about 6pm. My Brother-In-Law assisted me along with the Gentleman to transfer the packages of beef from their coolers to my coolers. Trusting the transaction I did NOT take the additional time to inventory, and record, each package for weight or cut. I drove the next morning ½ way, arrived the home the 2nd day, transferred and inventoried what I received Sunday, 11/5/2023, morning. Attached is the inventory of what I got. I contacted the farmer, they claimed I got an, "equivalent" of a whole beef. Some of the cuts were packaged last June, some were packaged last August, some were packaged last September so definitely not even the same animal.
  
  According to: ***************************************************************************************************** This is what I should reasonable expect from a HALF beef:
  
  In a half of a beef, there are approximately 12 roasts, 14 t-bone steaks, 5 sirloin steaks, 5 sirloin tip steaks, 14 rib-eye steaks, and 6 round steaks. There are also short ribs, flank steak, stew meat, brisket and approximately 75# of ground beef.
  
  Another source:
  ****************************************************************************-How-Much-Meat-to-Expect-from-a-Beef-Carcass.pdf
  
  The amount of meat that is cut and wrapped for consumption will be much less than the live animal weight. A 1200-pound beef animal will yield a hot carcass weight of approximately 750 pounds. Once cooled, the carcass weight will be approximately 730 pounds. When de-boned and trimmed, there will be approximately 500 pounds of trimmed and deboned meat for wrapping and freezing. He claims equivalent weight, I needed the equivalent CUTS

  Business Response

  Date: 11/30/2023

  This customer also contacted the Virginia Beef Council, they explained to him that beef is sold by hanging weight before the bones are removed, this is also explained on our website in the section buying beef from a farmer. The customer wanted the product in two days, please see order confirmation, our next available date was late December. He had ask if there was anyway we could get a whole beef together in less than 48 hours. The only way to fill his order was that we had to pull it from inventory on-hand. The fastest a beef can be proccessed and have on-hand is 18 days. Beef has to chill for two-day then dryage for 14 days, then it is cut up and flash frozen. It remains in the freezer for 24 hours before we pick it up. We did not give him any beef from 2022, and there were less that 5 lbs. of beef from late June of 2023 and that was the oldest he received. Any business that deals with dated products always use the FIFO method of inventory rotation. At no time did I tell him the whole beef he bought was from the same animal. I attached our communications above. I personally inspected his beef to make sure it was all good and no vacuum seals were broken. He and his Brother-in-law transfered the meat from my coolers to his own, therefore, having the opportunity to inspect the product at that time. He indicated that he received 321 lbs of beef from a based hang weight of 572 lbs. Attached is an actual copy of the beef we had killed 10/19/2023. You will see that the hanging weight is stated at the top as being 572 lbs. and my return was 304.99 Lbs. I gave the customer extra meat, and he was fine when he took delivery on Thursday. Three days later he reached out to us be cause he felt he was shorted weight. From our point of view we did all we could to fulfill his order with a safe, healthy, quality product in less than 48 hours.He was not satified with the Beef Council's response, so he came to you. We take great pride in the quality of our beef, the animals are born on our farm, we care for them 24 months, and they provide us with the income use to pay our bills and feed our family. The quantity the customer recieved was in excess of with I received from my animal. Before I would issue a credit for any beef, it would have to be inspected by the USDA inspection service and within 24 hours of receipt of product, Anything beyond that when dealing with a perishable product is not allowed. Since there is no complaint for three days, nothing about quality, the custommer stated he received 321 lbs when my return was 304.99 lbs., the order was filled in 48 hours on short notice, I really don't know how much more we could have done. We feel like the customer received a quality product at a fair and published price. I am sorry he feels the way he does, but in five years of business this the first complaint we have ever had, and in no way do we feel we conducted our business dishonestly and nor did we short the customer any product. We will not consider any adjustment to this customer and feel the matter is closed. P.S. Your emails were going to spam.Thank You,Webb Farms

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/01/2023

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  I did not have a problem, if I recall, with the weight of the beef included.  I have a problem with the lack of quality CUTS of beef.  I received way too many packages of ground beef , and no Tenderloins, and few steaks of any sort.  I feel I got a minimum of 50lbs additional Ground beef for any Whole beef according to other Beef produces stated expectation of what should be included in a whole Beef purchase.  I would hate to reassemble this animal with the beef I received.  I feel this business is dishonest at best.  I will encourage all of my contacts to never do business with them or any other Virginia Beef producer if they are unwilling to do, "the right thing".
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 12/09/2023

  Copied from file in response to customer's December 1, 2023,
  statement.Customer: I received way too many
  packages of ground beef  Ground Beef                       198.30 lbs.      Gound beef from the 10/19/2023 cut sheet,  139.83 lbs. of ground beef, plus Meatloaf and
  Salisbury Steaks which were made from ground beef 28.9 lbs. and 23.64  lbs.=192.37 lbs. This yield is less than 6
  lbs. of what the customer said they received. No fifty-pound overage of ground
  beef.Customer: no TenderloinsHe said he received no tenderloin, yet he said he received
  4.37 lbs. of Beef Filets which is the tenderloin.Customer:  few steaks of any sort. There are only so
  many steaks in an animal, he received 10 Sirloin Steaks, 10 Ribeye, 11 New York
  Strips, and 6 Beef Filets. That is all you get from a whole beef. If the ribeye
  and filets were cut thinner at 3/4" and not the 1 1/2" we had on
  hand, there would have been twice as many. There would have been more NY Strips
  if they had been cut 3/4" and not 1". You can see from our initial correspondence;
  I stated the thickness of the cuts up front.  Customer: I have a problem with the
  lack of quality CUTS of beef. The customer never mentioned anything about the quality of
  cuts of beef until today. Our processor does an excellent job at processing and
  cutting the beef. Never have we or anyone that uses them had a problem with the
  quality of cuts. Again, the meat is USDA inspected, and the inspector would not
  allow sub-quality products to be marketed with their inspection seal on the
  meat.I know the BBB is there to protect customers, but I hope
  you're there to protect small businesses from complaints from customers who
  make false claims that can do damage to good businesses. We take pride in our business
  and work hard to satisfy our customers. This complaint is wrong as we did
  everything we could to fill their order on short notice. The first time I ran
  the customer's card it was rejected, and he then contacted me to run it
  again.  I should have never taken this
  order and tried to help him out on such short notice. I will never do it again.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/13/2023

  I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  For satisfaction, I would request an independent butcher review what was received in my purchase vs. what is expected from an average, "Whole Beef".  IF the independent butcher agrees with Webb Farm I will accept their opinion.  If they do not, I will expect Webb Farm to refund the purchase price in full.  Yes, my Card was initially declined because it was a $4004 purchase made over 1000 miles from my home.  I only had to verify with the bank that I actually attempted the purchase.  They call that fraud protection I believe.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *****