What should have been a thoughtful gift became a prolonged and discouraging experience marked by inconsistent statements and broken trust.

From: Travis Cutts To: montgomery@boardandbrush.com Subject: refund for gift certificate Date: Monday, December 8, 2025 11:05:00 AM

Hello, I would like a refund for my gift certificate purchased for $150.00. We tried repeatedly to schedule an event and were told every time that the event was being rescheduled. After that, we were dealing with Prostate Cancer and unable to schedule. Further, we have come by your location on multiple occasions to discuss and we can never find anyone there. Please let me know how this amount can be refunded or when I can come by to discuss. Repectfully, Travis Cutts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Travis Cutts To: montgomery@boardandbrush.com Cc: Tiana Cutts Subject: RE: Re: refund for gift certificate Date: Monday, December 8, 2025 1:29:00 PM

Hi, I am including the requested information below and I did want to state, I did not buy the gift certificate on the website, I purchased it in person, at the Montgomery location. While there, it was not mentioned that we would not be able to schedule an event if there were not enough people were signed up, and that scheduled events could be cancelled after we had already scheduled them online. I do appreciate your review of the situation the desire for resolution. -Was your $150 gift certificate a plastic gift card issued through our corporate office, or a paper certificate purchased directly through a local studio? – Paper, purchased at your Montgomery Studio -Which studio location was it purchased from? - Montgomery Studio -Approximately when was it purchased? – December 17, 2023 -When did you attempt to redeem it and were told the event was being rescheduled? - We scheduled online at least twice last year and both events were cancelled. We then tried visiting the studio location and have never caught it when anyone was there to discuss our options. -When you stopped by the studio, did you have a chance to reach out using the phone number or email listed on our door? We are a closed studio and only open when workshops are scheduled, so I want to make sure we check all communication paths. – Frankly we gave up for a while and then I found out I had prostate cancer. Since then, we have been dealing with that. I finished the last of my radiation treatments recently and we decided we would try to use the certificate again only to once again not be able to find anyone on site. At that point we were beyond frustrated and my wife just asked me to get our money back. I know we did also try calling a couple of times, but this is the first time I have reached out via email. Thank you, Travis Cutts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Travis Cutts To: montgomery@boardandbrush.com Subject: RE: Re: refund for gift certificate Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2025 12:41:00 PM

We would like to schedule something for January. Please let me know what dates and projects are available. Thank you, Travis Cutts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Travis Cutts To: montgomery@boardandbrush.com Subject: RE: Re: refund for gift certificate Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026 11:05:00 AM

Hello, We were able to get Saturday free but noted that it is now booked so then I tried to sign up for the February 6th event and my gift card code would not work. This has been a very difficult experience. I am now writing to try to sign up directly with you. We have a gift card for $150 and we were told that we could use the take $10 off for our first workshop when I picked up the gift card. That brings me to $160. I would like to spend those funds to register two for the upcoming workshop on Feb 6 at 5:30pm. Attending would be, Travis Cutts and Tiana Cutts. Travis would request to make the Bar Glass Set of 4 and Trivet. On one set of glasses (two), I would like to etch “Good Day” with a line below it -the line being at or around a third of the way up the glass. On the other set of glasses, I would like to etch “Bad Day” with a line above it -the line being at or around half-way up the glass. If I can pick text for the trivet, it would be, “Today… or Tomorrow?” Tiana would request to make the Made With Love Glass Dish and Tray. On the Box, we love the text, “Made with Love”. On the Dish, we would like to etch the text, “Eat The Pie”. The provided $10 off code is BBMONTGOMERY, for our first workshop. The provided $150 gift card code is apNevnhz. Please reply to this email if you have any questions. Thank you, Travis Cutts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Travis Cutts To: montgomery@boardandbrush.com Subject: RE: refund for gift certificate Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026 10:24:00 PM

Sharon and Jeremy, I am extremely unsatisfied with your business and the ability to reach you for questions, to use a gift card that was purchased at your physical location, directly from Jeremy, and with your consistent cancellations and inability to hold events even after they have been paid for. On December 9th you literally extended my gift card for an additional 6 months, “I am happy to extend the expiration date of your gift certificate by an additional 6 months.” Considering that was sent Dec 9th of 2025, my assumption was that the 6 months would be starting at that date, not starting, and ending at a date that had already passed. To finish this once and for all, I and my wife will be at your location on Saturday to get a refund for the $150 that I gave you and have not been allowed to spend after multiple tries via your website, phone number and email or we can pick up “Take-and-Make” crafts to that amount that we can make on our own. Sincerely, Travis Cutts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Travis Cutts To: montgomery@boardandbrush.com; Tiana Cutts Subject: RE: Final Resolution Regarding Gift Card Date: Monday, February 9, 2026 4:05:00 PM

Tiana Cutts 1007 Gray Ridge Drive Pike Road, AL 36064 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Travis Cutts To: montgomery@boardandbrush.com, hello@boardandbrush.com, franchising@boardandbrush.com, Tiana Cutts Subject: Dissatisfaction with Montgomery, AL Board and Brush Date: Fri, Mar 20, 2026, 9:33 AM

Dear Ms. Sharon Baker, Mr. Jeremy Alphord-Lane, and the Board & Brush Corporate and Montgomery Teams, I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my experience with the Board & Brush franchise in Montgomery, Alabama, at 7236 Halcyon Park Drive, Montgomery, Al (that was previously owned by Brandie Jeffries) and to request a full refund of $150 for a gift certificate I purchased. My wife and I have encountered significant and persistent obstacles in our attempts to redeem this gift certificate, which was purchased as a thoughtful gift. Our experience has been marked by technical issues with your website, sudden event cancellations, and a concerning lack of customer service, culminating in a refusal to honor a previously granted extension. To provide full context, here is a timeline of the events: Initial Redemption Issues: We repeatedly tried to use our gift certificate code on your website, but it failed to work, causing us to miss several workshops we had planned to attend. Extenuating Family Circumstances: During this period, our family faced significant personal health crises. My wife has Multiple Sclerosis, which involves frequent and difficult-to-reschedule medical appointments two hours from our home. Concurrently, I, a USMC Veteran, was diagnosed with cancer, which required major surgery, nine weeks of daily radiation therapy, and an extended recovery period that included a broken foot. As you can imagine, our focus was necessarily on health and family. Expiration and Extension: After navigating this incredibly difficult time, we discovered our gift certificate had expired. After numerous attempts to contact the Montgomery studio, we finally reached a representative via email. We explained our situation, and on December 9, 2025, we were informed, "I am happy to extend the expiration date of your gift certificate by an additional 6 months." Refusal of Service: Trusting this extension, we planned our schedules accordingly. On January 22, 2026—less than two months into the six-month extension—we attempted to register for an upcoming workshop. When we found the desired date was booked, we immediately tried to book for a future date in February, only for the website to reject our code once again. Response to Contact: When I contacted the Montgomery studio to resolve this, I was told, "At this point, we are unable to proceed with registration or redemption of the expired gift card." When I proposed resolving this in person to receive a refund, I was informed in no uncertain terms that "all gift card sales are final and non-refundable" and that the staff would not "interrupt that event to discuss this matter further." Response to Threats of Exposure: When both I and my wife then responded yet again we were told that the owner would provide us with a money order for half the cost to split the difference. We should provide our address and $75.00 would be sent to us. Accepting that this was the best we were going to get and that we were just going to be cheated out of the rest, we did so and that was six weeks ago and we have received nothing. While I can understand a standard policy on expired certificates, the fact remains that your representative explicitly granted us a six-month extension. Rescinding that promise less than two months later is a breach of that agreement. We have been patient and have made every effort to use the service we paid for. However, the combination of technical failures, workshop cancellations, and, most critically, the refusal to honor your own written commitment has made this impossible. A gift certificate is a payment for future service, not a temporary coupon. Given that we were denied this service due to issues on your end and then had a written extension arbitrarily revoked, a refund is the only appropriate resolution. We are asking that you stand by the values of integrity and customer service and refund the $150 that was taken from my family under these circumstances. I await your prompt response and a resolution to this matter as on January 31st, I plan to review your local business, and the organizations failed business model both locally and nationally. You will see from my initial review below that I have no need to embellish as the truth is quite damning by itself. Message also being sent to: Board & Brush Corporate Office 117 Hill Street Hartland, WI 53029 Review Title: AVOID - Deceptive Practices and Stolen Money from a Veteran's Family Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1 Star) I am writing this review to warn other potential customers about the deeply unethical and frustrating experience my family has had with Board & Brush Montgomery, located at 7236 Halcyon Park Drive and owned by Sharon Baker and Jeremy Alphord-Lane. They have effectively stolen $150 from my family through deceptive practices and a complete lack of compassion. As a USMC Veteran dealing with a recent cancer diagnosis, I bought a $150 gift certificate for my wife, who has Multiple Sclerosis, hoping to give her a fun, creative outlet. From the very beginning, the process was a nightmare. The gift certificate codes provided to us simply did not work on their website, causing us to miss out on workshops we had planned to attend. Getting help was nearly impossible. We stopped by the physical location multiple times during business hours only to find it closed. Calls to their phone number went unanswered. When we finally managed to get a different booking method, the studio would cancel workshops we had cleared our schedules for. Rescheduling was not simple for us, as my wife's medical care for MS is complex and my own cancer treatments, including surgery and radiation, left me with little energy or flexibility. After navigating these immense health challenges, we found the gift certificate had expired. We contacted the studio via email, explainingour situation. On December 9th, 2025, a representative from the Montgomery studio replied, "I am happy to extend the expiration date of your gift certificate by an additional 6 months." We were relieved and grateful. However, this promise was a lie. On January 22, 2026—less than two months into the supposed six-month extension—we tried to book a workshop. The code didn't work again. When I emailed them about the issue, I received a shocking response: "At this point, we are unable to proceed with registration or redemption of the expired gift card." They completely revoked the extension they had given us in writing just weeks earlier. When I stated we would come to the studio on Saturday to get our money back, the response from owners Sharon Baker and Jeremy Alphord's business was dismissive and frankly insulting, written in a huge font: "Per the policy previously shared, all gift card sales are final and non-refundable... we will not be able to interrupt that event to discuss this matter further." A gift certificate is cash paid for a service, not a coupon that can just expire, especially after the business itself makes it impossible to use. This company took our $150, failed to provide the service we paid for, gave us a written promise to make it right, and then went back on their word without a second thought. This wasn't just poor customer service; it was a heartless and unethical way to treat any customer, let alone a veteran's family dealing with significant health crises. Save your money and your time. Do not give your business to people who operate with such a stunning lack of integrity. Travis & Tiana Cutts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Travis Cutts To: montgomery@boardandbrush.com Subject: Fwd: Dissatisfaction with Montgomery, AL Board and Brush Date: Mon, Mar 23, 2026, 12:19 PM

I suggest you review Title 12, Section 1005.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations as my gift card is required to be of use and valid for five years by law. Travis Cutts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Travis Cutts To: montgomery@boardandbrush.com; Tiana Cutts Subject: RE: Final Formal Response and Resolution Path – Gift Certificate Date: Monday, March 23, 2026 3:50:00 PM

Sharon and Jeremy, I am afraid that your very first comment is untrue and leaves me stunned as to your gall. Further, you do not need to act as if you are doing us a favor by honoring the gift certificate that you issued as by federal law it is valid for five years. That said, the consideration of a donation to the Montgomery Veteran Center does give me pause and because of that, I would like to ask you a question that will allow us to make a final determination on how we can best put this issue to rest. The owners listed for B&B of Montgomery, LLC Entity ID 422-094 are Jeremy Alphord and Sharon Baker, so my question is, which of you is the veteran at this veteran-owned studio? Respectfully, Travis Cutts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GOOGLE REVIEW and RESPONSE

Review Title: AVOID - Deceptive Practices and Stolen Money from a Veteran's Family Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1 Star) I am writing this review to warn other potential customers about the deeply unethical and frustrating experience my family has had with Board & Brush Montgomery, located at 7236 Halcyon Park Drive and owned by Sharon Baker and Jeremy Alphord-Lane. They have effectively stolen $150 from my family through deceptive practices and a complete lack of compassion. As a USMC Veteran dealing with a recent cancer diagnosis, I bought a $150 gift certificate for my wife, who has Multiple Sclerosis, hoping to give her a fun, creative outlet. From the very beginning, the process was a nightmare. The gift certificate codes provided to us simply did not work on their website, causing us to miss out on workshops we had planned to attend. Getting help was nearly impossible. We stopped by the physical location multiple times during business hours only to find it closed. Calls to their phone number went unanswered. When we finally managed to get a different booking method, the studio would cancel workshops we had cleared our schedules for. Rescheduling was not simple for us, as my wife's medical care for MS is complex and my own cancer treatments, including surgery and radiation, left me with little energy or flexibility. After navigating these immense health challenges, we found the gift certificate had expired. We contacted the studio via email, explaining our situation. On December 9th, 2025, a representative from the Montgomery studio replied, "I am happy to extend the expiration date of your gift certificate by an additional 6 months." We were relieved and grateful. However, this promise was a lie. On January 22, 2026—less than two months into the supposed six-month extension—we tried to book a workshop. The code didn't work again. When I emailed them about the issue, I received a shocking response: "At this point, we are unable to proceed with registration or redemption of the expired gift card." They completely revoked the extension they had given us in writing just weeks earlier. When I stated we would come to the studio on Saturday to get our money back, the response from owners Sharon Baker and Jeremy Alphord's business was dismissive and frankly insulting, written in a huge font: "Per the policy previously shared, all gift card sales are final and non-refundable... we will not be able to interrupt that event to discuss this matter further." A gift certificate is cash paid for a service, not a coupon that can just expire, especially after the business itself makes it impossible to use. This company took our $150, failed to provide the service we paid for, gave us a written promise to make it right, and then went back on their word without a second thought. This wasn't just poor customer service; it was a heartless and unethical way to treat any customer, let alone a veteran's family dealing with significant health crises. Save your money and your time. Do not give your business to people who operate with such a stunning lack of integrity. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BBB Complaint ID: 24663724 Date Filed: 03/20/2026 Business Name: Board and Brush Address: Montgomery, AL 36117

