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'Bourbon and Boots' being sued for deceptive trade

Hundreds of customers across the country claim they never received the southern homemade goods they bought online from Little Rock based company, ‘Bourbon and Boots.’

Hundreds of customers across the country claim they never received the southern homemade goods they bought online from Little Rock based company, ‘Bourbon and Boots.’ Now, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge is suing the company for deceptive trade.

“Things went great for a couple years; then, we started getting complaints," said Janet Robb, President and CEO of Better Business Bureau Arkansas.

‘Bourbon and Boots’ is a southern lifestyle brand that sold whiskey glasses, leather bags, and a wide range of handcrafted goods, all online. The website was very similar to Etsy. The company was a hit when it began operation in 2012 and it continued to grow in popularity until complaints began rolling in.

"They appeared to have some nice merchandise. The problem was--people would pay for merchandise and then they wouldn't receive it," Robb said.

According to Robb, the BBB received nearly 300 customer complaints over a three year span. Customers claimed they either never received their purchase or were not issued a refund. About 140 of the complaints were solved.

In 2017, the company’s BBB rating went from ‘B’ to ‘F’ in a couple months.

Rutledge received 55 complaints and is suing the company and its owner, Rodney Ford, for violating the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. She believes the company owes consumers $19,991.03 in refunds.

“They indicated that they were having trouble with a couple of their vendors and that happens from time to time, but the problem was not ever corrected," Robb said.

The company's Instagram and twitter, with about 30,000 followers each, are still active with recent posts, but the website doesn’t work and the phone line has been disconnected.

Janet Robb suggests checking the BBB website for a company's grade. Do your research before purchasing anything online. For extra protection, use a credit card so you can dispute something if it’s not delivered.

If you are a consumer who has been impacted by the actions of Bourbon & Boots, Rutledge encourages you to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 482-8982.

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