The popup meat tent that arrived Sunday has become the talk of the town, and the story behind the company appears even more complicated than the deals it advertises.

Many have joked that the popup meat sales tent, Essential Foods Direct, has been the one thing that residents of Swampscott can agree on: “it sounds too good to be true.” Residents reported waiting in line for more than a half-hour only to be upsold on cuts they described as too thin and too small.

“It seemed really legit. There were probably 100 people in the tractor supply parking lot where they set up last month. I thought this must be legit because they’ve been coming for the last two years,” Matthew Guerriero, who visited a similar popup in Holbrook and later posted about his experience in the Facebook group Swampscott Nest, told the Swampscott Tides. “I was excited. I was going to bring it home to my wife and we had the grill fired up.”

Guerriero said the company only allows one customer into the tent at a time, which he believes enables the staff to “manipulate you” by showing “lower-quality, dollar-store-type” cuts while advertising premium meat products.

According to Guerriero, when he asked to inspect the meat before purchasing it, the vendor refused. He then requested a receipt but was told that Essential Direct Foods had run out of receipt paper. The vendor also declined to provide a handwritten receipt, saying he had neither a pen nor paper.

“I said, ‘I guess I’m stuck,’” Guerriero said. “When I brought it home and (my wife) opened up the package and said ‘This is brown and it’s deli sliced.’ She said, ‘You got really badly scammed.’”

Guerriero said he attempted to return the meat, but because he had not been given a receipt, the vendor would not accept the return.

“I went to the police station and said he’s getting really aggressive with me and he didn’t give me a receipt,” Guerriero said, sharing that the Holbrook officer returned to Essential Direct Foods with him and Guerriero finally obtained a text receipt. “I now try to warn each forum as they travel…I just wanted to warn other people because I was really upset with the way they talked with me.”

On Sunday, Essential Foods Direct advertised 20 ribeye steaks for $40 at a popup in Vinnin Square near CVS from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Facebook post encouraged people to tag three friends “to be entered to win over $1,000 worth of free meat.”

The company also announced “BOGO family party packs,” referring to a buy-one-get-one free deal. They posted about “prime and choice beef family cases” as well as “gourmet chicken,” “wild caught seafood,” and specials on lobster and shrimp. 

Essential Foods Direct also touted 50% off all family packs for the first 100 customers, 10% off for first responders, military personnel and senior citizens, as well as the fact “WE ACCEPT cash, credit, debit and EBT to better serve you.”

“We’ve got everything you need for your grilling necessities,” the Facebook post reads.

Identical posts were made for other popup locations throughout the country.

“It’s like a one trick pony. You scam one person and then you get the next person in line,” Guerriero said.

But a deeper look into the company raised more questions than answers.

Swampscott’s Director of Health Jeff Vaughan and Board of Health Chair Gargi Cooper did not respond for comment about the safety of the popup.

Vaughan did share on Tuesday that the group “had a temp food permit and approval of the property owner to be there.” The Swampscott Tides filed a Freedom of Information Act request Tuesday morning to review the permit.

Essential Foods Direct also did not respond to requests for comment from the Swampscott Tides regarding criticism from residents, food safety concerns and questions about its business practices.

The company has responded to people commenting on their posts about the discounts and times of sales.

Essential Foods Direct’s Facebook page also promoted popup events for the weekend in Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Florida, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts, including Salem.

The Swampscott Tides reached out for comment to Salem’s Code Enforcement Officer Mikita Karasik, Health Agent David Greenbaum and Senior Sanitarian Elizabeth Gagakis.

Many of the posts advertised “grand opening” events and used nearly identical language and promotional offers.

When reaching out over Facebook, the company automatically responds that it is inundated with messages and in the meantime to check out a website under a different name, Stampede Ranch and Farms.

Stampede Ranch and Farms’ preview in Google shows it as another meat wholesaler by the name “Essential Food Sales” which again connects back to “Essential Foods Direct” after a second search. The stampede site states that it will “worry about dinner so you don’t have to” with its “prepackaged, portion sized gourmet meat options.”

The Stampede Ranch and Farms website lists an email address, but messages sent to it from the Swampscott Tides were returned as undeliverable.

“Stampede Ranch & Farm is a small family owned and operated business. We are based out of the Midwest US, but service the entire country,” the site reads. “We travel to cities big and small with one agenda… to drive down high meat prices one customer at a time. We’ve partnered with the largest premier distributors in the US to provide premium product to the communities we serve.”

The Stampede Ranch and Farm website, which has a non-interactive map with dozens of pinpoints to show “places we serve,” does also include a photo of a popup with the 20 ribeyes for $40 marketing push.

“I think it’s a main boss, and they travel all around,” Guerriero said. “It’s one big box, and they have to report to them.”