Complaint Details: We repeatedly tried to use our gift certificate code on the website, but it failed to work, causing us to miss several workshops we planned to attend. During this period, our family faced significant personal health crises. My wife has Multiple Sclerosis, which involves frequent and difficult-to-reschedule medical appointments two hours from home. Concurrently, I, a USMC Veteran, was diagnosed with cancer, requiring surgery, nine weeks of daily radiation, and an extended recovery period that included a broken foot. After navigating this difficult time, we discovered our gift certificate had expired. After numerous attempts to contact the Montgomery studio, we reached a representative via email. We explained our situation. On December 9, 2025, we were informed, "I am happy to extend the expiration date of your gift certificate by an additional 6 months." Trusting this extension, we planned our schedules accordingly. On January 22, 2026—less than two months into the six-month extension—we attempted to register for an upcoming workshop. When we found the desired date was booked, we immediately tried to book for a future date in February, only for the website to reject our code once again. When I contacted the Montgomery studio to resolve this, I was told, "At this point, we are unable to proceed with registration or redemption of the expired gift card." When I proposed resolving this in person to receive a refund, I was informed in no uncertain terms that "all gift card sales are final and non-refundable" and that the staff would not "interrupt that event to discuss this matter further." When both I and my wife then responded, we were told that the owner would provide us with a money order for half the cost to split the difference. We should provide our address and $75.00 would be sent to us. Accepting that this was the best we were going to get and that we were just going to be cheated out of the rest, we did so. That was six weeks ago. We have received nothing. RESPONSE FROM COMPLAINTANT: I am rejecting this response because: My review was not inaccurate, and I have email correspondence with the owners of the Montgomery Board and Brush that prove the validity of my review and further prove that the comments made by this business to the BBB are lies. I purchased my gift certificate from Mr. Alphord at the business in question and he made no statements regarding expiration or non-refundability and the owners further offered to extend the gift certificate after the fact but then denied that once we attempted to use the gift certificate during the extension period. I believe that this is due to confusion between the two owners and that we received an extension from one owner that was later denied (during the extension period) by a different owner. Specifically, the owner responded via email on December 9, 2025, "I am happy to extend the expiration date of your gift certificate by an additional 6 months." Then on January 22, 2026—less than two months into the sixmonth extension—we attempted to register for an upcoming workshop. When we found the desired date was booked, we immediately tried to book for a future date in February, only for the website to reject our code once again. I then contacted the Montgomery studio to resolve this, when I was told, "At this point, we are unable to proceed with registration or redemption of the expired gift card." When I proposed resolving this in person to receive a refund, I was informed in no uncertain terms that "all gift card sales are final and non-refundable”. This is proof in fact that we received a 6-month extension via email that was then not honored, as I have described. I am happy to provide these emails to the BBB. As the business admits in their response to the BBB, they, “operate by scheduled workshop hours, which means the studio is not always open for walk-ins.” Yet they also stated to me directly that “the staff would not interrupt that event to discuss this matter further." This means that the business will not see me to resolve this issue. It is imperative that the BBB understands that I am not the single customer that has had this experience. Since bringing this to light, I have spoken with two other families that experienced a very similar series of events: bought a gift certificate, attempted to redeem online with no success, phone calls not returned, finally getting something scheduled after emails, calls, and visits to the business, and then the scheduled date is cancelled by the business. This is an unfair and deceitful practice that results in families being cheated out of their funds by a business that does not appear to care about its patrons. It should also be noted that the business did offer to repay