Review TitleAVOID - Deceptive Practices and Stolen Money from a Veteran's Family
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.