The site says that “after a quick wait in line,” the people under the tent at a popup will  “show you the ribeyes and any family party packs you’re interested in.”

“Remember: these guys are the EXPERTS! Ask any  questions and they will be happy to answer,” the website reads. “After you see all the product and choose a great deal, the guys will carry the meat to your car.”    

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) does not list any companies under “Stampede Ranch and Farms.”

Even still, a fully separate website, EssentialFoodsDirect.com, shows a frozen prepackaged meat delivery service with what appears to be a variety of stock images.

“As a small family-owned and operated business, we’re on a mission to bring quality meats to families all across the USA,” the website reads. “Sourced exclusively from trusted Midwest Butchers, our Premium Steak, Pork, and Chicken are All-natural and Ethically Raised. From our family to yours, we understand the importance of gathering around the dinner table for delicious meals.”

The company boasts how box subscriptions lock in “our best market price (and an extra 15% off EVERY ORDER)” as the “meat market has been crazy the past few years and prices continue to rise.”

“It is maybe edible, but it’s like chewing a hockey puck,” Guerriero said.

The site’s latest blog posts are from March 10, focusing on “dinner ideas for meat eaters and vegetarians” as well as “what is a meat eater called” from the same day.

Neither a phone number nor email address are listed on the site, and the chatbot directs users to “please see our contact page to get in touch with an Essential Foods Direct Team Member.” The Swampscott Tides filled out the contact form but did not hear back.

The SEC also does not list any companies under “Essential Foods Direct.”

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) lists a scam of $297.67 by Essential Foods Direct in Edgewood, Maryland in May. 

“They were very secretive — not displaying prices or letting customers see what they were actually getting before purchasing. While waiting, I watched them take a small package of meat, put it in a giant empty box, and present it to a customer like it was a huge haul of meat,” the report reads. “When it was my turn, the salesman showed me high quality meat as an example of what I would receive. What was actually placed in my box was visibly lower quality — nothing like what was displayed. This is textbook bait and switch. I was told the price would be $280 but was charged $297.67 — more than agreed upon with no explanation. To make matters worse, they pressured customers into leaving a tip, with the lowest tip option being $30 and going all the way up to $80. This felt extremely coercive, especially after already being overcharged.”

The customer also reported that the seafood box was supposed to “contain salmon, flounder, cod and other fish.”

“Instead it contained crabcakes and lobster — items never mentioned. My father is severely allergic to shellfish,” the report reads. “This is a serious safety issue. I have since seen multiple other customers reporting the exact same experience.”

Another BBB complaint links Essential Foods Direct to Cattlemans Choice LLC, a non-accredited business whose website redirects to a Facebook page for Americas Best Choice Meats LLC.

Americas Best Choice Meats LLC’s phone number could not be connected. The email address did go through, however, and the Swampscott Tides reached out for comment.

“Do not do business with these people,” another BBB review from May reads.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports receiving many complaints from consumers who say the quality of meat or poultry they purchased – from unspecified companies – did not match what they were promised.

“These are often not the delicious cuts of meat touted by the salesman,” the USDA reports. “Unfortunately, many unhappy customers have little or no information about the door-to-door sales company, so redress is difficult or impossible.”

State inspection is mandatory for meat and poultry being transported and sold within a state, the USDA reports.

The meat, poultry and egg product inspection directory also does not include Essential Foods Direct – or any of the allegedly connected business names – in Massachusetts.

The USDA also recommends before buying to check the deal for literature, a phone number and an address of the company. Customers are also encouraged to read labels and check for grading information on the products. 

“The Federal Trade Commission Cooling-Off Rule gives you 3 days to cancel purchases that are made in your home or at a location that is not the permanent place of business or local address of the seller,” the USDA reports. “Under the rule, the salesperson must orally inform you of your cancellation rights at the time of sale. You also must be given two copies of a cancellation form and a copy of your contract or receipt. The contract or receipt should be dated, show the name and address of the seller, and explain your right to cancel. The contract or receipt must be in the same language used in the sales presentation.”

Guerriero said he was ultimately able to dispute the charges through his credit card company. He also recalled helping a customer in Texas do the same after that person came across his Facebook post about the experience.

“There’s a lot of unknowing people, and older people get scammed,” Guerriero said. “I was so upset that I wanted to warn other people.”

As questions remain about the company’s ownership, licensing and business practices, residents who purchased products from the popup may want to review their receipts and familiarize themselves with federal consumer protection rules governing temporary sales operations.

For additional questions on meat sales, the USDA has a hotline, which can be reached at 1-888-674-6854 or by email at mphotline@usda.gov.

Story updated June 23 at 10:15 a.m. with confirmation that there was a permit from the Health Department.