me half the cost of the gift certificate, as stated in the letter below but then when our address was provided to them, we waited for 6 weeks and never received anything. Below is the final letter which I sent to the business in attempts to resolve this issue and it lays out the complete timeline of events that are recounted from email correspondence with the business and I would be happy to provide these emails to the BBB if proof of this correspondence is required: Dear Ms. Sharon Baker, Mr. Jeremy Alphord-Lane, and the Board & Brush Corporate and Montgomery Teams, I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my experience with the Board & Brush franchise in Montgomery, Alabama, at 7236 Halcyon Park Drive, Montgomery, Al (that was previously owned by Brandie Jeffries) and to request a full refund of $150 for a gift certificate I purchased. My wife and I have encountered significant and persistent obstacles in our attempts to redeem this gift certificate, which was purchased as a thoughtful gift. Our experience has been marked by technical issues with your website, sudden event cancellations, and a concerning lack of customer service, culminating in a refusal to honor a previously granted extension. To provide full context, here is a timeline of the events: Initial Redemption Issues: We repeatedly tried to use our gift certificate code on your website, but it failed to work, causing us to miss several workshops we had planned to attend. Extenuating Family Circumstances: During this period, our family faced significant personal health crises. My wife has Multiple Sclerosis, which involves frequent and difficult-to-reschedule medical appointments two hours from our home. Concurrently, I, a USMC Veteran, was diagnosed with cancer, which required major surgery, nine weeks of daily radiation therapy, and an extended recovery period that included a broken foot. As you can imagine, our focus was necessarily on health and family. Expiration and Extension: After navigating this incredibly difficult time, we discovered our gift certificate had expired. After numerous attempts to contact the Montgomery studio, we finally reached a representative via email. We explained our situation, and on December 9, 2025, we were informed, "I am happy to extend the expiration date of your gift certificate by an additional 6 months." Refusal of Service: Trusting this extension, we planned our schedules accordingly. On January 22, 2026— less than two months into the six-month extension—we attempted to register for an upcoming workshop. When we found the desired date was booked, we immediately tried to book for a future date in February, only for the website to reject our code once again. Response to Contact: When I contacted the Montgomery studio to resolve this, I was told, "At this point, we are unable to proceed with registration or redemption of the expired gift card." When I proposed resolving this in person to receive a refund, I was informed in no uncertain terms that "all gift card sales are final and non-refundable" and that the staff would not "interrupt that event to discuss this matter further." Response to Threats of Exposure: When both I and my wife then responded yet again we were told that the owner would provide us with a money order for half the cost to split the difference. We should provide our address and $75.00 would be sent to us. Accepting that this was the best we were going to get and that we were just going to be cheated out of the rest, we did so and that was six weeks ago and we have received nothing. While I can understand a standard policy on expired certificates, the fact remains that your representative explicitly granted us a six-month extension. Rescinding that promise less than two months later is a breach of that agreement. We have been patient and have made every effort to use the service we paid for. However, the combination of technical failures, workshop cancellations, and, most critically, the refusal to honor your own written commitment has made this impossible. A gift certificate is a payment for future service, not a temporary coupon. Given that we were denied this service due to issues on your end and then had a written extension arbitrarily revoked, a refund is the only appropriate resolution. We are asking that you stand by the values of integrity and customer service and refund the $150 that was taken from my family under these circumstances. I await your prompt response and a resolution to this matter as on January 31st, I plan to review your local business, and the organizations failed business model both locally and nationally. You will see from my initial review below that I have no need to embellish as the truth is quite damning by itself.